Bangladesh University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed has ordered close monitoring of research sub-projects being implemented in various universities of the country under the Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) project.
He said that every step from the beginning to the end of the implementation of the sub-project should be brought under regular monitoring to ensure that it is being completed properly as per the project and government rules and regulations. He also suggested adding necessary provisions in the project DPP in this regard if necessary.
He gave these instructions at a workshop organized with stakeholders on the revision of the DPP of the HEAT project at the UGC building on Wednesday (April 15).
The program was chaired by UGC member Professor Dr. Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan and was attended by commission members Professor Dr. Mohammad Anwar Hossain, Professor Dr. Md. Saidur Rahman, Professor Dr. Machuma Habib, Professor Dr. Mohammad Ayub Islam, Secretary of the Commission Dr. Md. Fakhrul Islam, Additional Secretary (Planning) of the Ministry of Education Dr. Sardar Md. Keramat Ali, Director of the HEATProject Professor Dr. Asaduzzaman, along with officials from the Ministry of Education, UGC, HEAT Project, BDREN and the World Bank were present.
The UGC Chairman said that in order to create a positive perception among all stakeholders regarding the research sub-project of the HEAT project, transparency and accountability must be ensured at every stage from the evaluation of the sub-project to its implementation. He said that proper supervision of the projects under implementation is essential before and after the release of funds, so that the allocated funds are spent for the intended purpose. At the same time, he emphasized on strengthening surveillance in the procurement of various goods under the project. The UGC Chairman also urged to complete the project work within the stipulated time frame.
Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed said that under the HEAT project, one lakh students of the country's public universities will be trained in soft skills, ethics and values by 2028. He directed to allocate necessary funds in the revised DPP for this. In the first phase, first-year students of the university will be brought under this training and second and third-year students will also be included in it in phases.
He expressed hope that if the soft skills, ethics and values-based training of students is effectively implemented, there will be a radical change in the country's higher education sector. Stressing the importance of improving student-teacher relations, he said that the deterioration of this relationship has become more visible in recent times. To overcome this situation, more active involvement of teachers and students in academic and co-curricular activities must be ensured.
The UGC Chairman also said that if an internal faculty exchange program is launched among the universities of the country, students of new universities will be particularly benefited. He suggested including this system in the revised DPP. At the same time, he also called for developing a resource sharing system between different departments of the same university and from one university to another to ensure maximum use of the research equipment purchased under the project.
Suggesting that the DPP revision should include issues consistent with the government's priority action plan in higher education, Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed said that this project will transform the country's higher education sector, ensure quality higher education, produce international standard graduates, and create an opportunity to develop an effective network between local and foreign teachers.
He further said that the revised DPP will include important issues such as launching international desks in all universities of the country, expanding student-teacher exchange programs with local and foreign universities, developing virtual teaching platforms, and establishing career centers and alumni offices in all universities.
