Dhaka University hosted a day-long national conference on “Advancing Quality Assurance in Higher Education: Experiences of IQAC Leaders from Various Universities in Bangladesh” for the first time on Thursday.
The conference’s opening session was held on Thursday morning at the Professor Abdul Matin Chowdhury Virtual Classroom, adjacent to the Vice-Chancellor’s office. The event was organised by Dhaka University’s Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) and drew representatives from both public and private universities across the country.
The opening ceremony was attended by Dhaka University Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Dr Sayema Haque Bidisha as the chief guest. Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed and Treasurer Professor Dr M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury attended as special guests, while Professor Dr. Mesbahuddin Ahmed, Chairman of the Bangladesh Accreditation Council, was present as an honoured guest.
Keynote presentations were delivered by University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh Pro-Vice-Chancellor and IQAC Director Professor Dr Jude William Genilo, and Dhaka University IQAC Additional Director Professor Dr. Md. Saiful Alam. The session was chaired by Dhaka University IQAC Director Professor Dr M Rezaul Islam. Subsequent conference sessions were held at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban Auditorium.
In her speech, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Dr Saima Haque Bidisha emphasised that ensuring quality higher education requires not only improving teaching standards but also modernising and enhancing the efficiency of overall university management. She called for coordinated efforts by administrators, faculty, and students to build effective quality assurance processes.
She highlighted the importance of experience sharing and collaborative initiatives among universities to create a culture of academic excellence, stressing administrative efficiency and accountability alongside educational quality.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed underlined that alongside raising academic standards, establishing effective management structures is critical. He praised IQAC’s initiative in facilitating knowledge exchange between public and private universities and stressed the need to foster students’ ethical values and social responsibility as part of genuine development.
Treasurer Professor Dr. M. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury added that quality improvement requires more than good teaching; students must also develop problem-solving skills to address real-world challenges. He called for increased use of case studies and practical discussions in classrooms and stressed the importance of regular monitoring, evaluation, and continuous development based on feedback. Professor Chowdhury also highlighted the need for professional training and workshops for teachers, both domestically and internationally, to enhance their capacities in quality assurance.
