UGC proposes Higher Education Academy by 2030
The University Grants Commission has proposed establishing a Higher Education Academy to institutionalise training for university teachers and strengthen academic and institutional leadership as part of a broader plan to transform Bangladesh’s higher education system by 2030.
UGC Chairman Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed unveiled the proposal while presenting “Transforming Higher Education in Bangladesh: A National Agenda for Sustainable Excellence (2026-2030)” at the concluding session of the two-day ‘Vice-Chancellors’ Dialogue: Shaping the Future of Higher Education’ at BRAC CDM in Savar on Saturday.
The proposed academy will provide structured training in education management, academic leadership, university administration, teaching and learning, and higher education management, Professor Mamun said. “Just as there are training academies for public servants, we need an institutional training structure for the higher education sector as well,” he said.
The UGC has already started work on the infrastructure and facilities required for the academy, he added.
Professor Mamun placed university teachers at the centre of the proposed transformation, saying faculty development, research capacity, teaching and learning and academic leadership required an institutional framework.
The commission also plans to expand PhD and postdoctoral opportunities for university teachers through collaboration with foreign universities, including joint programmes.
The UGC is working to sign memorandums of understanding with foreign universities to provide tuition support for Bangladeshi teachers pursuing higher studies, along with structured assistance for living expenses.
Improving research infrastructure and increasing research funding will be another priority under the national agenda.
The UGC plans to establish an online research repository containing information on research conducted in Bangladesh. The repository will help identify research gaps and determine priority areas for future research funding.
A fellowship system will also be introduced to facilitate faculty mobility between universities. Under the proposal, teachers from major-city universities could spend six months or a year teaching at universities outside major urban centres.
Similar opportunities will be created for Bangladeshi academics working abroad to return and teach or conduct research at local universities, Professor Mamun said.
The UGC plans to establish a digital learning and innovation ecosystem across universities within the next two to three years.
The initiative will include high-speed internet, smart classrooms, smart libraries, digital student services, digital research infrastructure and digital administrative systems.
Professor Mamun said improved digital connectivity could help narrow disparities between universities in Dhaka and those outside major cities by enabling students outside the capital to access classes delivered by high-quality teachers at leading universities.
The commission also plans to develop a National Graduate Employment Framework defining the knowledge, skills and attributes graduates need to enter local and international job markets.
The framework will cover subject knowledge, soft skills, digital literacy, communication, critical thinking, ethical values, workplace experience and leadership qualities, alongside a graduate employment tracking mechanism.
To strengthen links between universities and employers, Industry-Academia Advisory Boards will be established at universities.
Academic curricula will be modernised in consultation with industry experts, professional bodies and employers, with emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity and renewable energy incorporated where appropriate.
The UGC also plans to introduce effective internships for students and gradually make them compulsory, while ensuring they provide meaningful workplace learning.
The commission plans to establish language centres at around 30 public and private universities that currently lack such facilities.
The centres will promote third-language learning to improve graduates’ employability and international opportunities.
Universities will also be encouraged to organise year-round sports, cultural and extracurricular activities to strengthen students’ physical, mental and leadership capacities.
Strengthening governance, institutional capacity and accountability will remain another major priority, including digital governance, improved quality assurance, updated recruitment and promotion policies and effective student support mechanisms.
The UGC has also proposed establishing a Higher Education Fund to provide additional resources for activities that cannot always be adequately financed through regular government budgets.
Professor Mamun said the national agenda seeks to make Bangladesh’s higher education system more employment-oriented, research-driven, technology-enabled, internationally connected and accountable.
“Whatever plans we make, university teachers remain at the core of the transformation. We have to put teachers, students, research and institutions at the centre of our efforts to achieve the desired transformation of higher education,” he said.
Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon attended the concluding session as the chief guest, which was chaired by UGC Chairman Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed.
UGC Member Professor Dr Abdullah-Al-Mamun moderated the session, while former Dhaka University Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Z N Tahmida Begum delivered remarks.
The two-day dialogue was organised under the Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) Project of the UGC, bringing together vice-chancellors, policymakers, academics and experts to discuss the future of higher education in Bangladesh.
