The University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh has initiated plans to significantly increase the number of PhD and postdoctoral fellowships in a bid to boost qualitative, international-standard research and strengthen the overall research environment across the country’s universities.
The commission is also aiming to scale up special research allocations and establish a sustainable and effective research ecosystem in higher education institutions.
Under this new initiative, the UGC has raised its own PhD scholarship count from 75 to 100, with plans to incrementally increase this figure to 500 starting from the next fiscal year. Additionally, opportunities for pursuing PhDs abroad have been expanded from 10 to 35, alongside parallel efforts to scale up postdoctoral fellowships.
A formal proposal will be submitted to the government in the upcoming fiscal year seeking special allocations for PhD and postdoctoral research.
These decisions and future roadmaps were shared by the UGC Chairman, Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed, during his presidential address at the commission’s 179th full meeting held on Monday, 31 August.
Tackling qualified teacher shortage
Speaking at the meeting, Ahmed emphasised that expanding both domestic and foreign PhD opportunities is crucial to address the shortage of qualified teachers across the nation’s universities.
He highlighted that the UGC has already implemented several proactive measures to ensure high-quality research, including the formulation of research-friendly, modern policies.
“UGC’s ultimate goal is to make research one of the primary activities of universities to bring about qualitative changes in higher education,” Ahmed stated. He underscored that along with expanding the volume of research, the commission’s top priorities include ensuring research quality, impact, and real-world application.
The chairman noted that the UGC is focusing heavily on developing skilled researchers, building modern research infrastructure, securing sustainable and adequate funding, increasing national and international research collaboration, and paving the way for the practical application of research findings. These integrated measures will be implemented in a coordinated manner to foster a healthy research ecosystem within universities.
Linking research to industry and economy
Ahmed asserted that the success of academic research should not be measured solely by the publication of papers. Instead, research must be linked to resolving real-world national problems and contributing directly to the country’s industrial and economic development. To facilitate this, the UGC is actively promoting effective communication, joint research collaborations, and the commercial and social application of research-derived knowledge and innovation between universities and industrial-commercial organisations.
He further stressed that university performance, actual achievements, and research outcomes will be heavily prioritised when allocating research funds. He pointed out the necessity of evaluating university activities based on their capacity for research, innovation, and practical implementation.
In the future, research investments will become more strategic and outcome-oriented, with the commission prioritising capacity-building support for universities that actively contribute to research, innovation, and the knowledge-based economy.
Policies approved and attendance
During the session, the commission formally approved the ‘UGC Promotional and Academic Staff Development Research Project Policy, 2026’. The working paper for the meeting was presented by UGC Secretary Dr Md Fakhrul Islam.
The meeting was attended by UGC Members Professor Dr Masuma Habib, Professor Md Mehdi Hasan Khan, Professor Dr Md Aslam Hossain, and Professor Dr Niaz Ahmed Chowdhury.
Also in attendance were the Vice-Chancellors of several universities: Professor Dr Mohammad Mosharof Hossain (National Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University), Professor Dr M Atiqur Rahman (Chandpur Science and Technology University), Professor Dr Asaduzzaman Sarker (Khulna Agricultural University), Professor Dr Md Shaukat Ali (Begum Rokeya University), Professor Dr Mohammad Zakir Husain (Sunamganj Science and Technology University), and Professor Dr Md Ziaur Rahman Chowdhury (Sylhet Medical University).
