Policy Document:
https://sustainability.du.ac.bd/sdg_menu_details/78 
 

Statement:
The University of Dhaka upholds academic freedom as a core institutional value and an essential condition for meaningful higher education. DU recognizes that robust teaching, research, and innovation require an environment where scholars and students may explore, question, and communicate ideas without undue interference or censorship. This commitment is reflected in both DU’s governance practices and its publicly documented academic activities.

1. Freedom in Research and Teaching

DU faculty and researchers retain full autonomy in choosing research agendas, methods, and publication venues. This autonomy is supported by institutional ethics structures such as the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the Institute of Health Economics, which governs research ethics while enabling scholarly independence:

“The purpose of the IRB is to assure that appropriate steps are taken to maintain the ethical norms acceptable to humans participating as subjects in a research study.”

🔗 DU IRB (2024):

https://www.du.ac.bd/reFDetails/dept/101/184

This system demonstrates that ethical oversight exists not to restrict inquiry but to facilitate responsible, independent research.

2. Institutional Support and Ethical Oversight

Ethical Review Committees and IRBs operate centrally and within departments, ensuring integrity in academic work while protecting researchers’ freedom to investigate sensitive or innovative subjects.

These committees enable DU scholars to conduct research involving human subjects, policy analysis, and field studies without external interference.

3. Protection of Expression & Freedom of Inquiry

DU maintains a culture where teachers and students publicly express academic opinions through: classroom discussion, scholarly publications, national media commentary, and campus forums.

Evidence of this culture includes ongoing faculty commentary on education policy, governance, and academic autonomy in national newspapers.

Example:

🔗 DU Professor Kamrul Hasan Mamun’s public academic commentary:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamrul_Hassan_Mamun

Faculty who critique state policies or institutional practices do so freely and visibly, indicating institutional tolerance of open scholarly debate.

4. Student Participation in Public Discourse

DU fosters student freedom of expression through open research, public presentations, and dialogue on politically sensitive issues.

A clear 2024 example is the campus-wide student-led research project:

“Students' Opinion Regarding Party-based Student Politics and Political Activities at the University of Dhaka” (September 2024)

2,237 students surveyed, findings presented publicly on campus

🔗 DU Evidence (2024):

https://www.du.ac.bd/du_post_details/Sharing-Findings-of-the-Research-on-%E2%80%9CStudents%27-Opinion-Regarding-Party-based-Student-Politics-and-Political-Activities-at-the-University-of-Dhaka%E2%80%9D/21754

This reflects DU’s willingness to allow critical evaluation of student politics and campus democracy—topics central to institutional accountability.

5. Collaborative and Participatory Research Environment

DU hosts interdisciplinary forums, including law, governance, climate policy, and social justice events. Examples from 2023–24 include:

Faculty of Law seminar on AI and governance (2024)

Public policy forums and debate events hosted at TSC

These platforms encourage academic collaboration while preserving free expression.

6. Administrative Recognition of Academic Freedom

Academic freedom is exercised within statutory DU frameworks—ordinances, codes of conduct, and national research ethics guidelines. DU’s alignment with:

National Integrity Strategy (NIS) and

Annual Performance Agreement (APA)

ensures that academic freedom is protected within a transparent, accountable institutional structure.

By protecting research autonomy, enabling ethical oversight, encouraging open public engagement, and supporting student and faculty expressions on politically sensitive issues, the University of Dhaka demonstrates a living commitment to academic freedom. These practices—supported by verifiable evidence—fully align with THE Impact Ranking SDG 16.2.6 requirements for demonstrating strong institutional frameworks that protect freedom of thought, inquiry, and expression.