Educationists, researchers, industry representatives, policymakers and representatives of civil society at a national workshop in Dhaka on Tuesday put forward a set of recommendations with a view to sustainable transformation of the country’s higher education system.
Inaugurated by prime minister Tarique Rahman, the workshop titled Transformation of Higher Education in Bangladesh: A Roadmap for Sustainable Excellence was organised by the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban of Dhaka University, said a press release.
The recommendations were establishing career support centres, innovation centres and startup incubators in the country’s universities, increasing the budget to build education and research infrastructure and making soft skills and moral education mandatory.
Presided over by UGC chairman Professor Mamun Ahmed, DU vice-chancellor Professor ABM Obaidul Islam was present as chief guest at the closing ceremony of the workshop.
State University of Bangladesh VC Professor Md Akhtar Hossain Khan, North South University VC Professor Abdul Hannan Chowdhury and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology VC Professor ABM Badruzzaman were present as special guests while UGC member Professor Md Saidur Rahman delivered welcome address at the workshop.
The workshop held five technical sessions on five areas of higher education.
Mentioning that higher education institutions play an important role in national development through research and innovation, Professor Obaidul Islam said, ‘The allocation for the research sector should be significantly increased to make the country’s universities the centre of research and innovation.’
‘The recommendations of the workshop will play an important role in achieving this goal,’ he added.
Professor Mamun Ahmed said that the recommendations of the workshop would serve as an effective roadmap for the overall development, innovation, research and adherence to international standards in the country’s higher education sector.
The workshop recommended ensuring the appointment of qualified teachers in the country’s universities, introducing a key performance indicator-based evaluation system, annual performance reviews, expanding opportunities for PhD and post-doctoral research and establishing a research fund funded by the industry.
In addition, it was recommended to increase training facilities for teachers, involve industry representatives in formulating higher education curricula, assess sector-based manpower needs, make outcome-based education mandatory and ensure internship programmes for students.
To strengthen research and innovation, emphasis was placed on establishing research and innovation centres in universities, forming technology transfer offices, expanding international cooperation, launching joint degree programmes and forming industry and alumni-based research funds.
Participants also called for emphasis on conducting socially impactful research, updating patent policies, providing modern labs and research equipment, and research aimed at solving real-life problems.
To ensure effective governance of the higher education sector, it was also recommended to increase the institutional capacity of the UGC, launch digital monitoring and ERP systems, upgrade the Institutional Quality Assurance Cell to a strategic decision-making institution, allocate performance-based funds and launch a university ranking system.
At the same time, emphasis was placed on creating a central research database and following a transparent accounting system.
