The University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh has taken an initiative to establish international research offices at all universities in the country to enhance their global engagement and research capacity.
UGC Chairman Professor Mamun Ahmed announced the initiative while addressing an Erasmus Plus Info Session programme at the UGC office on Tuesday.
The initiative aims to strengthen links between Bangladesh’s higher education sector and the international community, increase global support for research and innovation, and develop universities’ international capabilities.
Prof Mamun said the quality of higher education, research capacity and global standing of universities largely depend on international networks and institutional collaboration.
“The UGC is working not only to develop Bangladesh’s higher education institutions individually but also to make them active partners in the global education and research system,” he said.
He said the proposed international research offices would facilitate institutional communication with foreign universities and research organisations, teacher and student exchanges, joint research initiatives, dual degree programmes, mobilisation of international research funding and establishment of joint research laboratories.
These initiatives would help Bangladeshi universities access advanced technologies and expertise from foreign institutions to address the country’s real-world challenges, he added.
Speaking about talented Bangladeshis living abroad, the UGC chairman said the country should not view overseas migration only as “brain drain”.
“We have taken initiatives to develop an ‘academic diaspora network’ by establishing effective communication between expatriate academics and local universities through ‘brain circulation’,” he said.
UGC member Professor Dr Abdullah Al Mamun, who attended the event as special guest, said universities need permanent institutional structures to ensure sustainable and continuous international cooperation rather than relying on individual initiatives.
UGC members Prof Dr Masuma Habib, Prof Dr M Mehedi Hasan Khan, Prof Dr Niaz Ahmed Chowdhury, UGC Secretary Dr Fakhrul Islam, Erasmus Plus Asia region official Ashiqur Rahman, vice-chancellors of public and private universities, registrars and representatives of educational institutions also attended the programme.
