The University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) has announced the launch of the country’s first Environmental Studies & Sustainability (ESS) Department, introducing a pioneering undergraduate program aimed at preparing future climate and policy leaders. Applications for the inaugural cohort open on 4 December 2025, with classes beginning in Spring 2026.
ULAB — ranked eighth in Bangladesh in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025 and the only Bangladeshi university in the WURI Top 60 — says the new department will blend climate science, ecology, policy and liberal arts to equip students with both technical and leadership skills.
The Bachelor of Environmental Studies & Sustainability will offer training in research methods, GIS mapping, environmental law, ethics and communication. Students will also gain hands-on experience through fieldwork, internships and collaboration with government agencies and NGOs via ULAB’s Centre for Sustainable Development.
Facilities include an Environment Lab, a GIS lab, modern classrooms, an IoT lab and ULAB’s green Mohammadpur campus. The university says all ESS faculty hold degrees from leading global institutions, with 90% bringing industry experience.
To support early applicants, ULAB is offering a 20% tuition waiver for all first-batch students and two full scholarships for exceptional candidates.
“Bangladesh’s climate challenges are immense, but so is the potential of our youth,” said Jude William Genilo, pro vice-chancellor. Professor Mahmood Hossain, PhD and head of ESS, added that the program aims to turn students “from observers of environmental problems into designers of solutions.”
