Kent State awarded $1.25 million to assist build fiber-optic network in Bangladesh

Kent State University will receive a combined $1.25 million over the next three years from the World Bank to help lay the groundwork for a fiber-optic network in Bangladesh.

Javed Khan, a professor in Kent State's department of computer science, will serve as the principal investigator of the project, which is an international partnership between Kent State, the Ohio Academic Resource Network and Ireland's National Research and Education Network. The project originated from a concept paper Dr. Khan wrote in 2005.

“It is our dream to get the universities of the world connected so scholars, researchers and students can communicate with colleagues in every country with the best possible communication media,” Dr. Khan said in a news release. “That's the future we're envisioning.”

The project, which is part of a larger initiative to connect universities across the world over high-speed networks, is expected to broaden the research opportunities for Kent State's faculty.

“The success of this initiative shows that our researchers are second to none and are making an impact internationally,” said Grant McGimpsey, Kent State's vice president for research, in a news release. “We are currently putting together several coalitions to compete in other new and non-traditional areas.”

April 24, 2012

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