Home ›› 12 Nov 2022 ›› Front
The door for the operation of foreign university branch campuses in Bangladesh is yet to open as the Education Ministry has not made any decision on the issue.
More than eight years have passed since the formulation of the Foreign University, Its Branches or Study Centres Operating Rule of 2014 but the policy is yet to see the light of day as no foreign university has gotten the approval yet to operate in the country.
A huge number of students are going abroad every year to pursue higher studies because there is an absence of chances to obtain international-standard higher education and achieve a degree from a foreign university while staying in Bangladesh, said academics.
Prof Abdul Mannan, former chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), told The Business Post that the government can and should allow the operation of qualified and renowned foreign universities here.
However, priority should be given to allowing the science and technological universities, instead of the general ones, to create skilled human resources to meet the high demand of the current job market, he said.
Prof Mannan also said that if the government allows foreign universities to open branch campuses, it will benefit the students and the local universities will also do better competing with them.
Education Ministry sources said the government came up with the 2014 operating rule to allow foreign universities, or their local representatives, to set up joint venture initiatives with any local university or investors to open branch campuses or study centres in Bangladesh.
Over 20 foreign universities applied after the policy was published. After scrutinising, UGC approved three foreign institutions — Monash College (Australia) Study Centre, Bangladesh; Bangladesh Study Centre of London School of Commerce (UK); and Study Centre of University of Derby (UK).
But the approval stalled after the ministry in November 2016 issued a letter asking to halt the process amid protests and pressure from the private university owners and controversy over a few sections of the policy.
The conditions
Later, on September 12, 2019, new Education Minister Dipu Moni took the initiative to amend the rule and formulated a three-member committee led by then UGC member Prof Akhtar Hossain.
After fixing some weak points, UGC on January 9, 2020, submitted the draft of the amended rule to the Education Ministry for approval.
UGC suggested allowing the universities that are in the top 500 in global rankings to open branch campuses, instead of study centres, in Bangladesh if they can meet some conditions.
According to the amended draft, branch campuses can be opened at the initiative of foreign parent universities. There cannot be a joint venture and the university must get approval under the country’s respective laws.
The branch campus will have to be headed by a pro-vice-chancellor, vice president or vice-rector appointed by the main university.
Almost three years have passed since the amended policy has been submitted to the ministry but this matter has seen no further progress, UGC Secretary Dr Ferdous Zaman told The Business Post.
Experts said many countries, even many Asian ones including Malaysia, India, Nepal and China, are allowing the operation of foreign universities in their lands. But Bangladesh is still lagging.
Reached for comment, Education Ministry Additional Secretary (university) Abu Yusuf Miah said they are currently working to amend the Private University Act 2010. “After that’s done, we will amend the foreign university operating rule.”
Several UGC officials said foreign universities can impart quality education to local students, allowing them to better compete in the international arena and the commission does not see any problem with reputed and qualified foreign universities opening branches in Bangladesh.
More students going abroad
The number of students leaving Bangladesh to pursue higher studies abroad has been steadily rising over the past few years — barring the time when the Covid-19 pandemic was at its peak — since they cannot get it here.
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, at least 44,338 Bangladeshi students went abroad in 2021. The number was 24,112 in 2015.
In 2021, the highest number of Bangladeshi students — 8,122 — went to the US, making it the most favourite destination. Some 6,904 students went to Malaysia and 6,191 to Australia.
In the same year, 3,735 students went to Canada, 2,920 to Germany, 2,645 to the UK, 2,436 to Japan, 2,258 to India, 1,121 to Korea, and 1,062 to Saudi Arabia.
The preference to study at good universities in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and China has grown among Bangladeshi pupils in recent years.
Due to this increase in the number of students going abroad, the country’s student consultancy firms have also seen massive business after the pandemic situation improved.
Foreign Admission and Career Development Consultants Association of Bangladesh President Kazi Faridul Haque Happy told The Business Post that they have no specific data but around 80,000 students on average go abroad every year from Bangladesh.
“Not all students get scholarships. A significant number of them go for higher studies with their funds, often provided by their families,” he said.
Money leaving Bangladesh
Meanwhile, a huge amount of money sent as payments to universities by students is also going abroad through legal and illegal channels every year.
According to Bangladesh Bank data, the amount of Bangladeshi students’ study abroad payments has risen by 128.65 per cent in the last six years. Around $343.9 million was sent till April of the last fiscal year of 2021-22.
The size of annual payments has gradually increased over the years — $150.4 million in FY2016-17, $170.7 million in FY2017-18, $196.1 million in FY2018-19, $218 million in FY2019-20, and $243.1 million in FY2020-21, showed central bank data.
Between FY17 and FY22, $1.32 billion was sent via legal channels. Experts said the actual figure would be much higher since there is no data on money sent through illegal channels.
Bangladesh approved its first private university in 1992. There are currently 109 private universities in the country and almost half of them were approved after 2007.
There are also 53 public universities in Bangladesh, set up to cater to the students’ demand for higher education.
