Dhaka: University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof Dr Mamun Ahmed today called for promoting tolerance, free thinking, morality, and justice in higher education to help reduce social unrest, inequality, and corruption. Speaking at the closing ceremony of the two-day international conference, “Philosophy for Peace”, organized by the Bangladesh Philosophical Society at the University of Dhaka, he emphasized the importance of integrating ethical values, accountability, and critical thinking into higher education curricula, as many graduates eventually take on key leadership roles in various sectors such as governance, judiciary, research, and the economy.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Prof Ahmed underscored the need for forgiveness, dialogue, and justice-based reconciliation instead of revenge, advocating that a humane and peaceful society begins with families and educational institutions. He further articulated that national development should be guided by ethics, humanity, and social justice, in addition to economic growth.
Prof Ahmed highlighted UGC’s initiatives, mentioning that training programs and workshops focusing on soft skills, ethics, and values are being introduced as extracurricular activities in universities. He noted that training modules are currently under development, aimed at fostering these essential skills among students.
The conference was a gathering of academics and philosophers from both Bangladesh and abroad, where they presented research on peace, ethics, and the role of philosophy in addressing contemporary global challenges.