On Tuesday 29 March, the CSC Alumni Team hosted the latest webinar in the Knowledge Hub series. Commonwealth Alumnus Dr M Shafiq-ur Rahman presented on the topic, ‘Public Bike-Sharing Schemes (PBSS): Prospects in Bangladesh’. The webinar addressed the CSC theme, Access, inclusion and opportunity.

The CSC’s Knowledge Hub webinar series aims to highlight the work and research of Commonwealth Alumni across different areas of development impact.

About the speaker

Dr Rahman is a professor in the Department of Urban & Regional Planning at Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh. Over the span of his 22 year career, he has held teaching positions at the university and conducted research and consultancy on urban planning, regional development, and transport planning.

He is an active member of many professional associations, including the Eastern Asia Society for Transport Studies (EASTS), World Congress on Transport Studies (WCTR), and the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) of which he is the Vice-President.

Dr Rahman is the 2021 winner of the Taylor & Francis CSC Research implementation and uptake stream, awarded through the CSC Research Impact Awards (RIA).

Lessons from a bicycle hiring scheme

In this webinar, Dr Rahman presented findings from his winning RIA article, Public bike-sharing schemes (PBSS): Prospects in Bangladesh published in Transport Research Part A: Policy and Practice.

Dr Rahman presented the ways in which his research has been used to implement PBSS in locations in Bangladesh, including at his university, Jahangirnagar University, using the guidelines and suggestions in his paper. Dr Rahman shared insights into his research into PBSS across the world and how PBSS have developed over the years.

In his presentation, Dr Rahman shared the positive impacts of introducing a new mode of transport through PBSS, including ease of access, encouraging citizens to learn to ride a bicycle, and the enjoyment of cycling. He also provided insight into the challenges experienced, such as vandalism and road infrastructure.

The webinar presentation was followed by an interactive Q&A session with Commonwealth Scholars and Alumni.

You can watch the webinar and previous events in the series by visiting the CSC’s YouTube channel.

If you are a Scholar or alumnus who works in the field of sport for development and peace, you can get involved in the discussion by sharing your thoughts and experiences in the Access, inclusion and opportunity Knowledge Hub. Please note, you must be a member of the Knowledge Hub to access the group.

Learn more about the CSC’s Knowledge Hubs

The CSC’s Knowledge Hub webinar series provides a platform for members of CSC’s Knowledge Hubs to interact and discuss key topics related to the six CSC development themes.

To find out more about the CSC’s Knowledge Hubs and how to attend live webinars, visit the CSC website.