‘Research is a long adventure’

Born in Bangladesh, Dr Md. Ibrahim completed his B Com (Hons) and M Com (MKT) from the University of Dhaka. Father of two sons, Dr Ibrahim started his professional journey in 1997 as a lecturer in Central University College, Dhaka. After which, he joined as class one officer at Sadharan Bima Corporation (SBC) under the Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Currently, working at the executive level,  Dr Ibrahim has two years of teaching and 22 years of corporate or industrial experience, respectively.  Passionate about gaining new knowledge and experiences, the PhD scholar has visited Japan, France, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands and Thailand  to learn more about trending global topics. In this interview, Dr Ibrahim shares about his PhD journey at Apeejay Stya University and more. Read edited excerpts:

How did you gain interest in conducting research?

When I was pursuing my M Com final year, I had conducted research as team leader cum investigator under the supervision of Dr. Abdullah Faroque. Since then, I have been interested in conducting research. Hence, I was interested to enroll for a PhD programme and conducted the present research. 

What was your topic for PhD and why did you choose this topic?

My topic for PhD was “Performance of Non-life Insurance Sector in Bangladesh – A Comparative Study of Public and Private Firms.” My working organisation consisted of functioning of the non-life insurance sector in Bangladesh. So, I chose this topic and I wish to implement my PhD knowledge in my organisation.

What is the relevancy of your PhD topic with the present day scenario?

Non-life insurance is a vital sector in the economy of all countries. A significant percentage of GDP comes from the non-life insurance sector. It plays a vital role in securing a stable economy. Besides, non-life insurance plays a role in expanding international trade by issuing marine cover notes. In a single sentence, it can be summarised as the security of all properties are protected by the non-life insurance sector. So, there is a strong association and relevancy of my PhD topic in the present day scenario.

Tell us about your PhD journey and how did ASU support you in this journey?

I started my PhD journey at ASU in 2015. After my enrollment, I attended pre-PhD course work classes and finished the course work exam in August, 2015. The title and synopsis were approved by 2016. There was a tentative schedule for collecting data. I collected data for my research within two years. There were two types of data for conducting research. Primary data and secondary data. After collecting data, the tabulation sheets were prepared by compiling all data in excel sheet, then presented data as per selected parameters and model. After that, I analysed the data to find the result by using the software of SPSS – version 20.

At every step while I was conducting research, my guide and co-guide, Dr. Sunil Kumar Roy and Dr. Ranjana Gusrati supported me to complete this adventurous journey. Besides, all staff and other administrative officers and teachers supported me in finishing my PhD.

Tips to write a strong research proposal

First of all, a researcher needs to select a suitable topic or title for writing a strong research proposal. Next is to identify the objectives of research in sync with the chosen topic. Finally, plan how to conduct the research i.e. research methodology. By following these three steps, a researcher can write a strong research proposal.

Research is a long tedious process. How did you keep yourself motivated to achieve your goal? 

Research is a long adventure. This adventure consists of confidence, patience, and determination to achieve the set goal in life. There was a dream in my life to pursue a doctorate. And I was always determined to fill up this dream and my supervisor guided and motivated me to achieve this goal. My supervisor, Dr. Sunil Kumer Roy, was very much cooperative and supportive in all respects in achieving my goal.

What is your future target?

I am working at Sadharan Bima Corporation under the Ministry of Finance of Bangladesh. At Sadharan Bima, I am dealing with transacting non-life insurance business in Bangladesh. My future plan is to become an academician for better implementation of my PhD knowledge.