South Asian Youth Research Institute for Development (SAYRID) organizes a day-long summit on 15 July 2017 at 9am-5pm titled 'Young Scholar Summit 2017' at R C Mozumdar Auditorium, Lecture Theatre building, the University of Dhaka, with a theme of "Empowering Knowledge Production" which aims to trigger a debate in the public discourse of Bangladesh.

Asking question is the first step to knowledge production. Questioning what we observe, what we believe and what we listen could lead us a new discourse. Many dare to question, and many discourage question while this summit is all about asking question of socio-political and cultural issues that we observe every day. This process of questioning aims to engage young scholars in knowledge production through discursive dialogues.

Therefore, this summit was a fusion of academicians, researchers, activist and young scholars through which a constructive pledge will be turned out with the aim of shaping a progressive country.

Apart from that, there were two awards named 'SAYRID Social Research Excellence Award' for two excellent researchers in senior and junior categories. One award was given to a young researcher aged 30 and below. Another award was for a senior researcher aged above 30.

These were the distinct sessions in the Summit: Inaugural Session, Discursive Dialogues, Formation of Pledge, SAYRID Social Research Excellence Award.

There were four discursive dialogues after the Inaugural Session of the Summit. Four panelists (2 young scholars and 2 veteran scholars) were assigned for each discursive dialogue. Furthermore, there were three Best Discussant Awards in each discursive dialogue for the participants on the basis of their contribution in the dialogue.

DISCURSIVE DIALOGUE-01: ON CRITIC OF RESEARCH

A critique is a systematic way of objectively reviewing a piece of research to highlight both its strengths and weaknesses, and its applicability to practice. Does critique help individuals to bracket one's biases? Critical questions are important to engage in the context when researcher claim their work only the valid work.

The facilitator of this session was Juwel Rana, Executive Director, SAYRID. The panelists were: Dr Monirul Islam Khan, Professor & Ex-Chairman of Sociology, University of Dhaka and President, Bangladesh Sociological Association (BSA), Abu Sayed Khan, Managing Editor, The Daily Samakal, Sajal Roy, PhD Candidate at Western Australia University & Assistant Professor, Begum Rokeya University, Md Mahbub Or Rahman Bhuyan, Assistant Professor of Social Sciences, City University. 

DISCURSIVE DIALOGUES-02: CREATIVITY IN EDUCATION

What is creativity? Does creativity add any value in education? Why we need creativity in education? Do our education policy put importance on creativity in education? In reality, we have high literacy rate but does it mean that our education is engaging with creativity? How could we expect creativity while our education is only concern about providing labour for its market?

The facilitator of this session was Asif Bin Ali, Director, Capacity Building Division, SAYRID. The panelists were: Dr Anwar Hossain, Professor, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Ajoy Das Gupta, The Daily Samakal and Adjunct Faculty, University of Dhaka, Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy, Cartoonist, Dhaka Tribune and Assistant Editor, Unmad. 

DISCURSIVE DIALOGUES-03: THE POLITICS OF POETICS

Art is often viewed as a mean of introspection or, at best, an instrument of self-representation. This widespread conception includes all those works in which creations result from a desire to "undergo an experience with language," to use Heidegger's words, and from the civic engagements the art-practioners can in no way surrender, if s/he is to be a responsible member of a society within which the 'poetic' subject is operating. As Martin Heidegger and Giorgio Agamben said, there is a difference between what the Greeks knew of praxis and poiesis: the first is an action, while the second is a revelation, an unveiling of something. Do our art-practioners unveil what is under the veil of our society?

The facilitator of this session was Asif Bin Ali. The panelists were: Syed Badrul Ahsan, Associate Editor, The Asian Age, Mohammad Mamun Or Rashid, Associate Professor of Bengali, Jahangirnagar University, Ahmed Tahsin Shams, Lecturer of English, Notre Dame University Bangladesh, Mahbub Aziz, Feature Editor, Samakal, Pias Majid, poet working at Bangla Academy.  

DISCURSIVE DIALOGUES-04: HEALTH INEQUALITY

Health inequality is prevalent in all age groups in Bangladesh. Substantial bodies of research have shown that people who are poorest or most disadvantaged are more likely to face illness during their lifetime and die younger than those who are better off. The discursive dialogue on Health Inequality will uphold the reasons behind this prevalence and find out solutions to this discrimination to ensure equality in health sector.

The facilitator was Juwel Rana. The panelists were: Prof Khaleda Islam, Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Nandeeta Samad, Research Associate, SAYRID, Dr Sabrina Rasheed, Scientist, International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Md Tawhidul Haque, Assistant Professor, Institute of Social Welfare & Research, University of Dhaka, Md Saiful Islam, Associate Scientist, International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Ibnul Syed Rana, Chairman, Nirapad Development Foundation, Prof M Muzaherul Huq, Chairman, Public Health Foundation, Bangladesh and Former, Regional Adviser, WHO, South East Asia.