ULAB Professor Kaiser Haq gave the third presentation, "Resurrecting the first modern English poet of the subcontinent: Hassan Shaheed Suhrawardy" in the DEH Seminar Series on December 24, 2011.

Professor Kaiser Haq is an eminent poet, editor, and translator, and now a full time ULAB Professor, who has sought to rediscover the first ever modern poet in this subcontinent, Hassan Shaheed Suhrawardy.

Suhrawardy, who in his early days traveled across Europe and imbibed modernist influences in his poetry, was a member of a noble Muslim family of Bengal. He studied in Presidency College, Kolkata, and then pursued his studies in several universities of Europe, including Oxford and Cambridge University. He then came in close contact with the masters and scholars of modern art and poetry, of the likes of T.S. Eliot, Baudelaire, Mallarme, etc.

Professor Haq said, Suhrawardy was influenced by the symbolist movement in the early 20th century France, while he studied at Sorbonne for a year. He was a multifaceted genius in that he pursued his scholastic studies in literature, philosophy and art criticism, translation and theatre. He taught at the Visvavarati University as professor of fine arts. His early poetry, a group of rhythmic lyrics adorned with nature images, was inspired by the 19th-century Romanticism, but as he came into contact with the early 20th-century modernist and symbolist artists and poets his verse grew more mature and nuanced, though, at times, abstract. Unfortunately his mind lost the poetic certitude at the partitioning of Bengal, and his knack for composing poetry slackened and he became overshadowed as a poet.

Professor Haq’s presentation, sprinkled with his usual sense of humor, created profound interest amongst the audience, comprising DEH faculty and students, about a poet gone to oblivion. The session was followed by a question-answer session which further substantiated the idea that a poet can never be lost, but s/he reemerges at this or that point of time.

 

The seminar was part of ULAB's Department of English and Humanities (DEH) Seminar Series, in which students can attend lectures on various subjects which face literature or language students and teachers.

ULAB DEH organized a session on referencing in academic writing for the students who are preparing to write their graduate dissertations in the Fall 2011 semester on December 24, 2011.

A power-point presentation on how to use the MLA style Manual for the purpose of referencing and citation in academic writing was conducted by Nasrin Islam, Senior Lecturer of DEH. The faculty supervisors and the dissertation students were present in the session and Professor Mohit UL Alam, Head of the Department, along with Professor Kaiser Haq and Professor Golam Sarwar Chowdhury, also participated in the discussion and clarified certain points with their own suggestions. Overall the session was a hands-on experience for all about using the latest 7th edition MLA handbook.

 

The seminar was part of ULAB's Department of English and Humanities (DEH) Seminar Series, in which students can attend lectures on various subjects which face literature or language students and teachers.

 

Mr. Nantoo Banerjee, a journalist and author from India visited ULAB on 22nd of November. He spoke to the students of MSJ 103: English for the Media class and shared his long experience as a journalists and media expert for over 30 years.

"English can open up the new vistas of opportunities for all of you", he told ULAB students adding "it's no more a language rather it's a skill which you have to master." He also said that journalism is the most exciting profession in the world. Citing the example that former US President Bill Clinton's daughter wants to be a journalist and "she is certainly not doing it for money but excitement."

Mr Nanerjee's up coming book titled "When Bookkeeping means Bookcooking" will be launched at London Book Fair and New York Book Exop this year. He is also working as a Consulting Editor of Delhi-based Indian Press Agency which provides editorial services for Indian media.