Dhaka: The University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh today signed agreements with 43 public and private universities in the country to implement 151 selected sub-projects under the Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) project.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, UGC Secretary Dr Md Fakhrul Islam and the registrars of the sub-projects from the participating universities signed the agreements on behalf of their respective institutions. The signing ceremony took place at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital, with UGC Chairman Professor Dr SMA Faiz attending as the chief guest.
Key figures present at the event included Commission Members Professor Dr Md Saidur Rahman, Professor Dr Machuma Habib, Professor Dr Mohammad Ayub Islam, World Bank Practice Manager Keiko Inoue, Lead Economist and Technical Advisor Toby Linden, Task Team Leader TM Asaduzzaman, as well as Vice-Chancellors and Sub-Project Managers from various universities. The event was chaired by UGC Member Professor Dr Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan.
HEAT Project Director Professor Dr Asaduzzaman used the platform to discuss the progress of project implementation, specifically highlighting the sub-project selection process. During his address, UGC Chairman Professor Faiz emphasized that priority was given to the quality of higher education and national interest when selecting the HEAT sub-projects. He urged the recipients to work with honesty and dedication to achieve the project’s targets.
Professor Tanzimuddin Khan congratulated the project recipients and encouraged them to contribute positively to society by successfully implementing the project work. He mentioned that the project work had commenced after overcoming various challenges over the past year and stressed the importance of ensuring the proper utilization of funds.
The proposals for the sub-projects were invited from university teachers and researchers through an open competition aimed at implementing various projects under the HEAT initiative. Out of a total of 1,481 submitted proposals, 151 sub-projects were finally selected. The five-year HEAT project, running from 2023 to 2028, is estimated to cost Taka 4,016 crore 57 lakh. It aims to improve the quality of higher education in the country and is being implemented by the UGC under the Ministry of Education.