Department of English—Reimagining the Interdisciplinary Humanities through Innovation, Inclusivity, and Critical Inquiry

Welcome to the English Department at Jahangirnagar University!

Honestly, if you’re looking for some stuffy, old-school corner where everyone just nods along to Shakespeare and calls it a day, well… wrong door. Here, things get messy—in a good way. We’re all about that crossroad where imagination crashes into critical thinking, and where literature isn’t just something you read, but something you live and argue about (sometimes loudly, with much-needed coffee in hand).

We’re rooted in this wild mix of tradition and pushing-the-envelope. One minute, you’re wrestling with ancient epics; next, you’re knee-deep in digital theory, ecolinguistics, or gender politics, or untangling the weirdness of new materialism and postcolonial narratives. If you thought “Medical Humanities” was just a fancy way to say “Grey’s Anatomy,” think again—we dig deep into the connections between stories, bodies, histories, power, and the madness of the present world. There’s a spot here for the rebels, the dreamers, the critics, and anyone who wants to shake things up—whether you’re here for literary studies, creative writing, teaching, or you just want to talk about memes and media.

We’re not just riding on some old glory either. Back in 2007 (yeah, before “interdisciplinary” was a buzzword on every conference banner), we were the first in Bangladesh to launch Cultural Studies as a legit course. Since then, we’ve been on a roll—Gender Studies, Media Studies, Medical Humanities, Digital Humanities… you name it, we’ve probably tried it, broken it, and rebuilt it even better. Basically, if there’s a cutting edge, we’re probably dancing on it.

Our faculty? Absolute legends. They bring everything from ecocriticism to visual culture to the table. Picture a classroom where you might unpack a canonical text in one breath, then debate TikTok’s effect on modern storytelling in the next. Stuff gets real, and it never gets boring. The point is, we want you thinking, questioning, sometimes ranting, always growing. We don’t do echo chambers—bring your weirdest ideas.

And it’s not all just books and theories—we throw seminars, workshops, and all sorts of cultural gigs. You’ll find plenty of chances to speak up, show off your work, or just soak in someone else’s perspective. We don’t believe in learning from a distance; everyone’s in the mix.

So, if you’re into exploring, challenging, writing, creating—or just figuring out what the heck it all means—come check out our programs. Chat with us, spark something new, and maybe even get published in our journal, Harvest: Jahangirnagar Studies in Language and Literature. We’re always down for fresh voices and bold questions.

Catch you in class (or at a workshop, or maybe arguing over coffee in the corridor).

Cheers,  
Raihan M. Sharif, PhD  
Professor and Chair  
Department of English  
Jahangirnagar University