Scope and opportunity of HRD for NARS scientists:

Higher studies and training

Md. Aminuzzaman
Director (Training) BARC
Introduction

BARC Manpower Development Program launched so far has been generally

project- based, particularly meant for agricultural scientists/ researchers working
under the umbrella of National Agricultural Research System (NARS).

As we are approaching towards a new millennium, the vision of past should be

rectified/modified to match for the future. Training or HRD Management System for
the next 25 years should be in line with current global and regional changes. Keeping
in mind the rate of exodus of agricultural scientists, incentive system together with
modernized training facilities need to be developed for the day-to-day changing
scenario of the world to retain the qualified agricultural scientists of NARS.

In the open market system, internationally competition is inevitable. Currently,

paucity of donor agencies is also key factor what we to take into consideration
seriously before panning for human resource development plan. Limitations matching
with the desired need may also be a factor for the training experts.

Human Resources Development Planning up to the year 2009 - 2025, as a

coordination agency, BARC with the support of NARS Institutes can provide a
general guideline depending on consensus to cove the areas of “Frontier Technology”
for combating hurdles related to self-sufficiency both in manpower and technology.
Considering all these issues in changing scenario of the world, available national
resources have to be given top most priority.

BARC is responsible for planning, developing and upgrading the manpower of the
following 12 agricultural research institutes under the NARS such as:

a) Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI)

b) Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI)
c) Bangladesh Jute Research Institute (BJRI)
d) Bangladesh Sugarcane Research Institute (BSRI)
e) Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA)
f) Bangladesh Forest Research Institute (BFRI)
g) Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI)
h) Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI)
i) Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI), and
j) Soil Resource Development institute (SRDI).
k) Cotton Development Board (CDB)
l) Sericulture Research and Training Institute (SRTI)

Paper presented in Rice production training course for BRRI Scientists held at BRRI on 16 Feb-16
April, 2014.
BARC Manpower Development Mandate
The President Order No. 32 of 1973, Amendment made vide Act No. 28 of
1988, Act No.7 of 1996 and BARC Act, 2012 had provided clearly defined and
broad authority to BARC for the improvement of agricultural research manpower in
the country.
The authority covers preparation of master plan for manpower requirement in
agricultural research and select the required number of scientists and research workers
for training abroad and within the country and award fellowships and scholarships in
specialized fields for post graduate studies and for attending international seminars
and conferences with the approva of the Government.

This authority is specified in four categories as follows:

1. Prepare a master plan for manpower development, select candidates, award
fellowships and scholarships within country and abroad.

2. Advice the government on representation of Bangladesh in international

conferences or seminars concerned with agricultural research.

3. Arrange national and international conferences, seminars and short courses of

training in such field of agriculture as it deems necessary.

4. Sponsor and finance travel expenses of research workers to visit appropriate

institutes, and laboratories where outstanding work in their respective fields is
conducted.

HRD Policies
a) The main policy of the BARC Human Resources Development (HRD) is to
continuously improve the research manpower capability of the agricultural
research organizations in the country.

The programmes are as:

ii) Long-term training leading to Ph.D in–country and abroad.
iii) Short-term training both in–country and abroad.
iv) Seminar, workshop, conference, study tour both in–country and abroad.
v) In-country diploma training for in service non-diploma holding field
men/field assistants.
vi) in–country sabbatical leave study programmes.
vii) Technician training with in–country and abroad.

b) To Develop selection procedures designed to develop scientific or

expertise capability through offering degree courses in–country and
abroad and for short-term training abroad.
 c) To select field of specialization institutes/universities where the courses
of training may be held shall be decided by BARC regardless of whether
the training is conducted in–country and abroad.
d) To establish and maintain a system for monitoring the academic
progress of BARC scholars studying abroad and also for in-country
scholars.
e) To establish linkages with international organization/agencies/firms for
providing fund to the candidates who will study abroad.
f) To plan and monitor seminar, workshop, conference and study tour to be
undertaken abroad by the scientists.
g) To develop capability for long-term training within the country in
various fields of agriculture.
h) To assist in establishing a training support network with an equipped
training facility in each regional/monocrop research institute and within
the BARC complex.
i) To sponsor and co-ordinate research conference both within the BARC
complex, institutions and international groups which select BARC as the
venue for conference or technical seminars.
j) To establish a comprehensive system for professional growth records for
the personnel of the research system to be modeled on research
manpower personnel.

Consultative group of international agricultural research

(CGIAR) centers

To strengthen comprehensive capacity building for agricultural scientists/researchers

working in the National Agricultural Research System (NARS), BARS as an apex
body, take the advantage of having scientific knowledge and wisdom from different
International Organizations where deemed proper, i.e. International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT),
International Crop Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (IRISAT),
International Potato Center (CIP), International Center for Agriculture Research in the
dry Areas (ICARDA), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA),
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Asian Vegetable Research and
Development Center (AVRDC), World Fish Center (WFC), World Agro forestry
Center (WAC), etc.

International organizations

The following international institutes like ICAR, PARC, CARP, NARC, MARDI,
ACIAR, PCARRD, APAARI, CORRA, CABI, AGRIS, CAPSA, SAC, SAARC,
CIRDAP, etc. are in association with BARC.
In conclusion, it is worthwhile to note that there exists both challenges and
opportunities in the rapidly changing world. We must develop our human resources to
make our work force well equipped, skilled, dynamic and competent. The scope and
opportunities of Human Resources Development (HRD) in the line of capacity
building of NARS scientists is always a top most priority of BARC to help cope with
the new challenges