A three-day (8-10 December 2025) training workshop on Forest Monitoring Using Drone Technology was held at Rangamati Science and Technology University (RMSTU) under the Erasmus+ FORSU project. The main objective of the training was to build the technical capacity of teachers and students in forest monitoring using advanced drone technologies. The Honorable Vice-Chancellor of RMSTU, Professor Dr. Md. Atiar Rahman, attended the opening and closing session as the Chief Guest. He highlighted the importance of forests in terms of biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration, and sustainable management. He also emphasized the value of modern technologies such as drones for effective forest monitoring and informed decision-making. Mr. Dipjoy Chakma, Coordinator of the FORSU project from the University of Helsinki, Finland, also attended the event and discussed the ongoing activities and progress of the FORSU project. He expressed his gratitude to the authorities of RMSTU and PSTU for their effective implementation of the FORSU project activities in Bangladesh. A total of 45 participants (30 male and 15 female) attended the training sessions, including 35 participants from RMSTU and 9 participants from Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU). Participants received in-depth knowledge on forest assessment and monitoring using advanced technologies, including drone-based image acquisition, image processing, data analysis, and interpretation. Dr. Md. Farhadur Rahaman, Assistant Professor, Department of Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, Gazipur Agricultural University, Dhaka, served as the Resource Person for the training. Several distinguished faculty members and officials attended the workshop, including Associate Professor and Dean Dr. Mohammad Rahim Uddin, Associate Professor and Registrar (In-Charge) Mohammad Jonaed Kabir, Dr. Suprio Chakma, Project Manager of the FORSU project (RMSTU component), Dr. Nikhil Chakma, Saptarshi Chakma, Saddam Hossen, and Rishita Chakma from RMSTU. From PSTU, Professor Dr. Alamgir Kabir, Manager of the FORSU project (PSTU component), and Mr. Md. Ariful Rahman, Assistant Professor, a faculty member of PSTU, participated alongside 23 students from RMSTU and 7 students from PSTU. The Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, RMSTU, hosted the training workshop, which was co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.
Higher Education Cooperation for Forest Landscape Restoration and Sustainable Livelihoods in Bangladesh and Vietnam (FORSU)
