Dhaka-University-Renews-MoUs-with-China’s-First-Institute-of-Oceanography

Published: 18 Sep, 2026

Dhaka University Renews MoUs with China’s First Institute of Oceanography

Dhaka University (DU) has renewed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the First Institute of Oceanography (FIO) under China’s Ministry of Natural Resources to further strengthen collaboration in ocean science, ocean observation, forecasting, climate research, and disaster resilience.

The MoUs were renewed during the University of Dhaka’s participation in the China–South Asian Countries Maritime Cooperation Forum held in Shangdao, China. The renewed agreements are expected to further expand joint research, ocean observation, data and technology exchange, and capacity-building initiatives between the two institutions.
The MoU between the University of Dhaka and FIO was signed by DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. A B M Obaidul Islam. Another MoU was signed between FIO’s Marine Science and Numerical Modeling Laboratory (MASNUM-FIO) and DU’s International Centre for Ocean Governance (ICOG). The latter was signed by ICOG Director Dr. K M Azam Chowdhury.
The DU delegation was led by Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. A B M Obaidul Islam. Other members of the delegation included Dean of the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Dr. Md. Humayun Kabir, Dean of the Faculty of Arts Professor Dr. Md. Abul Kalam Sarkar, Associate Professor of the Department of Oceanography and Director of ICOG Dr. K M Azam Chowdhury, and Lecturer of the Department of Oceanography Alif Mohammad Khan. Senior representatives of China’s Ministry of Natural Resources, including the Deputy Director-General of FIO, were also present at the signing ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. A B M Obaidul Islam described the renewed MoUs as not a new beginning, but a continuation of a partnership that the University of Dhaka values highly. He said the collaboration between DU and FIO had already produced tangible outcomes.
Under the joint FIO-DU survey, two GNSS Jingwei buoys have been successfully deployed in the Rabnabad Channel and at the Meghna River estuary, contributing to the establishment of Bangladesh’s first satellite-linked coastal observation station. FIO has also shared FIO-COM model data with DU to support studies on the dynamics of the Bay of Bengal.
The Vice-Chancellor identified four priority areas for future cooperation. These include expanding the GNSS ocean observation network through the deployment of additional buoys in coastal and offshore areas of the Bay of Bengal; strengthening collaboration on advanced forecasting and disaster risk reduction tools, particularly the Ocean to Climate Seamless Forecasting System (OSF) Program and COAST Toolkit; conducting regular joint surveys and expanding opportunities for research, training and data exchange among faculty members, researchers and students; and establishing a China–Bangladesh Joint Research Laboratory at the University of Dhaka.
The proposed joint laboratory will serve as a long-term platform for collaborative research, modeling, forecasting, technology transfer, training and innovation in ocean observation, forecasting and disaster resilience.Dean of the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Dr. Md. Humayun Kabir highlighted the importance of the partnership for disaster risk reduction in Bangladesh. He said, Early warning saves lives, but only when it is built on sound science and sustained observation.

Dean of the Faculty of Arts Professor Dr. Md. Abul Kalam Sarkar welcomed the renewed partnership and expressed hope that the cooperation would create new opportunities for collaboration in the humanities and social sciences as well as in other fields.
Director of ICOG Dr. K M Azam Chowdhury highlighted his long-standing academic and research engagement with China’s ocean science community. He also mentioned the University of Dhaka’s role as a partner institution in the Ocean to Climate Seamless Forecasting (OSF) System Program under the United Nations Ocean Decade, led by Professor Fangli Shao, Deputy Director-General of FIO.

He further informed that the FIO-DU joint survey, jointly led by MASNUM-FIO and ICOG, includes specialized training opportunities for Bangladeshi scientists, researchers and students on the operation of GNSS buoy systems, data processing and their applications.

It may be mentioned that the original MoU between the University of Dhaka and FIO was signed in August 2022, establishing a five-year framework for cooperation in ocean science and technology. The framework covers joint research in physical and chemical oceanography, marine ecosystems, marine spatial planning, and ocean and climate issues in the Bay of Bengal.

The renewed agreements are expected to further expand cooperation between the University of Dhaka and FIO in ocean observation, forecasting, research, technology and knowledge exchange, and capacity building, contributing to greater resilience of coastal communities around the Bay of Bengal.