Campus Report :
Speakers at a seminar in the capital on Sunday called for establishing “branch” campuses of foreign universities for betterment of education in the country.
The seminar titled “Cross-border Higher Education is a Reality”, was organized by Education Research Council (ERC) at Dhaka Reporters Unity conference hall.
Professor of Sociology Department of Dhaka University, Amanullah Ferdous, was the keynote speaker. He said “there is business going on everywhere in the country in the name of education. It should be stopped”. Many private universities got permission in political consideration, which is unhealthy for the total education system. “If authorities set up foreign university’s branch campus in the country, it will save huge amount of foreign currency”, he added. Chairman of BSB Foundation and Cambrian School and College, Lion MK Bashar, moderated the program. Earlier, the Education Ministry introduced new rules and regulations giving permission of establishing study center and branch campus of foreign universities in May 31, 2014.
Neighboring countries like India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia have progressed a lot in their education sector by introducing foreign university’s branch campus. Bangladesh should also follow examples of those countries and oblige the new rules and regulations of the education ministry.
However, the government should have strict monitoring in this case. Commercialization of education should be stopped at any cost, speakers said. As there is scarcity of qualitative education in our country, concerned authority should consider the matter of launching branch campus of the foreign universities, they said.
