The department of architecture at North South University has hosted freshers’ reception and farewell ceremony under the theme ‘Gram Bangla’, celebrating the cultural and spatial narratives of rural Bengal, at the NSU in Dhaka recently.
The event welcomed new students to the academic journey of architecture while honouring graduating students for their accomplishments, said a press release on Sunday.
The theme paid tribute to the visual and material culture of the Bengali countryside, using bamboo structures, traditional patterns and earthen tones to recreate a rural ambiance within an urban academic setting.
The reception began with an orientation for freshers, introducing them to the department’s environment and collaborative learning culture. The setting served as a live demonstration of how architecture can reflect tradition, evoke emotion and shape experience — values at the core of the department’s pedagogy.
Graduating students were formally recognised during the second half of the event, where certificates and tokens of appreciation were presented by assistant professor Shahriar Iqbal Raj, chairperson of the department, along with senior faculty members.
The ceremony acknowledged the students’ academic dedication and creative contributions during their time at NSU.
Faculty members noted that the theme ‘Gram Bangla’ was chosen not only to celebrate cultural identity but also to reinforce the role of architecture in interpreting and preserving vernacular aesthetics in contemporary design practice.