Department of Printing and Publication Studies
University of Dhaka
Goals and Objectives
The Department of Printing and Publication Studies is one of the few latest disciplines that have been inducted in the recent past in the academic program of the University of Dhaka. As the world is now passing through the amazing technological development, for that, the printing and the publishing industries especially of Bangladesh need expertise in these fields to be benefited for. Besides a big bulk of workforce, who engaged in both the industries, many people despite their desire did not possess any academic degree in printing and publishing from the university level as there was no such program yet in Bangladesh until 2015. The situation prevailing in the publishing and printing industry in particular, therefore, demands higher academic pursuit for producing such volume of experts who can fill the void. And as such, after going through a few initiatives, a proposal was forwarded for setting up the Department of Printing and Publication Studies at the University of Dhaka to create the opportunities for providing theoretical as well as hand-on practical knowledge and skill to the people of new generation. The proposal has been adopted by the academic council of the university on 10-09-2014 and subsequently approved by the syndicate on 30-09-2014. In this process, this has got the formal endorsement of the University Grants Commission (UGC) on 12-05-2015.
The department has been started its formal functioning with the joining of its founding Chairman on 06-09-2015. The department has been blessed further with the appointment of four lecturers in 2016, two of them by this time promoted to the rank of Assistant Professors, and later four professionally expert adjunct faculty members. Affiliated with the Faculty of Social Sciences, the department mostly focuses on to generate command for the students on technical knowledge and know-how in the field of printing and publication keeping in mind the widely stretched big printing and publishing industry of the world, especially Bangladesh.
The printing and publishing industry of Bangladesh has been flourishing on its own for more than a century without much support of institutionally educated people. With this program, both the industries will be able to get academically learned and well equipped manpower, and will be able to provide an institutional and academic flavor in their respective organizations.
Courses Offered and Career Prospects
The department presently offers a Four year Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) program in Printing and Publication Studies since 2017. The program comprising 08(eight) semesters covers diversified courses ranging from the History of Printing and Publishing, Introduction to Communication to Bangla and English Writing Skills; Printing and Publication Sectors in Bangladesh, Basic Concepts of Publishing to Basic computer Skills to Copy Editing and Proofreading; Theories of Printing and Publication, Bangladesh Studies to Institutional and other Publications and Publishing in Global Perspectives; Professional and Creative Writing, Society and Culture to Finance and Economic Process to Color, Ink and Paper; Graphic Design, Illustration and Photography, Ethics and Laws of Printing and Publishing to Academic Writing and Editing for Academic and Non-academic Writing; Design and Make-up, Children's Publication to Acquisition and Editorial Management to Publishing House Management; Library Management and Warehouse Control, Principles and Process of Printing, to Research Methodology to Art of Binding; and lastly Market Research and Business Promotion and e-Publishing in addition of Monograph or Internship. In their last semester, the students will have to appear at a Comprehensive test and to face Oral exam.
Initially, the department commenced its academic program with offering an 18 months Professional Masters of Social Sciences (MSS) program in Printing and Publication Studies spanning 03 semesters in 2016. The professional MSS program mainly focused on: History of Printing and Publication, Publishing Theory and Practice to Copyright Law and Editorial and Proofreading Practice; Design and Typography, Print Production Control and Management to Marketing and Sales to Book or Magazine Publishing Project. Besides, at their last semester, the students had to go for taking both Internship and Thesis.
After completion of the course the graduates entered into a variety of jobs in the field of printing and publishing besides other relevant areas. The courses proved to be very useful for those who had no relevant professional qualification yet, but wished to advance their career in the printing and publishing industry. The program continuously encouraged the students to update their knowledge and understanding of both traditional and contemporary printing and publishing media and methods.
Now the department is going through a process of launching its one year regular MSS program in the Printing and Publication Studies for the students who are pursuing for the Bachelor degree at the department. Therefore, the development of course curriculum is remaining under process. There are 10(ten) courses identified to offer for the Masters program. The tentative courses are: Business Communication, Digital Publishing and e-Editing, Text Book Publishing: Content and Design, Security and Specialized Printing and Publishing, Academic and Research Publishing and Editing, Advertising and Public relations, Commercial Printing and Packaging, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Book Publishing Project/ Magazine Publishing Project or Thesis and Comprehensive and Viva. The students have to choose four courses at their first semester out of five, and in the second, they need to choose two courses out of three, besides of taking a Book or Magazine Publishing Project or Thesis, and to attend a compulsory Comprehensive and Viva test.
With these programs, the department is quite confident to provide a big impetus to the country’s printing and publication industries as well as in the open field to create a modern and academically trained work force, who will be able to contribute in the field of printing and publishing arena of our country. The graduates of the regular or the professional Masters Program not necessarily need to wait simply for government jobs; rather they will be employed by themselves after launching their own printing and publication ventures. Besides, they will have wide scope of getting jobs in the ever-expanding Printing and Publishing industry of Bangladesh. They will also have chance to get employment in the already flourished newspaper industry of Bangladesh. There are other opportunities for them to be appointed as publication or information officer in various ministries and departments of the government, or in various banks and financial institutions, etc. Being a graduate of Social Sciences, the graduates will also be able to apply for the Bangladesh Civil Service examinations, Government Banks, etc. Some of them will have the prospect to join in the teaching/ training jobs also in the near future.
The department is now located in one portion of University Press Building of the University of Dhaka at Nilkhet Area, and now almost set to move to the sprawling 10th floor of the Social Science Faculty Building, very near to historically famous Modhur Canteen with sufficient class rooms and other infrastructural facilities. The department has its well-set Computer Lab, and will have a Printing Lab in near future.
