The Department of Geography and Environment started its journey in 2010 in a small room of the central library building, in a 320-acre courtyard surrounded by the natural beauty of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology(SUST, Sylhet. Although the journey started on a small scale, the development of intellect and mind could not confine this department to a small boundary. Today, the department stands among other successful departments with an extraordinary signature of talent. Although the journey started in 2010, the institutional activities of this department started on 25 January 2011. Currently the department has around 250 students. Dr. Md. Anowarul Islam is presently serving as head of the department.
Educational Facilities
The department has provided some modern laboratories and well decorated classrooms to ensure systematic and practical knowledge. The classrooms are well organized with multimedia projector facilities and equipped with virtual devices. Geographic Information System (GIS) lab is now providing enough computer facilities with original license Software like ArcGIS, ArcGIS Pro for the better learning on geo-spatial studies. In environmental laboratory biological, soil, water, and air samples are analyzed to evaluate pollution, ecosystem, health, and formulate environmental policies that ensure environmental sustainability. The environmental lab has all the materials and supports to perform necessary lab works smoothly. The department is facilitated with a well-organized cartography lab where students can learn the techniques for map study
Study on Advanced Surveying Techniques:
The students of this department have facilities to learn advanced knowledge for land and topographic surveys. The conducted plane table surveys provide a visual and accurate method for mapping small areas. It helps the student to understand the concept of measuring small areas and mapping them properly. Theodolite surveys offer precise angle measurements, crucial for detailed topographical mapping. The offered chain and tape surveys are effective for linear measurements, suitable for simpler, less precise applications. Each method serves a specific purpose in surveying. All the surveying methods are essential for geographers to measure topographic maps and measuring spatial locations.
Field Trip and Co-curricular Activities:
The department organizes outcome-based field trips to fulfill the academic credits and to share field-oriented knowledge among the students. The field trips are generally conducted in different peripheral areas of the country, which are environmentally and ecologically concerned. The field trips are very effective to gain practical knowledge for the students of the department. The students of the department are very active in different cultural and environmental organizations in the campus including sports, dance, music etc.
Seminar, Workshop and Conference:
In 2014 the department organized first-ever "National Go Green" summit, which highlights our commitment to environmental sustainability and raising awareness about eco-friendly practices. Participants gain from a global perspective by learning about various cultures, customs, and points of view, improving their own knowledge, and encouraging cross-cultural interactions. Multi-disciplinary workshops also organized to trained up the students for using statistical program-based software to geo-environmental research.
Collaborative Research Activities
The research activities of the students and faculties of the department are remarkable. The researches are generally conducted on different field of geo-environment. The students and faculties of the department are conducting many collaborative research with professors of different research arena with a multidisciplinary approach. The findings of those research are already published in different international journals. The engagement of the students in research activities under Bangladesh Center for Advanced Studies (BCAS) also represents the activity of the department for promoting research.
Champion in NASA International Space Apps Challenge
Some students of this department under Shahjalal University of Science and Technology Team OLIK secured first place in the NASA International Space Apps Challenge in 2019, which is a remarkable achievement for the country.
