Dhaka: The 'Dhaka Declaration' has been adopted with eight strategic commitments, aimed at building a stable, inclusive, innovative and globally acceptable higher education system in South Asia. University Grants Commission (UGC) Secretary Dr Md Fakhrul Islam disclosed the information.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the declaration was unanimously adopted on the concluding day of a four-day international conference titled "Current State and Future Directions of South Asian Regional Higher Education", held at a city hotel. UGC Member Professor Dr Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan read out the declaration before the conference participants, highlighting the essential components for a meaningful transformation of higher education, such as sustained political commitment, strong institutional leadership, and regional cooperation.
The declaration emphasized the importance of institutional autonomy, transparency, and accountable governance, while also focusing on equitable access to higher education for women and marginalized communities. It aims to enhance research capacity, strengthen industry-academia collaboration, align curricula with labor market demands, and improve graduate employability. Furthermore, it promotes digital transformation, ethical use of artificial intelligence, and mainstreaming climate change and sustainable development into teaching and research.
In addition, the declaration advocates for expanding regional networking through student and faculty exchanges and engaging with civil society, industry, and the media to build public trust. It recognizes higher education as a strategic sector for fostering peace and mutual trust in South Asia and calls for revitalizing the SAARC platform to further strengthen regional cooperation.
According to the conference decisions, regular dialogues will be organized to reinforce regional networks, with the next conference scheduled to be held in the Maldives. UGC Chairman Professor Dr SMA Faiz, along with other commission members, participated in the closing session of the conference. The four-day event was part of the Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) Project, supported by the Bangladesh government and the World Bank.
Participants expressed that the 'Dhaka Declaration' would serve as a common roadmap for transforming the future of higher education in South Asia.