UGC to ensure quality education
Pledges new chief Prof Azad on his joining
University Grants Commission (UGC) will not compromise on quality education at universities while providing its all-out support for expansion of country's higher education, said its newly appointed Chairman Prof Dr AK Azad Chowdhury yesterday.
"The commission would take a firm position on quality education otherwise, we would produce substandard graduates not capable of providing the right direction to society and contribute in economic activities," he said.
Prof Azad was speaking at a programme marking his joining at the commission yesterday organised by UGC at its auditorium in the city where vice chancellors of different universities were also present. The government appointed him with the status of a state minister for a four-year period.
He said higher education in Bangladesh is not in a position to be proud of though number of universities has increased.
"We have to go for quality education, be it in public or private sector," he said, urging all to strive in improving quality education and developing the research sector.
There is no alternative of knowledge while competing with global partners and this must be created at universities, he added.
Prof Azad said UGC, with everyone's cooperation, would ensure quality education, cerate knowledge and remove discrimination of knowledge so that the country can turn into a middle-income one in its 50th year of independence.
Later, while sharing his views with reporters after the meeting, he said his first challenge would be to spread quality education and build education oriented to life and livelihood.
"We want to see Bangladesh as a knowledge-dependent country," he said.
Asked about private universities, Dr Azad said UGC would conduct spot verifications and take opinions of other stakeholders of society about private universities to make an assessment.
He added that if the private universities were found running with only business mentality, UGC's stance would be different.
"But our main aim would be to assist them so that they can provide quality education," Dr Azad said.
About empowering UGC, he said there would be an effort to make the commission into a “Commission for Higher Education”.
Asked whether he resigned from Advisory Council of Awami League, he said he quit after being appointed as UGC chairman.
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