Designing an Integrated Undergraduate Disaster STEM Curriculum: A Cultural Shift in Higher Education Curriculum Development in Bangladesh

Abstract

The Department of Disaster and Human Security Management (DHSM) at Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) started its journey in 2015. This is one of the few programs at this university that began at the very beginning. At the onset, this study examined some of the existing undergraduate programs in Disaster Science and Management offered by various higher educational institutions around Bangladesh. Among these programs, a handful are well-organized and utilize an integrated curriculum responsive to the needs of the 21st century. Transforming the traditional undergraduate programs and curricula of Social Disaster Management into an integrated STEM program from policy to practice is a considerable challenge, and students have many expectations for this cutting-edge discipline. This study found that very few Bangladeshi academicians and professionals can develop dynamic suggestions regarding this matter and have the knowledge to design an effective program and curriculum for the future students of this discipline. As a result, certain challenges devising integrated STEM-based programs may jeopardize the development and implementation of disaster management programs at the university level. Hence, adequate qualified members, budget, laboratory, and equipment must implement a multidisciplinary STEM program. Moreover, an innovative STEM program requires additional support from diverse professional organizations to support projects and research. Very often, national higher education policy and regulatory institutions create obstacles. At the same, attempts are made to launch such innovative and integrated programs. This study recommends that a new integration be partially implemented, turning into a milestone of Bangladesh’s 21st-century higher education reformation process.