The Department of English and Humanities, BRAC University organised a two-day inter-university conference for students and fresh graduates from May 19-20, 2016 at the BRAC University auditorium. New Directions in Literary Research, as the conference was called, exclusively focused on literature of both English and Bangla on three main streams:
a) 20th Century Modernism and Literature: presenters seek to question modernist notions of the artist, time and context.
b) Postmodern Theories and Literature: presenters analyze postmodern repercussions in relation to cultural phenomena.
c) Literature and the Body: presenters delved into the politics of the body and its representation. They also investigate the relation of the body to themes of trauma and violence
The conference showcased total thirteen high quality research papers of students and new graduates of different universities including BRAC University, North South University, ULAB, International Islamic University of Chittagong and East West University. Professor Dr. Farhat Iftekharuddin, the Pro-VC of BRAC University, opened the conference, while Professor Afsan Chowdhury of the Department of English and Humanities read the welcome note. The Modernism Panel was chaired by eminent scholar and writer Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam, which was followed by the session on Postmodernism, chaired by Professor and poet Kaiser H. Haq.
The first day ended with lively discussions and enjoyment. The Second day, Friday the 20th of May, the morning session looked into the discourse of the Body in literature, chaired by Professor and the Chairperson of ENH, Professor Firdous Azim. The second session on the Violated Body had a special focus on the representations of Biranganas in literature. Chaired by Professor Dina M. Siddiqui of BRACU Department of Economics and Social Sciences, this last session garnered much interest among the discussants. After each session, the participants received certificates from the chairperson of the department. The conference ended with a discussion on 'Possibilities and Challenges of doing Research in literature' where Dr. Afrin Zeenat, assistant professor, Dhaka University English Department was a special guest. The two-day long conference ended successfully with the anticipation that students should be exposed to these kinds of academic events frequently.
The conference committee, headed by Dr. Rifat Mahbub worked closely with the ENH volunteers to execute this well attended and well received event smoothly. Kazi Farzana Shoily and Untara Rayeesa, teachers of history minor at the department , were actively involved in organizing the conference.