Dhaka: Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon today said an integrated effort is needed from universities and all relevant stakeholders to make the country’s higher education world-standard and to protect innovative intellectual property. ‘Universities should not be just a means of awarding degrees but should be developed as centres of excellence. At the same time, special emphasis should be given to research,” he said. He made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a meeting at the Bangladesh University Grants Commission (UGC) Auditorium in city’s Agargaon area this morning, marking the ‘World Intellectual Property Day-2026’.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the theme of the day this year is ‘IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate’. At the event, Milon said, “We are lagging behind in the international intellectual property index. We must be vigilant that our innovations and creativity are not registered in other countries. We must encourage innovators by removing administrative complexity of intellectual property registration.” He proposed organising competitions on intellectual property among universities and awarding the best innovators at the state level.
The education minister voiced concerns over the ‘brain drain’ phenomenon, where a large number of talented individuals are leaving the country. He suggested implementing a ‘reverse brain’ policy to address this issue. However, he acknowledged that many are returning from abroad, though he stressed the need to enrich these statistics further.
Highlighting curriculum limitations, Milon noted that public universities are lagging in industry-academia linkages. He emphasized the need for market-oriented course curriculums, as current subjects often lack relevance in real workplace scenarios. He also called for increased research funding, aiming to meet the government’s target of five percent of GDP allocation for education.
Milon pointed out the lack of coordination in higher education, particularly in the admission process after SSC and HSC examinations, leading to wasted time. He urged the UGC to establish a ‘uniform’ admission calendar to prevent this loss of valuable time in students’ lives.
Regarding private universities, Milon stressed that they should not be viewed merely as commercial entities and emphasized the importance of ensuring education quality. He urged the UGC to monitor private universities closely so they can contribute effectively to higher education.
Expressing concern over the excessive use of social media and moral degradation among the youth, the education minister underscored the importance of maintaining respect and morality for teachers. He noted that necessary curriculum changes are underway to transform the youth into skilled human resources.
The meeting was presided over by UGC Chairman Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed, with UGC Secretary Dr Md Fakhrul Islam delivering the welcome speech. BUET’s chemical engineering professor Dr Mohidus Samad Khan gave a keynote address, and BRAC University Vice Chancellor Professor Syed Ferhat Anwar participated as the main discussant. UGC member Prof Dr Masuma, along with vice-chancellors, teachers, and officials from various universities, were also present.