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National Research Competition

Bangladesh Nexus

Name: Bangladesh Nexus Research Competition
Location: Bangladesh

50-Year Vision for a Prosperous Future

A national research competition for university students across Bangladesh, paired with an independent mixed-methods governance study. Build research culture. Generate policy-relevant evidence. Connect theory to governance reform.

Apply / Participate → Learn more ↓

Months duration

2075

Vision theme

Per team

Research domains

All

Universities eligible

Bangladesh Nexus

A national research competition and governance study. In collaboration with Better Stories.

What it is

Bangladesh has talent. It lacks a research culture.

University students across Bangladesh produce work that rarely reaches beyond the classroom. There is no national platform for research that connects academic inquiry to governance reform, no infrastructure for student researchers to develop rigorous policy-relevant evidence, and no tradition of translating governance analysis into actionable recommendations.

Bangladesh Nexus addresses this gap directly. It is a national competition built on the conviction that the next generation of Bangladesh's policymakers and public intellectuals must learn to do research that matters — not just research that satisfies a curriculum requirement.

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No research culture

Undergraduate and graduate research in Bangladesh rarely produces work that influences policy or enters public discourse.

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No future-facing platform

There is no national competition asking: what should Bangladesh look like in fifty years, and how do we design systems to get there?

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Weak theory-to-policy bridge

Academic institutions and governance institutions in Bangladesh operate in parallel, rarely informing each other's work.

Theme

Bangladesh 2075: A 50-Year Vision

Participants develop research proposals on a question of their choosing within the Bangladesh 2075 theme — what structural, institutional, economic, or social changes would need to occur for Bangladesh to become a prosperous, equitable, and well-governed nation by 2075? Research must be grounded in evidence and connected to specific governance or policy domains.

8 Research domains

Governance & Institutions

Constitutional design, separation of powers, electoral systems, judicial independence

Economic Development

Structural transformation, industrial policy, labor markets, regional equity

Education & Human Capital

Education reform, skill development, research infrastructure, university policy

Environment & Climate

Climate adaptation, delta governance, environmental policy, urban resilience

Health Systems

Public health infrastructure, health equity, healthcare financing, pandemic preparedness

Technology & Digital Governance

Digital infrastructure, AI governance, data rights, technology-enabled public services

Civil Society & Civic Life

Freedom of association, media independence, civic participation, social cohesion

International Relations

Regional integration, foreign policy, trade relationships, diaspora engagement

Program structure

Five stages from proposal to recognition

Registration & Expression of Interest

Teams of two register and submit a brief expression of interest describing their research domain and initial question. All universities across Bangladesh are eligible.

Research Proposal Submission

Teams submit a structured research proposal — research question, methodology, data sources, expected contribution. Reviewed by the Nexus evaluation committee.

Mentorship & Development Phase

Selected teams receive mentorship from CARO's research network and affiliated faculty. Research methods workshops, feedback sessions, and progress reviews.

Research Dissertation Submission

Final research papers submitted for comprehensive evaluation. Assessed on rigor, originality, policy relevance, and quality of argumentation.

Recognition & Publication

Top-ranked research recognized at a national event. Outstanding papers considered for publication through CARO's research channels and affiliated platforms.

What participants gain

Research methodology

Structured training in mixed-methods governance research

Policy writing skills

Learn to translate research findings into governance recommendations

Expert mentorship

Direct access to CARO's research team and affiliated faculty network

National recognition

Top participants recognized at the national Nexus event

Publication pathway

Outstanding work considered for CARO and GGL publication

Governance network

Entry into CARO's growing national governance research community

Evaluation philosophy

Nexus does not reward performance — it rewards rigour and relevance. Research is evaluated on how well it asks and answers a question that matters for Bangladesh's governance future. A methodologically sound study of a local constituency is valued equally with national-scale analysis, provided both demonstrate evidence-based reasoning and policy connection.

Eligibility

Who can participate

Who is eligible

Undergraduate students at any university in Bangladesh
Graduate and postgraduate students (Masters, MPhil, PhD)
Teams of two — mixed institution teams are permitted
Students from all 8 divisions of Bangladesh
Both public and private university students eligible
No prior research publication required

What makes a strong application

A clearly defined research question connected to Bangladesh 2075 theme
Awareness of existing literature on the chosen governance domain
A realistic and appropriate methodology for the scope of the study
Connection between findings and specific governance or policy implications
Genuine interest in governance reform — not just academic credit
Willingness to engage with mentorship and iterative feedback

Research study

An independent study runs alongside the competition

Bangladesh Nexus is not only a competition. Running in parallel is an independent mixed-methods research study examining how university students in Bangladesh understand, analyze, and imagine governance and political futures. The study is conducted by CARO's Global Governance Lab in collaboration with Better Stories (led by Minhaz Anwar).

The research study does not require competition participation. Any student, researcher, or citizen interested in contributing to the evidence base on governance perceptions in Bangladesh can participate directly.

In collaboration with

Better Stories

Led by Minhaz Anwar. Better Stories builds platforms for civic storytelling and evidence-based governance communication in Bangladesh.

Research team

Samia Sultana Ridi

GGL Incharge & Research Lead

A.N.M. Nuruddin

Chief Architect & Study Principal

Four-phase study structure

Phase 1

Baseline Survey

Structured survey measuring how students understand governance failure modes, institutional fairness, and long-term governance trajectories in Bangladesh. Distributed to competition participants and open cohort.

Phase 2

Research Process Documentation

Qualitative tracking of how student researchers frame governance problems, select methodologies, and connect findings to policy. Documents the research culture formation process in real time.

Phase 3

Findings Analysis

Thematic analysis of research outputs. What governance problems do Bangladesh's next generation of researchers identify as most consequential? What solutions do they propose?

Phase 4

Publication & Policy Brief

Study findings published through the Global Governance Lab. A policy brief on research culture and governance knowledge infrastructure in Bangladesh distributed to institutional partners.

Applications & Research Participation

Be part of Bangladesh Nexus

Whether you want to participate as a competitor, contribute to the Nexus research study, or get notified when applications open — start here.

Get notified when applications open

Or email admin@carononprofit.org with subject “Bangladesh Nexus — Interest”

or participate in the Nexus research study now

Participate in Nexus research study → Take the Fairness Index →

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