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Restructuration of Bangladesh's University Education System

Restructuration of Bangladesh's University Education System

The Second Independence in Bangladesh provides an enormous opportunity to reclaim our democratic values of inclusion, social justice, and human rights protection. The interim government is the foundation for this anticipated hope, and as a result, the university education system in Bangladesh needs to be reformed based on our past experiences. This system must be designed in such a way that it provides a space for the poor's social mobility. We need to structure a system that allows a BUET graduate in civil engineering to pursue their area of expertise, rather than working as a banker. Below, I outline my expectations of the current government in this context.

Teaching in terms of course offerings, classroom delivery, and grading is one of the major parts of the university education system. Students form the core of the university education system, and they require reform to ensure that faculty members are transparent and accountable to the reasonable issues and concerns of the students. No faculty member should harm student because of their disagreement, attire, or any other invalid reason. So, we need to review the teacher-student ratio. Again, we need to develop new regulations to ensure the proper code of conduct. Exchange programs between faculty members and students from universities in Bangladesh and abroad can foster a new vision and academic excellence, contributing to a better Bangladesh. Different departments and faculties can spearhead this scholarly communication. Special facilities, such as a residential facility and scholarships, should be provided to first-semester students at a public university. Every student should have equal access to the residential facility, regardless of their merit and socioeconomic status, without any exploitation. In a proper academic setting, the grading system should not use borkhas or other clothing as a weapon to punish or reward students. The university system should encourage students' volunteer activities and recognise them with certificates and other forms to promote their humane values.

Research is the foundation for finding new knowledge in teaching and policymaking. If a university lacks sufficient research, it may lag in providing students with new knowledge, fostering connections with society, and identifying gaps in their communication with international scholars. The university education system should be the global hub of knowledge generation and exchange. For this purpose, student researchers, in their roles as research assistants and associates, serve as the foundation for promoting knowledge and excellence. The university education system comprises five major components in this research endeavour: undergraduate, master, MPhil, PhD, and professional research. For Master's, MPhil, PhD, and professional research, a faculty member must have a PhD or equivalent, which indicates the level of expert knowledge in promoting research and excellence. Student researchers at every stage—undergraduate, master, MPhil, PhD—need proper funding so that they do not have to compromise basic rights such as food in order to complete the research. Supporting collaborative research within Bangladesh and between Bangladeshi and foreign universities can help in this regard. When development policies in Bangladesh incorporate this research, it will effectively tackle social issues and problems.

Conferences and seminars provide every department/faculty with the opportunity to learn about the latest trends and concerns, enabling them to contribute to policy development in Bangladesh. This conference/seminar is one of the foundations for promoting knowledge exchanges among scholars at the global level. Research students serve as organisers or volunteers, interacting with scholars from various fields and gaining opportunities to explore their career paths. They also develop organising skills that help them work effectively when they get employment opportunities as bureaucrats or in other positions. Faculty members have the opportunity to share their knowledge and collaborate on research projects. Many faculty members in developed countries actively seek out graduate students from conference presenters, who can provide them with new career paths. Faculty members and research students should receive proper funding from the government or their respective universities to attend two international conferences. Every university should establish proper budgets and scholarly communication norms for this purpose.

Every faculty member should have publications based on his area of research interests. In this context, a faculty member's specialization, based on their PhD, serves as the primary foundation. To promote research and publication, every faculty (e.g., Faculty of Social Science)/university level should have a section with dedicated enough staff, as we all know the standard practices in developed countries. The staff will assist the scholars in the grant writing and article publication processes.

As part of this publication, every university's journal should be globally competitive in terms of citation, quality, and acceptability. The highest cited faculty members should serve as the editor or coeditors, and the editorial board should choose its members based on this criterion. Globally renowned scholars could comprise half of the editorial board. Every faculty member should pursue guest editorship at a national or international journal. Universities should strive to associate their journals with reputable publishing houses like Sage. To address the issue of English language quality, every faculty member should establish a connection with the Modern Language Institute. The journal should be available online for free for the first one or two years, after which there will be a subscription fee.

The teaching, research, and publications need to address issues and concerns such as climate change effects, environmental degradation, social inequality, displacement and refugee crises, the fourth industrial revolution, and sustainability perspectives. 

Every year, both public and private entities should receive a ranking under the direct leadership and coordination of the University Grants Commission (UGC), which will ultimately aid in securing a position in the global ranking. For this ranking, the UGC authority could consider some major points. (i) The total amount of research conducted at both national and international levels, (ii) The total allocation of funds for research and publication based on the total number of faculty members, (iii) The total number of books and articles published at both national and international levels, (iv) The total number of PhDs earned by faculty members at world-ranking universities, (v) The total number of international conferences and seminars, (vi) The total number of visiting scholars from other foreign universities, (vii) The total number of research students at the MPhil and PhD level, (viii) The total number of foreign students, (ix) The total number of contributions as a Guest Editor at a national or international journal (x) The total number of citations a university or faculty member has received; (xi) The total number of scholarships awarded to both poor and meritorious students. We can apply most of these criteria to the recruitment of faculty members and their promotion.

As the academic leader of a university, a Vice Chancellor (VC) must possess significant academic and professional qualifications to accomplish all the aforementioned tasks. For instance, a VC should possess the following major academic and professional qualifications: (i) a significant amount of research at both national and international levels, (ii) a significant number of books and articles at both national and international levels, (iii) a PhD degree and a global reputation, (iv) a significant number of presentations at international conferences and seminars, (v) a V position at foreign universities, (vi) a significant number of research students at the MPhil and PhD level, (vii) a total number of contributions as a guest editor at a national or international journal, (vii) a total number of citations, and (viii) a total number of administrative positions such as conference organizers,

In order for a university to thrive in the knowledge and scholarly community system, the Chairman of the UGC must implement visionary policy measures to overcome current constraints and meet the demands of the general public for social justice and freedom of speech. This policy perspective could help reduce the brain drain of our manpower, thereby contributing to a better Bangladesh.

M Anwar Hossen
Author

M Anwar Hossen

Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Dhaka

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