Dhaka: Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed has announced that under the Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) project, one lakh students from the country's public universities will receive training in soft skills, ethics, and values by 2028. He emphasized that the effective implementation of this training would bring about a radical change in the country's higher education sector.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the first phase of the program will target first-year university students, with second and third-year students to be included in subsequent phases. Dr. Mamun Ahmed shared these plans at a workshop organized for stakeholders on the revision of the HEAT project's Detailed Project Plan (DPP) held at the UGC building.
The workshop was presided over by UGC Member Professor Dr. Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan, with other commission members such as Professor Dr. Mohammad Anwar Hossain, Professor Dr. Md. Saidur Rahman, Professor Dr. Masuma Habib, Professor Dr. Mohammad Ayub Islam, and Secretary Dr. Md. Fakhrul Islam in attendance. Additional Secretary (Planning) of the Ministry of Education, Dr. Sardar Md. Keramat Ali, HEAT Project Director Professor Dr. Asaduzzaman, and officials from the World Bank also participated in the meeting.
The UGC Chairman stressed the need for close monitoring of the research sub-projects under the HEAT project to ensure transparency and accountability. Dr. Mamun Ahmed highlighted the importance of improving teacher-student relationships, noting a visible decline in recent times. He urged for more active involvement in academic and co-curricular activities to address this issue.
He also proposed the launch of an internal 'Faculty Exchange Program' among the country's universities to benefit new institutions significantly. Additionally, he advocated for a 'resource sharing' system among various universities and departments to maximize the use of research equipment purchased under the project.
The UGC Chairman also mentioned that the revised DPP would encompass critical initiatives such as launching international desks in all universities, developing virtual teaching platforms, and establishing career centers and alumni offices across all universities.