The University of Dhaka has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences to strengthen strategic maritime cooperation between Bangladesh and China.
The agreement was signed on Sunday, April 12, at the Nansha campus of SCSIO in China, according to an official statement.
DU Vice-Chancellor ABM Obaidul Islam and SCSIO Director General Li Chaolun signed the MoU on behalf of their respective institutions.
The MoU was concluded between DU’s International Centre for Ocean Governance (ICOG) and SCSIO’s State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography (SKLTO), establishing a formal framework for joint research, faculty and student exchanges, and collaborative scientific initiatives.
The signing ceremony was officiated by Professor Yan Du, Director of the State Key Laboratory.
Under the agreement, both sides will undertake joint research in areas including ocean circulation, climate variability, marine ecosystems, coastal resilience and blue economy governance.
Officials said the partnership is expected to foster a sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship, contributing to capacity building and advancing global understanding of tropical marine systems and climate resilience.
A five-member DU delegation, led by Vice-Chancellor Obaidul Islam, is currently visiting China to attend the signing ceremony. Other members include Treasurer Professor M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Science Faculty Dean Professor Abdus Salam, Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Dean Professor Md Humayun Kabir, and ICOG Director Dr KM Azam Chowdhury.
During the visit, the delegation also took part in the 13th International Tropical Marine Environmental Change Conference and the 6th CLIVAR Climate Dynamics Panel Annual Workshop.
Speaking on the occasion, the DU Vice-Chancellor stressed the importance of coordinated and well-planned scientific collaboration, noting that ocean-related research is a national priority for a deltaic country like Bangladesh.
He also underscored the need for interdisciplinary approaches, saying the Earth system does not recognise boundaries between the ocean and atmosphere, and that deeper scientific cooperation would strengthen long-term ties between the two countries.