The government will take an initiative to establish a postgraduate university in Bangladesh, modeled on institutions in developed countries, to advance higher education, research and innovation, Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Haque Milan said Saturday.
“Many universities have been established in the country through government and private initiatives, but Bangladesh still does not have a postgraduate university,” he said.
“Such universities exist in neighboring countries and other parts of the world, where world-class research is conducted. Many Bangladeshi students also enroll in these institutions to pursue higher degrees,” the minister added.
He was speaking as the chief guest at the closing session of a two-day “Vice-Chancellors’ Dialogue” held at BRAC CDM in Savar today.
The dialogue was organised under the Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) Project being implemented by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
UGC Chairman Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed chaired the programme.
Chittagong University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mohammad Al Forkan, Rajshahi University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Faridul Islam, former Bangladesh Public Service Commission chairman Professor Dr ZN Tahmida Begum and BRAC University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Syed Farhat Anwar also spoke at the event.
The education minister said the prime minister has expressed interest in establishing a postgraduate university in Bangladesh to promote research and innovation.
“The government will provide all-out support to build new universities on the model of institutions in developed countries,” he said.
“Budget allocation for the education sector has been increased to 2 percent of GDP. There are plans to raise it to 3 percent next year and gradually to 5 percent,” he said.
He also said employment opportunities and future demand should be taken into consideration when opening new departments at universities.
The minister said some private universities in the country are failing to provide quality education.
“The UGC has been instructed to identify these universities,” he said, adding that the government has not yet taken the tough decision to shut down low-quality private universities, keeping students’ interests in mind.
He said the current government has not approved any new private university and instructed the UGC to take necessary steps to introduce PhD programmes at quality private universities.
“The UGC will work to implement these plans at the university level,” he said.
Highlighting Bangladesh’s potential in the international education market, Milan said the United Kingdom is planning to expand its $35 billion education market to $40 billion.
“They have built this market by attracting foreign students. Bangladesh also needs to create a quality education and research environment capable of attracting international students,” he said.
The minister also suggested establishing a research bank and identifying the reasons behind the low enrollment rate of students who have completed O Level and A Level examinations at universities.
Speaking as the chair, UGC Chairman Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed said the commission is working to bring Bangladesh’s higher education up to international standards in line with the government’s priority sectors.
Producing graduates with knowledge and skills suited to the national and international labour markets is one of the major goals of higher education, Mamun said.
UGC Chairman Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed, UGC members Professor Dr Masuma Habib, Professor Dr Abdullah-Al-Mamun, Professor Md Mehedi Hasan Khan, Professor Dr Md Aslam Hossain and Professor Dr Niaz Ahmed Chowdhury took part as chairs and discussants in the sessions.
Vice-chancellors of different universities and experts associated with the HEAT Project and the Bangladesh Research and Education Network also took part in the open discussion.