The University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) will hold its 12th Inter-University Student Conference and Cultural Competition on 13–14 August, bringing together students from 27 public and private universities.
Organised by the university’s Department of English and Humanities, the two-day event will explore the theme “Money Talks: Consumerism and Capitalism in Literature”, according to a press release.
The annual event provides university students from across Bangladesh with a platform for academic discussion, public speaking and creative expression.
On the opening day, students will present academic papers examining representations of consumer culture and capitalist structures in literary and cultural texts. The participants will compete for the Best Paper Award.
The day will also feature an extempore speech competition involving 27 students from 14 universities.
On the second day, eight universities will compete for the Champion’s Trophy in the cultural competition. ULAB students will also stage a special cultural performance.
A cosplay competition featuring 18 participants from universities across the country will be held alongside an exhibition displaying artworks by 22 participants.
The conference aims to examine how consumer culture and capitalist structures are represented, negotiated, questioned, reinforced and challenged across literature and other cultural spaces.
The cultural competition will allow students to present their interpretations of the theme through different artistic forms while promoting teamwork, leadership and friendly competition.
Academics from universities not participating in the contests will assess the papers and performances to ensure fairness and transparency.
The awards ceremony will begin at 4:30pm on Friday, 14 August.
ULAB Vice Chancellor Professor Shamsad Mortuza, PhD, will attend the ceremony as chief guest, while ULAB Summer Distinguished Professor Dr Azfar Hussain will join as special guest.
Dr Azfar Hussain is also director of the Graduate Program in Social Innovation at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, USA, and vice president and professor of English, World Literature, and Interdisciplinary Studies at The Global Center for Advanced Studies, USA.