Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU) has launched a groundbreaking open postgraduate-level course on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as an educational activity of the DANIDA funded research project entitled “Climate friendly and climate resilient Prawn farming in Bangladesh (ECOPRAWN) at the Faculty of Business Administration (FBA) lab at PSTU. It was chaired by Professor Badiuzzzaman, Country Coordinator, Ecoprawn and honored by the presence of Professor Dr. Sujahangir Kabir Sarkar, Dean of FBA as Special Guest, and Professor Dr. Md. Hemayet Jahan, Pro-Vice Chancellor of PSTU, as Chief Guests. Faculty members, researchers from various research organizations, and senior students from different departments of PSTU and Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh attended the inaugural session. The course is designed to introduce participants to the LCA, methodology—an essential tool for assessing the environmental impact of products and food systems from cradle to grave.
The course aims to equip participants with hands-on knowledge to calculate and assess environmental impacts through key phases of quantitative LCA, including:
✔ Goal and System Definition
✔ Life Cycle Inventory (LCI)
✔ Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA)
✔ LCA Interpretation
Using industry-relevant case studies, the course will explore how LCA can drive sustainable product development in diverse sectors such as agriculture, automotive, energy, and personal care.
The technical part of the course will be led by Dr. Olivier Jolliet, Emeritus Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Michigan, with in-person assistance from his teaching assistant, Natalie Rizzo. It will be conducted in a blended format, featuring both online and onsite sessions, marking the first time such a course is being offered at PSTU.
The course is coordinated by Professor Dr. Md. Takibur Rahaman from the Department of Accounting and Information Systems and Dr. Imranul Islam from the Department of Marketing.