UGC finalising 5-year national action plan for upgrading higher education
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The University Grants Commission (UGC) has taken the initiative to finalise a five-year "Higher Education Transformation: National Action Plan for Achieving Sustainable Excellence (2026–2030)" aimed at elevating the country's higher education to international standards.
On Thursday, a discussion meeting was held at the UGC Chairman's conference room, chaired by Education Minister Dr. A. N. M. Ehsanul Haque Milon. Senior officials from the Ministry of Education and UGC exchanged views on the draft of the national action plan during the meeting.
At the meeting, UGC Chairman Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed said that a long-term reform plan has been adopted to align the country's higher education with changing global realities, technological advancements, and labour market demands. The draft of the five-year national action plan has been prepared by combining recommendations from the recent national workshop on higher education transformation held at Dhaka University in the presence of the Prime Minister, government priorities, and UGC's strategic plans.
He informed that five strategic priorities have been identified in the action plan. These are: enhancing graduate employability and ensuring demand-driven education; strengthening university-industry collaboration and increasing global competitiveness; digital transformation and use of artificial intelligence (AI); teacher development and professional skill enhancement; excellence in research, innovation, and internationalisation; and good governance, quality assurance, and institutional reform.
Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed said that the plan aims to introduce Outcome-Based Education (OBE), Career Development Centres, internship and employment monitoring systems, Learning Management Systems (LMS), digital administration, and AI-based education systems in all universities by 2030. Additionally, the action plan includes targets to double the number of research publications and patents, expand international research and academic partnerships, build an integrated national higher education database, and establish Bangladesh as a regional hub for higher education and research.
He further said that as part of finalising the draft action plan, a series of consultation meetings will be held with vice-chancellors of public and private universities, academics, industry representatives, development partners, and civil society members. Based on the opinions and recommendations of relevant stakeholders, the plan will be finalised and submitted to the Ministry of Education for implementation. He also sought the full cooperation of the Ministry of Education for its speedy implementation.
At the meeting, Education Minister Dr. A. N. M. Ehsanul Haque Milon said that the outline for transforming the country's higher education sector should come from UGC itself, as the Commission plays a critically important role as the central regulatory and coordinating body for the higher education system. To elevate higher education to the desired standard, UGC's leadership needs to be more effective and dynamic.
He stated that successful higher education reform initiatives and experiences from various countries around the world should be reviewed, and aspects compatible with Bangladesh's reality should be implemented. To this end, the experiences of countries such as China, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, and Pakistan should be utilised.
The Education Minister also said that the government's goal is not only to produce talented students but also to ensure the excellence of their intellect. Universities must take effective steps to attract foreign students and turn Bangladesh into a regional destination for higher education. For this, a coordinated national policy needs to be formulated for foreign student admissions, academic collaboration, and internationalisation.
The discussion meeting was attended by UGC members Professor Dr. Mohammad Anwar Hossain, Professor Dr. Md. Saidur Rahman, Professor Dr. Mohammad Ayub Islam, Professor Dr. Abdullah-Al-Mamun, UGC Secretary Dr. Md. Fakhrul Islam, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Education and UGC, too.
