Looking Back with Roshani Kandel DNP

Roshani Kandel, DNP, ARNP, FNP-C, MPH, BSN started working as a nurse practitioner in Iowa USA last year, so we asked about the experience, “After finishing the required hours of study and graduating from an accredited university I applied to get national certification as a nurse practitioner. I applied to the State Board of Nursing to practice as an NP and finally have the license!”

Following Roshani’s earlier story, we decided to take a deeper dive into her journey. Going down memory lane, Roshani remembers how she chose IUBAT College of Nursing and her early desire to be a nurse. “Health and math were my passion at school. I liked the thought of becoming a nurse from a very long time. My older brother already studied in the south of Bangladesh. Upon looking for nursing schools there, I found IUBAT – College of Nursing in Dhaka. The added advantage for me was that other Nepali students were also there.”

First Days At IUBAT

Recalling her experience as part of the third batch of students at IUBAT, Roshani says “It was a new program and new to the community: Bachelor’s in Nursing was not common in the country at that time. Everything about the College of Nursing, led by volunteers from the Bangladesh Health Project with foreign faculty and an international standard program was new. That innovation pushed us all towards growth and learning new things.” She believes the entire design of the course helped to mold her for her career abroad.

“Because of my education in IUBAT, I needed no extra courses when I came to the US. I continued with the rest of my studies from then on. I was familiar with how foreigners teach; the content was rich and I was prepared to learn. IUBAT was a complete package and very helpful for when I came here.”

Campus Life At IUBAT

“We were very motivated and enthusiastic. There were so many exciting extracurricular activities and voluntary activities. It helped me grow to be a leader by working as a teaching assistant and helping in the lab. There were many opportunities to learn and serve which I appreciated.” The faculty were very supportive to students’ needs and challenges. Finances can be a difficult issue for many, and IUBAT provided many scholarships, which Roshani earned as an A-student!

A study tip from Roshani: ‘Know what type of learner you are.’ Roshani is a visual learner and also loved taking notes; she believes in grasping the content as a whole then going through it bit by bit. Today, Roshani is proud because “I am on my way to achieving the highest degree available in nursing and despite gaps and challenges, I’ve persevered through. I thank my community of encouraging supporters and my teachers who believed in me when I first started!”

BHP director authors book on education in South Asia

With the exception of Sri Lanka, South Asian countries have not achieved quality basic education – an essential measure for escaping poverty, inequality, and social exclusion. In The Political Economy of Education in South Asia, BHP director John Richards, OFP Advisory Committee member Shahidul Islam and Professor Manzoor Ahmed, document the weak core competency (reading and math) outcomes in government primary schools and the rapid growth of non-government schools over the last two decades. The authors argue that public priorities are better served when both public and non-government schools come under a strong public policy and accountability framework.

Bluebell Teacher - Altab Hossain

“Sharing my knowledge with others gives me immense pleasure and fulfillment in life. Teaching is the only career where I can do that," says Altab Hossain, Head Teacher of Bluebell School. After completing his BA and MA, Altab completed a Bachelors degree in Education with additional training in primary education. Altab likes to teach and before joining Bluebell in 2009, he taught classmates and lower grade students as a private tutor. Currently, he teaches Grade 4 English and Math, Grade 5 Science and Grade 3 Religion.

As the head teacher at Bluebell, Altab also liaises with government offices and administers school business. He lives together with his parents, wife and two daughters in a joint household; the eldest daughter studies at Bluebell.

"I love teaching, specially to the under-served families. Bluebell has brought me that opportunity.” - Altab