Editorial Note Vol.17

not available IIUC Studies Vol.17, December 2020: 7-8

Determining the historical significance of the farewell sermon of the Prophet (PBUH) in context of demand of the time

In the 10th Hijrah, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) performed Hajj (pilgrimage) only once in his life and delivered his historic 'Farewell Sermon' for the liberation and welfare of the world humanity. This paper explores the importance and significance of the sermon in the context of its historical demand and its place in the world civilisation. The article also attempts to review historically on speaker, time and application of the speech to determine its place in perspective of world history and Islamic history as well. The methodology of the paper followed a qualitative approach comprised of the secondary source. It is argued that the sermon is the only historic speech in the world that incomparable provisions on liberation and welfare of humanity till the Final Day. The ultimate implication of the magnificent sermon is sustained ensuring its time was momentous and eventful; the more appropriate time cannot be estimated. Thus, according to historical analysis, the farewell sermon of the Final Apostle (PBUH) is the demand of time intimately and significantly that relevant to today’s life and society. IIUC Studies Vol.17, December 2020: 55-72

Challenges and effectiveness of eclectic method at higher secondary level in rural Bangladesh

This article addresses the challenges and effectiveness of implementing Eclectic Method in Language Teaching at higher secondary level in the rural context of Bangladesh. This paper adopts a qualitative approach, and six rural colleges are selected to conduct the research. These institutions are located in Chittagong District, Bangladesh. Ten English teachers were interviewed face-to-face to collect data about the challenges they have faced and the effectiveness they observed in applying Eclectic Approach in their colleges. The findings show the applicability of Eclectic Approach in several ways that include flexibility in teaching, variety in adapting language teaching aspects, allowing new ideas, dynamic classroom facilities, enhancing teachers’ and students’ respect for cross-culture and multi-lingual classroom. The findings indicate some hurdles in teaching English that include lack of trained teachers, improper text books, teachers’ insufficient knowledge, rigid mentality of the rural teachers, insufficient infrastructural facilities, and taking pride in mother-language etc. This research may help the policy makers of language and curriculum design in developing effective strategies for Eclectic practices in rural Bangladesh. IIUC Studies Vol.17, December 2020: 73-86

A cross-sectional analysis of the influence of corporate governance features on the organizational outcomes: An assessment

This work aimed at testing the influence of corporate governance features on the organizational outcomes in one of the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which is Qatar. The data was used for the organizations that belong to non-financial sector. The findings revealed that the size of audit commission, the board of directors size, and independency have positive influence on organizational outcomes represented by return on assets. In addition, the same positive influence could be found between the size of the audit commission and independency with return of equity as a second measurement of the organizational outcomes. Moreover, meeting of the board has a significant negative influence on organizational outcomes. The present work is considered as the first study that tests its predictor variables in its relationship with organizational outcomes. The considerable contribution of this study lies in identifying the previous studies gap for the GCC countries and analyses several viable studies that might probably be useful for improving corporate governance system in the non-financial sector. IIUC Studies Vol.17, December 2020: 9-26

Real time secure messaging service for internet of things applications using MQTT

Most of the IoT applications require real time and secure exchange of information among connected devices and hence, currently, security of communication protocols is becoming key topic of research. MQTT, a lightweight communication protocol, is used for real time communication between networks. Authors have reviewed numerous published researches on secure MQTT protocol for IoT networks and have discovered security loop holes of MQTT communication protocol that are needed to be addressed. This article proposes a secure and real time MQTT protocol by incorporating SSL certificate to MQTT broker for IoT applications without data loss. The research has been implemented in Raspberry Pi 3B system using Python 3.4.10 development platform along with Numpy 1.11.1 and scipy 0.18.0 (for mathematical analysis), paho-mqtt 1.5.0 (for MQTT publication/subscription), and Chromium (for displaying research outcome). The outcome of this research shows that the proposed MQTT protocol has tighten security during exchanging information over IoT networks without any loss of data. IIUC Studies Vol.17, December 2020: 27-42

Lack of liberal education at tertiary level: A study on Newman’s The Idea of a University and Hirani’s 3 Idiots

This paper deals with the process of university education system, how students will enrich the knowledge and skills, develop the power of reasoning and judgments and promote the creativity. It also advocates a holistic approach in liberal education system that preserves a harmonious relationship among the real cultivation of mind, intellectual excellence and freedom of thought. Newman’s The Idea of a University and Hirani’s3 Idiots have been studied in line with liberal education of university which gives the enlargement of knowledge that pertains to the universal appeal of education system. In this study, some barriers, such as, market value, guardian’s choice and mental depression are addressed as the potential threats for liberal education. Therefore, this research is an attempt to make a comparative study of Newman’s The Idea of a University and Hirani’s3 Idiots as illustrating the liberal education of university and generating an image of liberal education in present society. IIUC Studies Vol.17, December 2020: 43-54

Black empowerment and Afro-American values in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye

The Bluest Eye of Toni Morrison is extraordinarily significant, as it addresses the different sides of American literature, and the lives of the Afro-American people. Although the conventional theological aspects of white culture can negatively influence other characters of Morrison, it is Pecola whose life appears to be increasingly defenseless against the impulses of the individuals who have accepted the Western custom. In a democratic country, people generally have the same value, but there are still prejudices in the concepts of beauty and worthiness. The search for freedom, black identity, the nature of evil and the robust voices of African-Americans have become themes for African-American literature. Folklore covers the history of black and white interaction in the United States and also summarizes the feelings expressed in protest literature1. Morrison argues that the survival of the dark ladies in a white dominated society depends on loving their own way of life and dark race and rejecting the models of white culture or white excellence. This article attempts to examine The Bluest Eye from the perspective of empowerment of blacks and African American and their value system. IIUC Studies Vol.16, December 2019: 111-121

HRM practices and performance management in public service organizations in Bangladesh: An empirical study

This paper assesses the effects of HRM practices on the management performance of public service organizations as public service is believed to safeguard the national property for allocating goods and services timely, and reasonably to the inhabitants of the country especially in a developing country like Bangladesh. The question circling whether the HR practices in public service are sincere for equal and equitable distribution of products and services effectively. In doing so, this study investigated the effectiveness of HR practices and methods on the performance management of public service. The study, through a mixed-method approach, conveniently surveyed a sample of 142 respondents and interview drawn from seven key informants of two Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) cadre from Chittagong, the second-largest city of the country. The study shows the differences in the effects of HRM practices that employee training positively and commensurate compensation negatively predict employee performance, respectively, however, performance appraisal feedback is not a significant predictor. The study drawn the implications for HRM practices in BCS organization and encouraged future scholars to further examine these differences. IIUC Studies Vol.16, December 2019: 9-34

Does trade openness cause economic growth in Bangladesh?

Bangladesh has followed a restrictive trade policy immediately after its liberation. But the system was proven wrong, and gradually it opened up its market to others and started to improve its foreign trade. This paper investigates the impact of trade openness on Bangladesh's economic growth using annual time-series data for the period from 1972-73 to 2015-16. The paper uses such econometric tools as unit root test, cointegration test and error correction model to investigate the relationship between the variables. This study revealed a positive association between export and GDP but the opposite relation between import and GDP and recommended to enhance export earnings. IIUC Studies Vol.16, December 2019: 99-110

Islamic culture and globalisation: Challenges and responses

This paper is a humble endeavor to look at the relationship between Islam and globalisation from cultural perspective. The paper explores the nature of Islamic culture and its interaction with the west as part of the fundamental factors of how the west employ the policies against Islam in the most inhumane form. Now, western powers have been propagating against Islam. It is thus significant to analyze the role of ummah in this milieu of cultural globalisation for preparedness in shaping and constructing the course of globalisation in the coming days. This paper seeks to explain how will ummah meet challenges facing Islam as a cultural participator in globalisation where Islam is attributed with terrorism and other allegations, albeit is not Islamic at all and will never been part of the Islamic teaching and culture.Against this backdrop, Islam's future and its culture depend on Muslim ummah’s ability and their uncompromising mindset- not to integrate modernity and western culture into Islam but to make the new global order that can infuse religious norms like solidarity, community and identity. IIUC Studies Vol.16, December 2019: 57-76