Bangladesh has 53 public and 109 private universities and that have created an oligopolistic market structure. There is no competition to reduce cost and improve quality of education. In this globalised world with an increase of income individuals due to countries economic development parents have capacity to send children to better universities in other countries. Parents are looking for quality education with competitive prices. The idea of competition in the education market is yet to be accepted by the nation although we are sending our children to other counties considering cost and benefits of education.
In 2022, the highest number of 8,665 Bangladeshi students went to the US for higher education. The second highest, 7,548 students, went to Malaysia and 5,647 to Australia in 2022. The actual students in many other counties are many folds than statistics of UNESCO. The United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Japan, Germany and some other European countries have been among the top destinations for Bangladeshi students. However, in recent years, thousands have headed for countries like the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia, because of lower cost of tuition fees and living costs. Bangladesh can save a large amount of money if high-standard foreign universities opened their campuses in the country.
Although universities are playing a critical role as currently, about 70% of the country’s student population are enrolled at private universities and the rest to public universities. The state has been marginally successful in retaining its autonomy and offering quality education to the next generation of youth, which can only be assured through foreign competition for quality education. It is reflected in society. Many guardians think that it will be wise to send their children abroad so that they can settle there. Their children will not face uncertainties because of the lack of employment opportunities. In the past, Bangladeshis were going abroad to study tended to be from affluent classes and had attended English-medium secondary schools, providing them with a language advantage. But now many students from upper-middle-class as well as middle-class backgrounds are also going abroad.
The immigration policy of many countries also attracted the students to go abroad for a lucrative like in those countries. As a result, the brain drain is a problem for Bangladesh since majority of students do not return after completing their studies abroad. Malaysia has undertaken massive reform in law and policy of higher education. The enrollment of international students increased after legislative reforms were introduced in 1996 that opened the higher education market to foreign competition. With the setting up of Australian and British university branch campuses in Malaysia attracted quality talent from foreign countries, enabling the mobility of academics and students that enhanced the country’s education sector. Our neighbouring India has recently passed a legislative reform that will allow foreign universities to set up branch campuses in the country as it prepares to establish itself as a hub of higher education in the region.
Our government has lucrative plans to provide quality education in the country. The ongoing development and its vision of achieving a middle-income country by 2030 and a developed country by 204, warrants a mission of developing its human resources capable of achieving this goal and identifying and addressing the challenges of sustainable development momentum now and beyond 2041.
The Bangladesh Strategic Plan for Higher Education 2018-2030 reiterates the government’s resolve to improve higher education to be competitive internationally and develop a world standard human capital nationally. To this end, the government has adopted the policy of approving foreign university campuses in Bangladesh. Education Ministry, on April 26, 2014 through an official notification, introduced the new rules – issued under the Private Universities Act 2010. Following promulgation of the regulations by the government, over 20 foreign universities had applied to open campuses in Bangladesh. But these universities failed to get approval.
The regulations are now reportedly being made stricter than before. According to the newly framed regulations, a branch must have at least 25,000 square feet of space, whether in rented premises or its own building, sufficient to accommodate all students. Similarly, a study centre is required to provide a minimum of 10,000 square feet, also capable of housing every student, in either rented or owned premises. All departments and courses must have full-time teachers, while part-time teachers may be appointed, provided their number does not exceed one-third of the full-time staff. Additionally, a library with a minimum of 1,500 square feet must be maintained, stocked with a sufficient number of books to support students’ academic needs. These measures aim to ensure adequate infrastructure, qualified faculty, and essential learning resources for both branches and study centers. Moreover, a branch will have to pay BDT10 lacs and a study center will have to pay BDT3lacs as fees for approval.
Following those very strict rules, the UCSI University, Malaysia got approval from the authorities to set up a campus in Dhaka. According to the rules, UCSI’s Dhaka campus will commence at a 45,000 square feet campus with 24 degree and masters programmes in different subjects including business, computer science, engineering, architecture, social sciences and design. The campus is projected to enroll around 5,000 students over seven years. Operations will move to a three-acre purpose-built site that houses over 200,000 square feet of space with all modern facilities within this period. The investment seems very high and naturally the fees and other expenses will the high.
Bangladesh’s universities also attracting students from Africa, Nepal, Bhutan and India. Bangladesh needs more overseas University campuses to serve local and overseas students with a competitive price. The country should allow more overseas universities to compete with universities in home and abroad. Only the competition in the education market which is consist of Western, Asian, Middle Eastern countries, and Bangladeshi universities can retain own students in the country and attract overseas students. In the process we can enter the regional education market to earn foreign currency competing in other countries in West Asia, and Middle East. Malaysia and UAE are the model to follow by us.
The writer is a Non-Government Adviser, Bangladesh Competition Commission. E-mail: [email protected]
