UGC for bringing all varsities under high speed internet connectivity

Khairul Islam | Published: February 12, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided to include all the public and private universities in the high speed internet connectivity programme to support the country's tertiary level schooling, sources said.
According to them, the universities' regulator already drew out the connectivity roadmap for all the universities named 'Bangladesh Research and Higher Education Network (BdREN)'.
"To bring all the higher learning institutions under the connectivity programmes across the country, the authorities have already subscribed 3,000 km long 'Dark Fiber' line for 20 years," said UGC Chairman Prof AK Azad Chowdhury.
He told the FE that the connectivity programme will be implemented under the World Bank funded Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP).
The UGC chairman said the universities' regulator already implemented the programme in some selected varsities including Dhaka University and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) on trial basis.
"Besides, the UGC, the implementing-body, recently floated international tender for the Supply and Installation of BdREN Network system on Turn Key Basis", he added.
The professor said that having the high speed internet connection, the beneficiary institutions will be able to remain attached with the world class academic and schooling resources.
He said that Bangladesh has also been connected with Trans Eurasia Information Network-4 that also largely facilitated the community members providing with valued academic resources.
Besides, a number of local universities and some prominent universities of the United Kingdom have undertaken several collaborative researches under the British Council funded ISPIRE project, he added.
Mr Chowdhury expressed grave concern over the quality of the country's higher education. Taking into consideration the issue, the government has extended its agreement with the World Bank for the next five years to support the tertiary level schooling, he added.
The professor said although the country's position is third in Asian countries after China and India in terms of tertiary level students, poor quality of education is very frustrating.