{"id":1214,"date":"2025-01-22T15:54:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-22T15:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/fedstaff\/?p=1214"},"modified":"2025-01-22T15:54:00","modified_gmt":"2025-01-22T15:54:00","slug":"from-bath-to-bangladesh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/fedstaff\/2025\/01\/22\/from-bath-to-bangladesh\/","title":{"rendered":"From Bath to Bangladesh"},"content":{"rendered":"

Author: <\/strong>Loretta Gibson, <\/strong>Director <\/strong>of Operations in the Faculty of Engineering & Design<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 5:15am call to prayer reminds us that we are not in Bath. The spectacular 28oC blue-skied winter\u2019s day confirms it for us\u2026 we are definitely not in Bath! As our families and friends back home struggle with the snow and storms of the British winter, we are enjoying the perfection of Bangladesh in January. Although we are still coming to terms with dhal for breakfast, lunch and dinner, we have settled quickly into life in Chittagong.<\/p>\n

Why would two members of staff and five PhD students forgo the pleasure of snow days to join the chaotic hustle and bustle of Chittagong? We are here as VIP guests of the Asian University for Women (AUW), a unique, private university dedicated solely to the education of Asian women. Displaced women who have fled the Taliban, child marriage, Rohingya refugee camps, human trafficking or the floors of the ready- made garment factories in Dhaka are here living and studying alongside local Bangladeshi women. All share the same ambition of achieving their dreams of independence through education. AUW \u2018exists to educate and empower women leaders through the transformative power of liberal arts and science education<\/em>\u2019. The education of these women raises them as individuals and lifts their families and communities out of poverty. The women come from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, and Vietnam... from as close as Chittagong to as far as East Timor. They have a thirst for knowledge and demonstrate the qualities we would expect of future leaders. This is AUW, and this is why we are here.<\/p>\n

\"Student<\/a>
Image student at Asian University for Women (AUW)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The University of Bath is building grassroots relationships between our students and the students at AUW \u2013 we already have two HSS students completing their placement years here as teaching fellows, focusing on English language skills and tutoring students taking pre-undergraduate courses that prepare them for their academic studies. As an American-accredited university, AUW has very high academic standards and achieves exceptional outcomes for its graduates. Many third-year students complete a final year research thesis, so the main purpose of our visit is to deliver a series of workshops on \u2018Communicating your research with impact\u2019.<\/p>\n

Our five exceptional, inspirational women from E&D, HSS and Science are sharing their knowledge and expertise with AUW students so that they have that extra edge when it comes to their graduate lives, be that in academia or the world of work. Working with research based on the attainment of various SDGs, workshop participants are learning the importance of understanding the needs and interests of various scientific communication audiences. Ultimately, they will produce outputs including a 3 minute thesis, conference poster, social media content and a panel Q&A session. Thirsty for knowledge, the AUW students are embracing this opportunity with enthusiasm, personal confidence and academic competence. For us, we have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to bond with women whose stories we might only ever briefly read about in the news. As we do this, we are fully immersed in AUW life and the Bangladeshi culture. It is truly life-changing.<\/p>\n

\"Asian<\/a><\/p>\n

While here, we are also negotiating further experiential opportunities for our students that benefit our University and AUW. This includes real-life field-testing of the water quality testing system developed by our Biodevices without Borders student team, further placement or graduate teaching opportunities, and a series of joint guest lectures. Our hope is that our January 2025 visit sees us continuing partnerships that enhance the learning experiences of students both here and back in Bath. Our PhD students have created a bank of resources that will enable their scientific communication programme to be continued into the future. What a wonderful legacy to leave behind! Personally, this two-week trip will forever change my appreciation of the struggles many Asian women face as a daily reality. I am inspired to do something about it in whatever small way I can. This will remain an intensely profound highlight for me.<\/p>\n

It hasn\u2019t all been hard work though! Whether it is enjoying a Bollywood comedy horror movie without subtitles, the buzz of a huge hawker market, or sampling hand-painted cashmere scarves in the luxury of the British Chittagong Club, one thing is for certain \u2013 the warmth and hospitality of the Bangladeshi people has left a deeply moving, lasting impression. However, it is the unwavering dedication of AUW's incredible local and international staff, their passion and commitment to education and the empowerment of women along with the infectious enthusiasm of the AUW students that will forever stay with us.<\/p>\n

\"PhD<\/a><\/p>\n

It is with heartfelt gratitude that the University of Bath delegation to AUW in January 2025 thanks their faculties for supporting this journey:<\/p>\n

Loretta<\/strong> Gibson<\/strong>: Staff, Faculty of Engineering & Design Sarah Stead: <\/strong>Staff, Faculty of Engineering & Design Tasha<\/strong> Marino:<\/strong> PhD student, Dept of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Design<\/p>\n

Shani Ali: <\/strong>PhD Student, Dept of Life Sciences\/SW Bio, Faculty of Science<\/p>\n

Emma<\/strong> Vickers:<\/strong> PhD student, Dept of Chemistry, Faculty of Science<\/p>\n

Catriona Gray: <\/strong>PhD student, Dept of Social and Policy Science, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Dept of Computer Science, Faculty of Science<\/p>\n

Thao Do: <\/strong>PhD student, Dept of Social and Policy Science, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Dept of Computer Science, Faculty of Science<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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