Govt urged to bar opening foreign varsity branches

DU Correspondent The authorities of private universities came down heavily on the recent move of University Grants Commission (UGC) to allow foreign universities to open branches of their institutions in the country saying that it will hamper the higher education and culture of the country. They claimed that the UGC decision will obstruct higher education for all. These observations were made at a round table titled "Critical Role of Higher Education in National Development" organized by Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh held at National Press Club in the capital on Sunday. Vice Chancellor and Founder of International University of Business Agricultural and Technology Prof M Alimullah Miyan said "the UGC has taken a suicidal decision to approve branches and centers of foreign universities." "Foreign universities are wiling to open their branches in the country only for their own interests beside the coaching centers that will hamper our national education and culture as well" said Prof Durgadas Bhattacharjee, former vice chancellor of National University of Bangladesh. Vice Chancellor of Gono Bishwabidyalay Dr Jafar Ullah Chowdhury said that the UGC has become a foreign agent and a major hindrance in the way to develop tertiary education in country. The academicians em­pha­sised on enhancing investment in higher education to speed up national development inline with globalisation. "The government and non-government donors should come forward collectively to patronise the sector for the grater interest of the nation", Miyan said while presenting the keynote paper at the programme. He said that more than 12 per cent of total population of our neighboring India receive higher education where the figure in Bangladesh is only 6.0 per cent which is unexpected and unfortunate. "The country will face brain drain and migration of highly qualified human capital that will directly impede national growth if preventive steps are not taken immediately", he added. He said that as the developing countries attempt to reduce this brain drain through local capacity building in higher education developed countries were attempting to disrupt the process through maneuvers to create a free global market for higher education as a commodity. President of the association CM Shafi Sami moderated the programme while a number of vice chancellors of different private universities and academicians participated the discussion.