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Dr Md. Sabur Khan honored as a Board Member of Eurasian Universities Union (EURAS)

Admin — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 09:47:02 +0000

Founder & Chairman of Daffodil International University (DIU) Bangladesh, Dr Md. Sabur Khan has been honoured as a Board Member of Eurasian Universities Union (EURAS); announced in the recent Annual General Assembly held in Istanbul, Turkey. Being the Board Member of EURAS, Dr Khan will contribute to the advancement of the mission of EURAS by setting futuristic goals, promotion, networking, and effective collaboration for the partnership development and significant growth of Bangladesh’s higher education globally.
Daffodil International University is an active member of EURAS since 2017 which is one of the fastest-growing higher education associations that connects universities and higher education institutions of different cultural backgrounds with the aim of internationalization to enhance exchanges and best practices. Currently, EURAS has around 150 active member universities from all across the West and Central Europe, Balkans, Caucasus, Middle East as well as the whole of Asia and working for the global advancement of educational standards in the Eurasian region. – Press Release

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Massive rise in eye damage among Asians

Admin — Sat, 05 May 2012 17:24:55 +0000

Up to 90% of school leavers in major Asian cities are suffering from myopia – short-sightedness – according to a study published yesterday.
Researchers say the “extraordinary rise” in the problem is being caused by students working very hard in school and missing out on outdoor light.
The scientists told the Lancet that up to one in five of these students could experience severe visual impairment and even blindness.
In the UK, the average level of myopia is between 20% and 30%.
According to Professor Ian Morgan, who led this study and is from the Australian National University, 20-30% was once the average among people in South East Asia as well.
“What we’ve done is written a review of all the evidence which suggests that something extraordinary has happened in east Asia in the last two generations,” he told BBC News.
“They’ve gone from something like 20% myopia in the population to well over 80%, heading for 90% in young adults, and as they get adult it will just spread through the population. It certainly poses a major health problem.”
Eye experts say that you are myopic if your vision is blurred beyond 2m (6.6ft). It is often caused by an elongation of the eyeball that happens when people are young.
According to the research, the problem is being caused by a combination of factors – a commitment to education and lack of outdoor light.
Professor Morgan argues that many children in South East Asia spend long hours studying at school and doing their homework. This in itself puts pressure on the eyes, but exposure to between two and three hours of daylight acts as a counterbalance and helps maintain healthy eyes.
The scientists believe that a chemical called dopamine could be playing a significant part. Exposure to light increases the levels of dopamine in the eye and this seems to prevent elongation of the eyeball.
“We’re talking about the need for two to three hours a day of outdoor light.”
Cultural factors also seem to play a part. Across many parts of South East Asia, children often have a lunchtime nap. According to Professor Morgan they are missing out on prime light to prevent myopia.
A big concern is the numbers of students suffering from “high” myopia. According to Professor Morgan, this affects between 10% and 20% of students in Asian cities. It can lead to vision loss, visual impairment and even blindness.
“These people are at considerable risk – sometimes people are not told about it and are just given more powerful glasses – they need to be warned about the risk and given some self-testing measures so they can get to an ophthalmologist and get some help.”
For decades, researchers believed there was a strong genetic component to the condition. It was believed that people from China, Japan, Korea and other countries were particularly susceptible to developing myopia. But this study strongly suggests an alternative view.
In Singapore, where there are large numbers of people from Chinese, Malay and Indian backgrounds, all three ethnic groups have seen a dramatic rise in short-sightedness.
Professor Morgan says you cannot rule out genetics completely, but for him it’s not the major factor.
Further evidence on the impact of light is provided by UK researchers. Kathryn Saunders from the University of Ulster was part of a team which compared short-sightedness in children in Australia and Northern Ireland.
“I guess we might want to encourage children to spend more time outside when the sun is shining. It’s unlikely to do them any harm.”

-With bbc.co.uk input

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Remittance flow to Bangladesh, Asia might be hit: WB

Admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:04:25 +0000

The indigenisation programmes being considered or implemented in the countries under Gulf Cooperation Council including Saudi Arabia have raised concerns of adverse implications for future remittances to migrant-sending countries including Bangladesh, said a World Bank report released on Thursday.
‘While the indigenisation may not affect remittances in the near-term, they highlight the importance of destination country policy changes for the future sustainability of remittance flows to developing countries [including Bangladesh],’ said the WB’s Outlook for Remittance Flows 2012-2014
The report also mentioned that a deepening and spread of the European debt crisis would also pose risks for oil prices, which could in turn reduce demand for migrant workers and depress remittance flows to Asian countries.
‘Volatile and unpredictable exchange rates present further risks to the outlook for remittances,’ it said.
The report estimated that the total amount of remittance Bangladesh would receive in 2011 would be $12 billion while India could earn $58 billion, followed by China ($57 billion), Mexico ($24 billion), the Philippines ($23 billion) and Pakistan ($12 billion).
It said remittances to South Asia are estimated to have grown by 10.1 per cent in 2011, East Asia and Pacific region 7.6 per cent, and to Eastern Europe and Central Asia by 11 per cent.
The depreciation of the currencies of some large receiving countries including Mexico, India and Bangladesh created incentives to send remittances to take advantage of the ‘sale effect’ on local currency assets.
It said oil driven economic activities and increased spending on infrastructure development are making GCC attractive for migrants from developing countries. Remittance from the GCC countries to Bangladesh and Pakistan (where the GCC countries account for 60 per cent or more of overall remittance inflows) grew by 8 per cent and 31 per cent respectively in the first three quarters of 2011 on year on year basis, it said.
‘As a result of the increased demand for migrant workers, migrant deployment from Bangladesh grew strongly, by 37 per cent, in the first-three quarters of 2011 (after registering a 20 per cent decline in the previous year).’
Officially recorded remittance flows to developing countries are estimated to have reached $351 billion in 2011, an 8 per cent increase over $325 billion in 2010. This rate of increase is higher than the WB earlier forecast of 7.3 per cent growth.
Worldwide recorded remittance flows, including flows to high income countries, are estimated to have reached $406 billion in 2011.
For the first time since the global financial crisis, remittance flows to all developing region rose in 2011.

-With New Age input

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