World Bank Bangladesh

Enhancing Teaching, Learning and Research in Higher Education

 

 

The University Grants Commission (UGC) will call for proposals by March 1, 2010 from public universities and eligible private universities in Bangladesh for enhancing quality of teaching, learning and research under the Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP). Grants for innovative approaches will be provided from an Academic Innovation Fund (AIF) under this project on a competitive basis.

The Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project, supported by the World Bank (US$ 81 million) aims to bring forth both innovation and accountability within universities and enhance the technical and institutional capacity of the higher education sector. The project seeks to establish conditions that will stimulate teaching, improve learning, and boost research in universities, and introduce an efficient instrument for the allocation of public funds to universities.

Preparatory work to invite proposals from public and private universities of Bangladesh has been completed. Seven Academic Innovation Fund (AIF) Promotion workshops were held in five locations around the country. Management and academic staff from 15 universities participated in these workshops.

Three training programs were held on AIF proposal writing. University Proposal Screening Committees (UPSCs) have already been formed in 26 public universities and 27 private universities. University AIF Secretariats (UAIFS) has also been formed in 26 public universities and 17 private universities. Awareness and training programs on the innovation fund, the processes for proposal submission and evaluation will continue in different regions of the country.

The project also aims to integrate Bangladesh’s universities in the globalized world of knowledge. The establishment of a Bangladesh Research and Education Network (BdREN) will provide high speed connectivity among the universities and research institutions both within the country and globally. This will allow the teachers and students of Bangladesh to access the latest developments in the realms of knowledge. The University Grants Commission and the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the use of fiber optics in this regard.