Young People in
Bangladesh:
Facing the Challenges in the New Millennium CPD's Leadership
Programme for Young Scholars and Professionals
In order to enhance the capacity of the young
people who will provide leadership in this millennium to a
country rich in its potential but afflicted by mass poverty and
deprivation, the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) envisages
their active participation in a constructive dialogue on
national policy choices in the context of an emerging global
scenario. With the onset of market-based economies and in view
of the ensuing rapid globalisation, the neophyte leaders will be
faced with the formidable challenge of addressing the pros and
cons emanating from a new structure of global governance.
Today's young people must be exposed to the various dimensions
of the embryonic problems that inform the developmental process,
so that in time they are adequately prepared to face the
frontier problems and are capable of putting forward appropriate
solutions. With this objective in mind, the Programme on Young
People in Bangladesh organised by CPD aims to:
- promoting cognisance about the cardinal developmental
challenges to be faced by Bangladesh in the new millennium
- encouraging the creative ideas of young scholars and
professionals in articulating the development agenda of the
country
- making the new generation of leaders conscious of the
changing features of global governance and public goods
- stimulating young people's aptitude towards effective
interface with the global public policy network.
An Advisory Committee
has been constituted to monitor the implementation and progress
of the programme, with Professor Rehman Sobhan in the Chair and
Professor Mohammad Yunus as the Convenor. The programme has
received support from Better World Fund of the United Nations
Foundation.
Programme Components
To facilitate the aforementioned objectives through a focused
capacity building initiative, the programme is devised into four components.
Small Grants for Young Scholars: Unique
Opportunity for Empirical and Action Research
- This is a rare opportunity for motivated individuals to conduct
empirical and action research on a limited scale on any topic pertinent
to the country's reform and development pursuits. The subject matter
essentially has to be forward-looking.
- As part of this programme CPD is inviting fresh graduates and graduate
students of such disciplines as Economics, International Relations,
Journalism, Political Science, Sociology or any specialised discipline
in Business Studies.
- The applicants will be selected from students of five batches with the
middle batch of students being those completing their Master's degree in
the Year 2000.
- The research endeavour would be facilitated through necessary
institutional contacts and references, and the researchers will get an
opportunity to work under CPD's supervision.
- Research papers produced under the Small Grants component, which are
evaluated highly, will be published by the CPD in a Series to be
specially brought out as part of the programme.
- The grantees, on completion of their study, which may form part of
their dissertation work or any academic requirement by the corresponding
departments, will present their findings at a dialogue arranged by CPD.
- The selected young researchers will be provided with financial grants
to cover expenses related to the conduct of their respective studies.
Internship for Young Professionals:
Rich Exposure to the Development Discourse
- This is a particularly exciting offer for those aspiring to build an
academic or research-oriented career. Prospective executives of various
development agencies will also benefit from the internship. Involvement
with the CPD as an Intern provides an excellent opportunity to interact
with a leading civil society think-tank in Bangladesh and to gain
first-hand exposure to frontier developmental issues and critical
development policy challenges facing Bangladesh.
- CPD will involve the interns in its ongoing research programmes, where
they would be required to put in supervised research input. The
internship also provides a scope to participate in various in-house,
national and international dialogues.
- The duration of the internship will be usually for a period of three
to six months.
- Non-resident Bangladeshis are also encouraged to apply for the
internship.
- Only Graduates and Ph.D. students should apply.
CPD Intern List
Appreciation Courses on Policy Issues:
Understanding the Challenges of the New Millennium
- In order to promote leadership skills among the young people of
Bangladesh, appreciation courses and policy dialogues will be held on
strategic issues of national and international importance. In this
context, it may be mentioned that the CPD will be open to suggestions
from, and will also contact potential participants as regards selection
of particular themes and issues for the policy dialogues.
- CPD looks forward to participation of the younger generation of
professionals, with their vocation falling into any of the following
categories:
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