“ Universities must focus on research: Higher education in Bangladesh on the path to knowledge-based society and development ”

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Mohammad Monir Hossain

Lecturer , Department of Accounting , Meher Degree College , Shahrasti , Chandpur. +8801811656353, [email protected]

The beacon of knowledge creation

The foundation of a knowledge-based society and economy is research. Universities are not just places for teaching and awarding degrees , but also centers for creating new knowledge , solving problems, and innovating. Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen rightly said , " Universities must be engines of research and innovation." The stronger the speed of this engine , the faster the wheels of the national economy will turn. Although the number of public and private universities in the higher education system of Bangladesh has increased , we are still far behind in terms of the quality and quantity of research in the global context. In the current era of globalization, when the question of the country's economic development , meeting the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs) comes to the fore , the need for universities to focus on research becomes undeniable.

Higher Education in Bangladesh

According to data from the University Grants Commission (UGC) , the higher education supervisory body of Bangladesh , the country's higher education sector currently stands in a huge structure.

Number of universities

Government Universities: Currently, there are 55 government universities approved in the country  ( in addition to these, there are National , Open, and Islamic Arabic Universities).  

Private Universities: The number of approved private universities is 114 , of which about 100 are conducting educational programs.  

Total Universities: The number of approved universities, both public and private, is approximately 169 .  

Number of students

The number of students in higher education is increasing day by day. However , this figure does not include a large number of students in affiliated colleges and madrasas (more than 4.4 million). Some information on the university level (excluding national , open and Islamic Arabic universities) is given below:

Students in government universities (50 higher education institutions) (2023): Approximately 2,96,696 . Of these , 2,05,430 are male and 91,266 are female .  

Total students in private universities (2023): Approximately 3,58,414 . Although male students lead in the number of students , the admission rate of female students in some advanced private universities is promising .  

This large number of total students proves that universities have a crucial responsibility not only to disseminate knowledge , but also to prepare them for the future through quality research.

Annual expenditure and comparative figures in the research sector:

​The allocation to research sector as a percentage of the university's total expenditure is one of the most fragile aspects of higher education in Bangladesh. According to various annual reports of the UGC:

The main message of these statistics is: Despite being essential for the country's economic development and intellectual advancement , universities are allocating only  1 to 3 percent of their total expenditure  on research. In developed countries, this rate is usually 2-3% or more.

Research areas and achievements:

Despite inadequate allocations , limited research is being conducted in universities in Bangladesh. These researches are mainly conducted in a few areas:

Agriculture and Fisheries: The country's agricultural universities are playing an important role in developing high-yielding crops , new varieties of seeds and fish. For example , developing new varieties of rice and researching climate change-tolerant agriculture. 

Medicine and Public Health: Research into various diseases , vaccine development , and public health surveys. Some universities have focused on research during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Science and Engineering: Limited work is underway on renewable energy , information technology , software development , and environmental pollution. 

Social Sciences and Humanities: Some basic and applied research is being conducted on poverty , gender equality , good governance , economy, and the history and culture of Bangladesh. 

Research Weaknesses and Challenges:

The main weaknesses of research in universities are as follows:

Insufficient funding: There is no regular allocation of funds for research. Many universities , especially the 28 private universities, do not spend any money on research. 

Lack of infrastructure and equipment: Lack of state-of-the-art laboratories , advanced equipment, and necessary software are major obstacles to research activities. 

Weaknesses in teacher recruitment: In teacher recruitment and promotion, more importance is given to other issues than research. As a result, the urge of teachers to do research is reduced. 

Lack of quality teachers: Many new public and private universities are running with new and part-time teachers who have little quality research experience. 

Lack of industry-academia linkages: There is very little linkage between university research and industry and the private sector. As a result, research cannot meet the needs of society. 

Political instability: Political instability, especially in some public universities, destroys the conducive environment for research. 

Lack of research culture and mentorship: Due to weak monitoring of research progress and evaluation methods, inadequate allocations are often not utilized properly. In addition, there is a lack of adequate professional advice and emotional encouragement for young researchers. 

Absence in world rankings: Due to the weakness in the quality and quantity of research, no university in Bangladesh can make it to the top 500 in international university rankings (such as Times Higher Education). 

Ways and things to do for success

The following steps are essential to achieve the desired success in research:

Policy and financial reforms:

Ensuring minimum allocation: The UGC and the government must issue a notification to ensure that universities allocate at least 5 percent of their total budget to the research sector.   

Increase in research grants and fellowships: The number and amount of research grants and fellowships from UGC and other government institutions should be significantly increased. 

Encouraging the private sector : Tax breaks or other incentives should be provided to industries and the private sector to invest in research , so that they can undertake joint research projects with universities. 

Institutional and structural development:

Research-friendly teacher recruitment: Research experience and quality should be given top priority in teacher recruitment , promotion, and advancement. 

Establishment of advanced laboratories: Quality laboratories and research infrastructure with modern equipment and facilities must be established. 

Strengthening Ethical Review Committees: Ethical review committees need to be made more active and strengthened to ensure research ethics and quality control. 

Knowledge sharing: A culture of coordination in research and undertaking joint research projects between different universities must be developed. 

Creating a research

Student Involvement: Arrangements should be made to involve students in hands-on research work at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. 

Interdisciplinary research: Interdisciplinary research projects should be launched involving teachers and students from different departments, rather than being confined to their own departments . 

Transparency and accountability: Transparency and accountability must be established to ensure the use of research funds and the quality of research results. 

" Universities should focus on research" is not just a piece of advice , but a national strategic investment for the national development and progress of Bangladesh  . Higher education institutions are the main driving force of knowledge creation , and this knowledge has the power to transform a country from a less developed to a developed country. Despite the current adverse environment , the personal efforts of some teachers and the financial initiatives of some private universities show us a ray of hope.

However , this isolated success is not enough. To improve the quality of higher education as a whole, the government must formulate a national research strategy for higher education. To implement that strategy, the university administration must play a leading role in allocating funds , building infrastructure , hiring quality teachers, and creating a conducive environment for research. The purpose of education is not just to produce a few degree holders , but to enrich a nation and the world through new knowledge and innovation. To achieve this great objective, universities in Bangladesh must be fully focused on research.