HELLO, RS 47!

It is delightful to witness the collective energy of everyone in the audience on this dazzling
day which is full of promise. I am Abrar Farhan Zaman, a proud student of RS 47, and I wish everyone
present a pleasant morning. With that being said, let’s get down to business shall we?

All of us have gathered here to celebrate the much anticipated Residential Semester day. On that note,
it brings me great pleasure to announce that we have a very illustrious chief guest among us: Mr. Saif
Kamal. Sir, I would like to cordially welcome you to this epoch-making event. We truly appreciate your
prescence. Respected Campus Superintendent Mr. Rehan Ahmed, beloved faculty members, revered
dorm supervisors, and my friends, I welcome you all with a warm heart.

Surely, there is no greater honor or privilege than to be graced with the presence of our chief guest, who
has so considerately taken valuable time from his busy schedule to join us for this occasion. In the same
vein, let me take this opportunity to acquaint you with a proper introduction of our distinguished chief
guest Mr. Saif Kamal.

Mr. Kamal is the founder of Toru institute of Inclusive Innovation. In order to thrive in the fourth
industrial revolution, he plans to empower the youth of the global South by adding to their repertoire of
qualities the trifecta of: Values, Knowledge and Skills so as to empower them to build and scale
innovations as entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs across public, private and civic sectors, ultimately
culminating in the creation of an inclusive society.

Furthermore, Mr. Kamal is not only an alumnus of the prestigious Mayo College in Ajmer, but also a
graduate of the Albert Laurence School of Communication Arts In Assumption University, Thailand. He is
a global shaper at the World Economic Forum, a member of the Davos50 2017 cohort and a Cordes
Fellow for opportunity collaboration. For his groundbreaking work in innovation and the future of
learning he was awarded as the “New Champion” at the Forum’s 2015 Summer Davos.

Mr. Kamal has had a global career of 14 years in advertising, knowledge management, fast moving
consumer goods, and media. Previously, he was a research member of the joint initiative of Heidrick &
Struggles and the Economist Intelligence Unit’s project Global Talent Index.

On top of that, he is also the founder of the British High Commission’s Young Leaders Bangladesh
Initiative, member of the American Embassy Youth Council, a US state department International Visitor
Leadership Programme alumnus as well as a founding member of the Dhaka Tribune. Other than
innovation and education, he is passionate about the arts, policy, politics and food. Suffice to say that he
is a paragon of excellence.

Now that we have a clearer picture of our distinguished chief guest, allow me the privilege of addressing
you, Sir. Let my words paint on the veritable canvas of imagination the vibrant hues of what we know to
be life in RS.
Firstly, I’ll begin by broaching the basic academic system in RS. Primarily, we are offered three courses:
Bangladesh Studies, Ethics and Culture and one of the two language courses One of either English or
French.

The Bangladesh Studies course offers a unique insight into the annals of history and enables us to open
an unending dialogue between past and present. It sparked within us the ardent flames of pride in the
glory and sacrifices of our ancestors and inspired us to tell these stories to posterity. Along with the
history of Bangladesh we have also learned about governance, public administration and the political
development of our nation.

Additionally, we have been blessed with the good fortune of portrayIng the entire timeline of
Bangladesh, right until the end of the Liberation war through stage drama in none other than our very
own Markuli Hall, and what an experience it was!

As part of the course we have visited the Lalbagh Fort in Old Dhaka and the Liberation War Museum in
Sher-e-Bangla Nagar to gain a better understanding of our treasured heritage. Also, the students have
taken part in a programme known as BRAC VISIT, in which they visited various locations with the
intention of observing first hand and understanding how BRAC programmes operate in the field.
Microfinance, Education, Health and nutrition and so on so forth were covered under this aspect of the
course.

Our Ethics and culture course inculcates within us a strong sense of values. It has given us the gift of a
moral fabric that will survive the test of time. Through concepts and theories such as but not limited to
morality, ethics, communitarianism, duty ethics among others it bolsters our existing moral framework
and fine-tunes it so that we are ready to face any moral dilemma that comes our way. We have forayed
into environmental ethics, media ethics, gender ethics and so much more that we did not previously
contemplate about and as a result we are all the better for it.

It goes without saying that what sets the course apart is the social learning lab which allows us to take
the reins of our campus and run it for a day. We take on the roles of cook, laundry person, room-service
attendant, waiter, labour, accountant and even campus-superintendent. This method of experiential
learning lets us reflect on how every job in society is valuable. It instills within us a deep appreciation of
the services we avail on a daily basis and those who render them, consequently fostering within us
empathy and gratitude.

When it comes to the language courses, English and French are offered. To help students attain fluency
in English it is compulsory to converse in English within the campus. By the same token, it is mandatory
to read at least one book to polish our reading and comprehension skills.

What is more, we have attended a plethora of seminars which have covered everything from drug
awareness, to planning for the future.
The Ethos of residential semester is firmly committed to fostering interest in extra-curricular activities
and as such students are exposed to activities outside of their usual sphere of interest. For instance the
students of script writing and film making activity made 3 films: chokro, dondo, and light. In
Presentation skills one case after the other was cracked. The 35 students of chess had the great privilege
of playing against the grand master Mr. Niaz Murshed simultaneously. Debaters engaged in battles of
wit and learned about logical fallacies. As for Animated film making they created a story frame by frame
using passion and dedication as materials. These are but to new a few of the things we have learned,
and each activity in its own way has enriched us and given us skills that we can carry forward with us.

When we first came here there was not a single blade of grass on the field. Did we lose hope? No. We
waited until the torrents of spring breathed life into the field and brought about renewal and
reinvigoration. Much in the same way, RS has rejuvenated our life.

Years from now in our autumn years when we look back and fondly call to mind the moments we have
shared, we will think back to the times when we played outdoor sports alongside our friends. We will
remember waiting with bated breath as our friend positioned the carom striker and went for the red
queen piece. We will remember that one lucky half court shot at the bastketball field. We will remember
the last minute equalizers during football tournaments. We will remember the singing and dancing of
pohela falgun.

We will remember group studying before quizzes and teaching each other; we will remember the
conversations we have had over coffee while staring at the infinitely many stars that are tantalizingly
within reach in the starry sky. Naturally the muri parties that we have had will become the stuff of
legends. It is difficult to find this kind of emotional connection elsewhere.

And Of course, how can we ever forget sitting in circles and singing our hearts out in anondopur or
duronto? It will be these shared memories that sustain us in the years to come. Cherish them for they
are ours, and no one can take them from us.

However, that is not all; the best is yet to come. Friends, do not forget that the grand cultural day is
knocking at the door. On the 30th of March we shall experience mellifluous music, the likes of which we
have never experienced before. Afterwards we will bask in the relaxed moonlit ambience of the outdoor
formal dinner. The bonds we have forged are tried and true. Our camaraderie, formed through a
montage of memories, will live on far beyond these 90 magical days. Also, we can look forward to doing
our part for the country by cleaning the national memorial and paying our respects.

In terms of the aftermath, I would like to add that RS has developed the students into more self
sufficient, reliable, sharing and compassionate human beings who are capable of becoming the leaders
of tomorrow. We have learned to work in a diverse student body and respect the perspective of others.
We have learned to share our belongings and we have felt like we belonged to something greater than
ourselves. RS has given us the blueprint of becoming the best possible version of ourselves so it is only a
matter of time before we flourish.
On behalf of everyone, I would like thank Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, KCMG, the visionary who founded Brac
University. Along with him, I would like to thank the honorable Vice Chancellor Prof. Syed Saad
Andaleeb, Phd. Pro Vice Chancellor professor Ansar Ahmed, PHD. and all administrative personnel of
BRAC University.

Also I would like to offer a very special vote of thanks to the director of the BRAC institute of languages
and in-charge of residential semester, Lady Sayeda Sarwat Abed. In addition, we owe a debt of gratitude
to the Campus Superintendent Mr. Rehan Ahmed for his constant support. Thank you sir, for being our
guiding light throughout the semester. I would also like to thank the faculty members for being our
beacons of hope and never losing faith in us. Words will fail to describe how grateful I am to all the
dormitory supervisors for being there for us just like our parents.

Moreover, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the entire administration and management
unit, the counseling unit, the librarians, medical personnel, computer lab assistants, office unit of Savar,
the manager of BLC, and all other service personnel on campus. I would also like to thank Assistant
campus superintendent Mr. Mohammad Morshedul haque and Ms. Mitali, Experiental learning activity
co-ordinator as well as the campus management officers for their whole hearted support.

To conclude, I would like to reiterate my thanks to our distinguished chief guest once again for his
tremendous patience and for joining us on this auspicious occasion . Thank you, RS 47, for allowing me
to be a thread in the tapestry of our collective family. Thank you all, my dear friends.