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The University Grants Commission (UGC) has taken an initiative to establish modern language centres at 25 public and private universities across the country to strengthen Bangladeshi students’ competitiveness in the global job market, internationalise higher education and create a more attractive academic environment for foreign students.
The proposed centres will offer training in eight international languages, including Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Arabic, French and German, UGC Chairman Professor Mamun Ahmed said while addressing an exchange meeting with foreign students at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) on Thursday.
The meeting was organised to encourage greater enrolment of international students at Bangladeshi universities, review their academic experiences and identify existing challenges and possible solutions. Foreign students studying at BAU participated in the programme.
Professor Mamun said the government has adopted a plan to introduce a third language into the education curriculum to strengthen international communication skills.
He said the initiative would create a significant demand for qualified foreign-language teachers at all levels, from primary education to higher education.
“The university-based language centres will help meet this growing demand while enabling students to gain proficiency in internationally sought-after languages, thereby creating new employment opportunities both at home and abroad,” he said.
The UGC chairman noted that in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, artificial intelligence, global trade and international cooperation, multilingual proficiency is no longer merely an additional qualification but an essential skill.
Language education, he added, would help Bangladeshi youth pursue higher education and research abroad, engage in technology and diplomacy, develop entrepreneurship and gain greater access to the global job market.
Professor Mamun said the UGC is preparing a five-year strategic plan aimed at transforming the country’s higher education sector and bringing it closer to international standards.
“One of the key objectives of the plan is to establish Bangladesh as a regional education hub in South Asia and make it a preferred destination for foreign students, researchers and teachers,” he said.
As part of the initiative, an International Desk will be established through coordination among the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Education and the UGC to simplify admission, visa, accommodation, healthcare and other administrative services for foreign students.
At the same time, five public and five private universities will be developed as model education hubs with expanded infrastructure and services.
The proposed facilities will include international-standard accommodation, medical centres, student support and counselling services, career guidance and a multicultural learning environment.
The UGC chairman said the proposed language centres would go beyond language education and serve as platforms for cultural exchange, international cooperation, joint research, academic exchanges and the development of global citizenship among local and foreign students.
He added that the initiatives would create new opportunities for Bangladeshi universities to improve their international rankings, expand research collaboration and attract more foreign students.
