Many foreign universities seek to open campuses in BD

Al Mamun Harun Ur Rashid :
The government is getting scores of applications from the foreign universities which are expressing their interests to open their campuses or study centres here.
Education Ministry and University Grants Commission (UGC) sources said they had received dozens of applications which are intended to run their academic activities in Bangladesh.
UGC said, they have already received some 15 applications which are under consideration and actions would be taken following the rules and regulations of the country.
If the foreign universities can fulfill all the criteria, the government can allow them to run their academic activities, UGC sources said.
Understanding the significance of the higher education in the country, there are 157 universities in the country. Of them, 50 are public and 107 are private universities.
According to the UGC Annual Report 2020, a total of 46,90,876 students are pursuing higher education in the 157 universities.
Of the total students, 43,62,187 are studying in public universities while 3,28,689 students are studying in private.
Sources said that there are more than hundred applications from the local entrepreneurs who want to set up universities in different parts of the country.
By this time, some 15 applications are in the pipeline to get the final nods from the government for setting up the campuses, sources said. Sources said that
most of the exiting universities are failing to impart standard education as many of these institutions are suffering from acute crisis of students, quality teachers, research labs, and other infrastructures.
Even the top universities of the country are not getting notable place in various global ranking, which has created concerns among the academicians about the future of country’s higher education.
Against this backdrop, if the foreign universities are allowed here to open with all standards, the local universities will badly be affected, sources said.
UGC sources said that if the local universities fail to ensure standard of education and think of the profit making, it will not sustain in the competitive market.
Sources said that Malaysian Ambassador to Bangladesh Haznah Md Hashim visited the UGC on Wednesday and expressed their interest to open a study centre of Malaysian UCSI University here.
The envoy mentioned that the university has a good world ranking and imparting standard of education in science and technology.
UGC Acting Chairman and also its member Prof Dr Dil Afroza Begum told the Ambassador that if Malaysian government wanted to open study campus in Bangladesh, they have to submit a complete proposal.
The proposal will include teaching learning method, subjects, list of teachers and academic activities.
She also said that if Bangladeshi students can obtain quality education from a foreign university located in the country with low cost, UGC will give attention here.
“The Malaysian envoy visited us to know about the rules and regulations of opening study centre here. We have laws in this regard. If a foreign university can fulfill all criteria, the government can allow running academic activities,” UGC Secretary Dr. Ferdous Zaman told the New Nation on Wednesday.
“If foreign university wants to open here, it must have good ranking, faculties, own teachers. In a sense, it has to be the replica of the main university,” he added.
About the foreign applications, he said, “We have received some 15/16 applications so far. Ministry may have received some more applications. Everything depends on the fulfillment of the rules and regulations.”
Asked about the application of the London School of Economics, he said, “It could not fulfill the criteria. It was just like a coaching centre.”
In reply to another query if the local universities will be affected if foreign universities are allowed, Ferdous Zaman said, “It is an open and competitive market. If universities become busy in selling certificates without maintaining quality, they will not sustain. Universities cannot be money making industry.”
The local universities have to pay full attention to standard of education if they want to sustain in the competitive market, he added.