British Council grant to support module development and staff training in Bangladesh
11 March 2026
Researchers from Cardiff University and North South University (NSU) in Bangladesh are working together to embed sustainability in architectural education.
The international partnership, supported by a British Council Transnational Education (TNE) grant, will see researchers co-develop and pilot a student module on sustainable design at NSU.
The pilot module will focus on low carbon building materials and be developed jointly by Cardiff and NSU teams and will include a complete teaching pack, covering the syllabus, lecture content, reading list, assessment approach, and studio briefs.
A ‘train the trainer’ programme will run alongside the pilot module, aiming to strengthen capacity among NSU staff and support the wider uptake of cutting-edge sustainability knowledge across teaching.
The programme includes a one-week observation and training visit to Cardiff, followed by module finalisation and faculty training in Dhaka to support pilot delivery and longer-term integration.
Project lead Dr Eshrar Latif, Senior Lecturer in the Welsh School of Architecture at Cardiff University, said: “This partnership is about embedding sustainability in architectural education through a combination of student learning and staff capability building.”
We will pilot a sustainable design module focused on low carbon building materials at NSU. To complement this activity, the train the trainer programme will ensure cutting edge sustainability knowledge is shared more widely, supporting diffusion across the built environment education sector in Bangladesh.
The grant will enable researchers to meet in the country’s capital, Dhaka to develop the module face-to-face in joint workshops and teaching development sessions.
Alongside curriculum development, the partnership will also support knowledge exchange between the institutions and strengthen long-term collaboration in sustainability-focused education.
Sujaul Islam Khan, Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture at NSU, added: “We are pleased to collaborate with Cardiff University to strengthen sustainable design teaching at NSU.”
The focus on low carbon building materials is timely and relevant, and the co-developed module and staff training will support our students and colleagues with knowledge that connects to local climate realities and evolving professional expectations.
Cardiff University is one of only a few institutions in the UK to secure the British Council Going Global Partnerships grant. The other researchers involved in the project are Dr Vicki Stevenson and Professor Sharif Shams Imon.
The British Council Going Global Partnerships supports universities, colleges and wider education stakeholders around the world to work together towards building stronger, equitable, more inclusive and internationally connected higher education through international partnerships.
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