UGC plans Higher Education Academy for faculty training: Chairman

University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed today (22 August) came up with a plan to establish a 'Higher Education Academy' to provide institutionalised training for university teachers and develop academic and institutional leadership as part of a broader national agenda for transforming higher education in Bangladesh.

He came up with the plan while presenting 'Transforming Higher Education in Bangladesh: A National Agenda for Sustainable Excellence (2026-2030)' at the concluding session of the two-day 'Vice-Chancellors' Dialogue: Shaping the Future of Higher Education' at BRAC CDM in Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka.

Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon attended the session as the chief guest, which was chaired by UGC Chairman Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed.

UGC Member Professor Dr Abdullah-Al-Mamun moderated the session, while former Dhaka University Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Z N Tahmida Begum delivered remarks.

Professor Mamun said university teachers are at the core of higher education transformation, stressing the need for an institutional framework for faculty development, research capacity building, improvement of teaching and learning, and academic leadership.

"Just as there are training academies for public servants, we need an institutional training structure for the higher education sector as well," he said.

He said the proposed academy would provide training in education management, academic leadership, university administration, teaching and learning and higher education management. The UGC has already started working on the infrastructure and facilities required for the academy.

The UGC chairman also announced plans to expand PhD and postdoctoral opportunities for university teachers through collaboration with foreign universities, including joint programmes. The UGC is working to sign MoUs with foreign universities to facilitate tuition support for Bangladeshi teachers pursuing higher studies, while providing structured assistance for their living expenses.

He said improving research infrastructure and increasing research funding would be another priority under the national agenda. The UGC plans to establish an online research repository containing information on research conducted in Bangladesh to help identify research gaps and determine priority areas for future research funding.

Professor Mamun said a fellowship system would be introduced to facilitate faculty mobility between universities, allowing teachers from major-city universities to spend six months or a year teaching at universities outside major urban centres. Similar opportunities would be created for Bangladeshi academics working abroad to return and teach or conduct research at local universities.

He said, "The UGC plans to establish a digital learning and innovation ecosystem across universities within the next two to three years, including high-speed internet, smart classrooms, smart libraries, digital student services, digital research infrastructure and digital administrative systems."

He said digital connectivity would help reduce disparities between universities in Dhaka and those outside major cities by enabling students outside Dhaka to access classes delivered by high-quality teachers at leading universities.

The UGC chairman said, "The commission plans to develop a National Graduate Employment Framework to define the knowledge, skills and attributes graduates need to enter local and international job markets."

The framework would cover subject knowledge, soft skills, digital literacy, communication, critical thinking, ethical values, workplace experience and leadership qualities, alongside a graduate employment tracking mechanism.

Professor Mamun said Industry-Academia Advisory Boards would be established at universities to strengthen links with employers and industry and align academic programmes with labour-market needs.

He said curricula would be modernised in consultation with industry experts, professional bodies and employers, with emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity and renewable energy incorporated where appropriate.

The UGC also plans to introduce effective internships for students and gradually make them compulsory, while ensuring that internships provide meaningful workplace learning.

The commission plans to establish language centres in around 30 public and private universities without such facilities to promote third-language learning, which would enhance graduates' employability and international opportunities.

Professor Mamun said universities would also be encouraged to organise year-round sports, cultural and extracurricular activities to develop students' physical, mental and leadership capacities.

He said strengthening governance, institutional capacity and accountability would remain another major priority, including digital governance, improved quality assurance, updated recruitment and promotion policies and effective student support mechanisms.

The UGC chairman also highlighted a proposal to establish a Higher Education Fund to provide additional resources for activities that cannot always be adequately financed through regular government budgets.

Professor Mamun said the proposed national agenda seeks to make Bangladesh's higher education system more employment-oriented, research-driven, technology-enabled, internationally connected and accountable.

"Whatever plans we make, university teachers remain at the core of the transformation. We have to put teachers, students, research and institutions at the centre of our efforts to achieve the desired transformation of higher education," he said.

The two-day dialogue was organised under the Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) Project of the UGC, bringing together vice-chancellors, policymakers, academics and experts to discuss the future of higher education in Bangladesh.