UGC Experience on Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Bangladesh

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• UGC Experience on Quality Assurance in Higher
  Education in Bangladesh
• 
  
• Professor Dr. M. Asaduzzaman
• Former Chairman, UGC, Bangladesh

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• Respected Chairman of American International
  University of Bangladesh, (AIUB) distinguished
  participants from home and abroad, Ladies
  Gentleman, Assalamualikum good morning.

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• At the very outset, I want to thank
  congratulate AIUB- one of the few top private
  universities in Bangladesh- for organizing this
  extra-ordinary seminar. I would also like to take
  the opportunity to thank Asia Pacific Quality
  Network for its invaluable support and
  cooperation extended to organize this seminar.

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It is, indeed, a privilege for me to address
this outstanding and highly enlightened
gathering. I am grateful to AIUB for inviting me
to this important seminar.
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Ladies gentleman, it is widely recognized that
education is the backbone of a nation. Education
enhances quality of life in every society. It can
play a crucially important role in a developing
country like Bangladesh--where there is
staggering unemployment, pervasive poverty,
malnutrition, hunger, disease.
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• Today, we all are in agreement that education is
  essential for the alleviation of poverty
  building a democratic culture. And quality
  education for all (EfA), in this age, is seen as
  a panacea for furthering socio economic
  political development of a given society.

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Role of UniversitiesUniversity is the Universe
in miniature. University is the place for the
creation of knowledge, dissemination of
knowledge. University plays multiple social,
political economic roles in a society.
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Pandit Jawherlal Nehru once said A university
stands for humanism, for tolerance, for reason,
for adventure of ideas and for the search of
truth. It stands for onward march of the human
race towards even higher objectives if the
universities discharge adequately, then it is
well with the Nation and the people.
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• James A Parkin former Chairman of International
  Council for Educational Development, described
  the functions of a University as
• Mission of teaching
• Mission of research
• Mission of service to the society
• Mission of creating as ideal democratic society

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Role of University Grants Commission in
Bangladesh University Grants Commission (UGC)
of Bangladesh is the apex body of all the
universities and was established in 1973 under
the President Order of 1973.
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The primary objectives of instituting UGC as
stated in the Act, were to promote and coordinate
university education, to monitor and maintain
standard of education. Assess the needs in terms
of funding the universities and advise the
Government on various issues of higher education.

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UGC provides 100 of the development funds and
nearly 95 of the revenue budget of the Public
Universities. UGC also examines the proposals for
the establishment of Private Universities. It
recommends to the government for establishment of
new universities both at the public and private
sectors.
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At present, we have 26 public and 51 private
universities in Bangladesh-- where there are
nearly 180000 students pursuing their higher
education (this figure excludes Open University
and National University). Around 80000 students
are now studying in private universities out of
which 25 in arts and social sciences, 25 in
sciences and engineering, 50 in commerce-
studying every aspect of modern business.
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During my tenure as the Chairman of the
University Grants Commission, my concern was to
strengthen and streamline the legal framework of
higher education in Bangladesh. A set of
proposals for legal reforms for higher education
were sent to the government for consideration and
approval.
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• Prominent among those suggested legal reforms are
  
• Uniform recruitment rules for teachers and
  employees of the universities
• Uniform financial rules and accounts manual
• Operation of foreign universities and their
  branches in Bangladesh

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• Uniform grading system
• Rules for the establishment of an Accreditation
  Council
• Private University (Amendment) Act- 2005
• Strategic plan for higher education in
  Bangladesh, 2006-2026

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Emergence of Private Universities in
Bangladesh Private universities emerge out of
the pragmatic necessity of rising demand for
higher education in Bangladesh. With a view to
cope with the growing demands for higher
education, over the years, the Government of
Bangladesh allowed the private universities to
operate under the Private Universities Act of
1992.
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• The main purposes of the establishment private
  universities are
• To create efficient human resources for the
  development as well export of efficient manpower
  abroad
• To ensure access of meritorious students to
  higher education
• To involve private sector in higher education

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Quality Issues in Higher Education Thus, higher
education has enormous potential to promote
prosperity in the developing nation. The growing
importance of knowledge in the modern World can
hardly be over emphasized particularly in the era
of globalization and competitive environment.
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Thus, ensuring quality education has become the
main concern of the nation today. Now let us look
at the parameters of quality of education in
Bangladesh.
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• Parameters of Quality Education
• Meritorious students
• Highly qualified and committed teachers
• Nationally relevant and internationally
  acceptable curriculum
• Modern method of teaching and use of new
  educational technology
• Sufficient provision for co-curricular and extra-
  curricular activities
• High level of research
• A sound academic environment

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• Quality Assurance Agency in Bangladesh
• For various social, political and economic
  reasons the quality of education in Bangladesh is
  sliding. Realizing the utmost importance of
  quality in education, the University Grants
  Commission proposed the formation of
  accreditation council for private universities in
  Bangladesh (ACPUB) for assessing and maintaining
  the standard of higher education.

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• Initially the proposal was for both the public
  and private universities. The main objective as
  stated in the preamble of ACPUB is to ensure
  quality and standard of education in private
  universities keeping in view the national
  interest and global priorities by

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• requiring private universities to become the
  member of ACPUB.
• motivating private universities to undertake
  periodical self assessment and critical review of
  their academic programs

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• requiring private universities to seek evaluation
  of their academic programs through executive
  inspection to be arranged by ACPUB which may
  eventually lead to full accreditation of
  particular program of study
• disseminating the results of the External
  Inspection for public information, so as to
  enable students, guardians, and employers to know
  about the status of different universities.

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• Structure of the Accreditation Council in
  Bangladesh
• 1. General Council
• The council will have 33 members which
  includes the Chairman of the council. The
  Chairman will be appointed on a fulltime basis.
  He/She will be a distinguished educationalist and
  will be appointed by the President of the
  republic for a period of 5 years.

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• Other members will be drawn from different
  stakeholders and quality assurance agencies in
  the following manner. The term of the general
  council will be for a period of 2 years.

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• Group A 6 Vice Chancellors from the private
  universities nominated by the President
• Group B Chairman and two members of UGC.
• 3 Vice Chancellors of public universities
  nominated by the ACPUB

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• Group C 3 distinguished educationalists
  nominated by the President of the Republic
• 2 representatives of the government (not below
  the rank of Additional Secretary) nominated by
  the Government.
• Group D 5 representatives from the private
  sector nominated by the President of the
  Republic.
• Group E 2 sponsors of Private Universities
  nominated by the President

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• Group F 3 representatives from Regional/
  International Quality Agencies nominated by the
  President
• The General Council shall be responsible for the
  formulation of policy of ACPUB including
  frequency of accreditation and frequency of
  registration status review. The Council shall
  meet ordinarily 3 times a year.

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• 2. Executive Committee
• It will have 9 members including the chairman
  and will be nominated by the General Council.
• 2 members from each of the group AB nominated by
  the respective group for 2 years.
• 1 member from each of the group C to F nominated
  by the each group for 2 years.
• The Executive Committee will be supported by full
  time paid staff.

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• Responsibilities of the Executive Committee
• The Executive Committee shall be responsible for
  appointing Peer Review Team on receipt of self
  assessment questionnaires by Member Institutions.
• The Executive Committee shall be responsible for
  appointing on the recommendation of program
  committee peer review team on receipt of
  application for accrediting each degree program.

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• The Executive Committee shall review and approve
  the report of the peer review teams and
  recommendations of the program committee arrange
  for dissemination result of accreditation
• The Executive Committee shall meet 6 times a year
  ordinarily.

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• 3. Accreditation and Recognition Committee
• 4. Peer Review Team
• Institutional
• Programme

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• With this few words, I want to conclude, but
  prior to that let me thank you all very much for
  your patent hearing. I wish the foreign
  delegates a pleasant stay in Bangladesh.
• THANK YOU

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