The University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh and the British Council have signed a partnership agreement under the Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) project to enhance the quality of higher education in Bangladesh.
The agreement was signed recently at the House of Lords in the United Kingdom, hosted by Baroness Rosie Winterton, the UK Trade Envoy to Bangladesh, according to a press release issued on Saturday.
Stephen Forbes, Country Director of the British Council Bangladesh, and Professor Asaduzzaman, Director of the HEAT project, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.
Under the partnership, the British Council, together with its UK partner Advance HE, will support the HEAT project in advancing faculty development, academic leadership, and institutional capacity-building contributing to the government’s vision for a globally connected and high-performing higher education system.
The collaboration will also align Bangladesh’s higher education framework with international standards and create a sustainable professional development structure for university teachers and leaders.
The signing ceremony was attended by Baroness Wendy Alexander, Vice Chair of the British Council and Member of the House of Lords, and Professor Dr. SMA Faiz, Chairman of UGC. Other attendees included UGC Members Professor Dr Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan and Professor Dr Masuma Habib; Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Professor Dr Niaz Ahmed Khan, Vice-Chancellor of BUET Professor Dr Abu Borhan Mohammad Badruzzaman, North South University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Abdul Hannan Chowdhury, BRAC University Registrar Dr David Dowland, World Bank’s Senior Education Specialist and Task Team Leader for HEAT project TM Asaduzzaman, World Bank’s Lead Lead Economist Dr Harsha Aturupane, Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Her Excellency Abida Islam, British Council Bangladesh Education Head Toufiq Hasan, and Deputy Director of the HEAT project Mohammad Khorshed Alam.
UGC Chairman Professor Faiz described the agreement as a “timely and strategic step in Bangladesh’s higher education reform journey.” He said, “Together with the British Council and Advance HE, we are investing in leadership, teaching excellence, and institutional quality building the foundations for a globally connected higher education system.”
Stephen Forbes said, “The British Council’s long-standing partnership with UGC reflects our shared ambition to strengthen quality, governance, and leadership within higher education. This agreement reaffirms that commitment and opens new avenues for deeper collaboration.”
Baroness Rosie Winterton said, “This partnership reflects the UK’s enduring collaboration with Bangladesh in education and skills and our shared belief that education remains the most powerful bridge between nations.”
