The Institute of Environmental Science (IES) was
established in 1999 as a prominent center for advanced research at the
University of Rajshahi. It is also the sole institute of its kind in
Bangladesh. The institute promotes research in all disciplines, from the
natural, physical, and social sciences to engineering and technology, aiming to
produce expert scientists and specialists and build awareness about protecting
the environment and contributing to national development. The institute
welcomes researchers from science, medical science, engineering, social
science, and business backgrounds to conduct research with the vision of
contributing to environmental education, research, and development. It focuses
research on water, soil, land, and native flora and fauna, particularly under
changing climate and economic conditions. The world is facing challenges of
global climate change that threaten environmental sustainability. Global
climate change has already had widespread effects on the environment,
manifesting in extreme climate events such as an increased frequency of
cyclones and typhoons, loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise, and longer,
more intense heat waves. Bangladesh and other South Asian countries are the
most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to their geographical
locations and economic conditions. Consequently, this institute emphasizes
research on water quality and quantity, biodiversity, ecosystem management, and
other relevant issues to confront the challenges and achieve a sustainable and
habitable world.

The institute offers regular programs for MPhil and PhD
courses within research areas and themes under science, social science,
business, engineering, and technology disciplines relating to the environment.
The program consists of one year of coursework that includes six compulsory
courses and one optional course from diverse study areas in environmental
science while simultaneously going through intensive research. The fellow
researchers may select their research supervisors from the institute’s
full-time faculties or regular faculties from other disciplines of this
university.

Dr. Md. Golam Mostafa
Professor and Director
Institute of Environmental Science