Staff Correspondent

The University Grants Commission (UGC) is in the process of developing a clear and stringent guideline to regulate the establishment of foreign university branch campuses in Bangladesh, aiming to ensure quality higher education while preventing its commercialisation.

According to UGC member and head of the sub-committee on private universities, Professor Dr Mohammad Anwar Hossain, a high-powered committee has been tasked with drafting the policy.

The committee comprises prominent academics from several leading public and private universities, including the University of Dhaka, Buet, North South University, and Jahangirnagar University.

The Vice-Chancellor of Buet is leading the main committee, while Dr Hossain is leading a key sub-committee within the group.

In an interview with UNB, Dr Hossain said, “We are assessing how beneficial foreign campuses will be for Bangladesh. A high-powered committee, consisting of experienced professors, is actively preparing a guideline policy. Once this policy is finalised, we will be able to decide on the approval of foreign campuses.”

He explained that the UGC has a generally positive stance towards foreign university campuses but remains cautious.

“We are closely examining whether student interests might be hampered, or if public and private universities would come under undue pressure. Private universities have reached a certain standard. However, when we consider the living standards, salary structures, and research facilities for public university teachers, the picture is less satisfactory. If foreign universities begin operating here, our educators might face even more strain,” he added.

The UGC intends to finalise the policy only after comprehensive review and national interest assessments. “If the move proves to be beneficial for the country, we will structure the policy accordingly,” Dr Hossain said.

Sources at the UGC said the commission is currently revising the 2014 Regulations for the Operation of Foreign University Branch or Study Centres due to existing ambiguities and limitations.The new draft policy proposes allowing only the establishment of full-fledged branch campuses, explicitly excluding the operation of study centres.

The proposed policy outlines several mandatory conditions for foreign universities wishing to establish a branch campus in Bangladesh.These include having a minimum of 25,000 square feet of campus space, employing full-time academic staff, maintaining a fixed deposit of Tk 5 crore, and paying a non-refundable application fee of Tk 10 lakh.The commission emphasises that the core objective of this policy is to ensure high standards in higher education and to avoid commercial exploitation of the education sector.Currently, UCSI University has become the first foreign university to receive approval from both the UGC and the Ministry of Education to establish a branch campus in Bangladesh.The Malaysian university has already started academic activities in Dhaka.

The UGC says that any future approvals will be granted only after the finalisation of this new policy framework and will apply strictly to recognised and high-quality foreign institutions.