Global Competitiveness Begins at Home: Why Bangladesh Must Establish a Higher Education Commission for Private Universities
Global competitiveness starts with strong foundations at home. This illustration symbolizes Bangladesh’s urgent need for a Higher Education Commission dedicated to private universities.
“Bangladesh’s private universities can be global players—if the rules allow them to play the global game.”
The Global Stakes of Higher Education
In the 21st century, universities are no longer gauged by the size of their student body or the expanse of their campus. They are gauged by how they propel knowledge, attract global talent, and rank globally. For Bangladesh, where over 100 private universities are the fulcrum of higher education, the question is now imminent: how to propel them to the global stage.
Despite graduating tens of thousands of students every year, private universities are virtually nonexistent in prestigious worldwide rankings such as QS World University Rankings or Times Higher Education (THE). The reasons are structural and systemic, embedded in governance, regulatory obstacles, and the lack of focused policy assistance. But the possibilities are enormous. With strategic governance reforms, Bangladesh’s private universities can become not only national leaders but also global players.
As one of the Vice-Chancellors of a leading private university phrased it: “The potential is here. Our students compete globally, our faculty publish in leading journals, and our alumni are proving themselves worldwide. What we lack is a governance system that allows us to accelerate, innovate, and internationalize.”
This article addresses three pillars of change that would propel Bangladesh’s private universities into the global orbit: international accreditation and program modernization, international faculty and visiting scholar networks, and global research consortia access.
Rapid Program Modernization and International Accreditation
The Need for Ongoing Curriculum Innovation
Curriculum modernization is the cornerstone of academic excellence. But in Bangladesh, the regulatory process of curriculum updating is very slow. Universities must wait for years for the approval of new programs or course changes, while global industries evolve with lightning speed.
One Vice Chancellor of a university referred to this gap: “We proposed a program in climate change and sustainability in line with international demand, but the approval took years. By the time clearance came, the international debate had already moved on. Our students do not have to be the victims of bureaucratic sluggishness.”
These bottlenecks choke innovation. World-class universities update curricula nearly annually to align with market demand, technological advancements, and international norms.
Accreditation as a Path to Global Rankings
International accreditation—by such agencies as AACSB (for business schools), ABET (for engineering), and APHEA (for public health)—is central to obtaining credibility for global rankings. Yet Bangladeshi private universities face high hurdles in attaining and maintaining these standards due to resource constraints and inflexible governance.
Daffodil International University (DIU) has taken bold steps. As Professor M. Lutfar Rahman, immediate past Vice-Chancellor of DIU, explained: “We invested a lot in securing international accreditations since we believe that recognition by the world bodies is a visa to the global arena. Our computing and engineering programs are already ABET-aligned. The dividend is evident—our graduates are being hired abroad, and our international student body is growing.”
Similarly, East West University (EWU) is pursuing AACSB accreditation for its business school. “It is not easy or inexpensive, but it is non-negotiable if we are to compete globally,” said the Dean of Business. “Students now ask: ‘Is my degree globally recognized?’ Accreditation is the answer.”
Policy Support for Program Innovation
What Bangladesh needs is a governance model that frees private universities to innovate without being tied down by red tape that serves no function. A separate Higher Education Commission for private universities can have a catalytic impact by streamlining program approvals, offering incentives for attempts at accreditation, and holding them accountable through standards relevant to their needs, not one-size-fits-all regulation.
Encouraging Visiting Scholar Programs and Recruitment of Foreign Faculty
Academic Mobility Matters
Foreign professors and guest scholars do more than add prestige; they add new pedagogies, collaborative research networks, and cross-cultural understandings that are necessary in the globalized education market of the modern era.
North South University has set the example, receiving visiting professors from North America and Europe regularly. “Our experience is that even short-term stints by international faculty bring life-changing exposure to students,” said one of NSU’s senior professors. “But replication needs to be supported by flexible policies regarding hiring, visas, and compensation.”
Regulatory Challenges in Recruiting Foreign Faculty
Bangladeshi private universities currently face several challenges in hiring foreign faculty. Approval takes time, work permits are cumbersome, and salary caps often make it impossible to hire the best and brightest.
Being one of the leading officials of American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB), in his own words, “We can bring in world-class professors if the government will let us operate with autonomy. We have instructors at AIUB from 15 countries, but each one is a bureaucratic battle. Think how much more we could accomplish if the system rewarded rather than discouraged international hiring.”
Models for Visiting Scholar Programs
Other South Asian countries have models to offer. India’s GIAN (Global Initiative of Academic Networks) program invites hundreds of international faculty members to conduct short-term courses through government support. Malaysia incentivizes universities to attract Nobel laureates and industry leaders through visiting professorships.
Private universities in Bangladesh can also establish these platforms. As another NSU professor pointed out, “Students remember the semester they studied with a visiting professor from Harvard or Melbourne. It opens their minds. This is how you create global graduates.”
Global Research Consortium Access
Research as the Engine of Rankings
Global rankings prioritize research output, citations, and international collaboration. Yet research at Bangladesh’s private universities remains constrained by low funding and restrictive governance.
East West University’s Research Foundation has shown what is possible. “We offered modest grants for faculty-led research, and within two years, publications in Scopus-indexed journals doubled,” quoted by a senior professor at EWU. “But to scale up requires access to global research consortiums and collaborative funding.”
The Case for Research Consortia
Global universities increasingly form consortium-institutional alliances that leverage resources to address global challenges such as climate change, artificial intelligence, and public health. Membership in such networks attracts visibility, grant access, and co-authorship in high-impact journals.
One of the senior administrators of the University of Asia Pacific (UAP) highlighted the following: “Our academics are eager to collaborate, but the current governance structure does not admit international consortium memberships. With the right support, UAP would be a research center of excellence on urban resilience and disaster management.”
DIU’s Global Footprint
DIU offers a success story. Through partnerships with Malaysian, Japanese, and Dutch universities, DIU has become an ICT research leader in the region. “We joined the Erasmus+ consortium, and now our students and professors are publishing articles with their European counterparts,” noted one of the senior administrators. “This is the kind of global integration that every Bangladeshi private university must aim for.”
The Governance Question: Why Specialized Oversight Matters
All three pillars—curriculum modernization, international faculty, and research integration—require governance reforms. Approvals are delayed, policies are outdated, and private universities are second-class citizens under the current University Grants Commission (UGC) compared to public universities.
As Dr. Sabur Khan, Chairperson of Daffodil International University, framed it: “Private universities are educating more than half of the students in the higher education sector in Bangladesh, yet we remain under a governance framework established for public universities. This disconnect is keeping us behind. We need a separate higher education commission for private universities—one that understands our needs and aspirations.”
Comparative Lessons from South Asia
Bangladesh is not alone in its effort to align private higher education with international standards. Across South Asia, countries have experimented with different models of governance and policy regimes, many of which provide valuable lessons for Bangladesh.
India: Specialized Councils and a Focus on Global Integration
India provides the most complicated example of differentiated regulation. Rather than a single regulator for all of higher education, it has established professional councils for various professional disciplines. The All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) regulates engineering and technology programs, medical education is regulated by the National Medical Commission (NMC), and legal education is regulated by the Bar Council of India (BCI). This allows professional programs to be controlled by subject-specific regulators rather than generic regulations.
Aside from structural differentiation, India’s National Education Policy (NEP 2020) places a strong emphasis on internationalization and autonomy. It envisions Indian universities as international centers for students, with international university campuses in India, and the movement of students and faculty. NEP 2020 also demands progress towards research-led universities, with the establishment of a National Research Foundation (NRF) that will fund projects in various areas. A few Indian private universities, such as Ashoka University, OP Jindal Global University, and Amity University, have already gained significant global visibility, mainly due to their strategic international collaborations and agile governance.
For Bangladesh, India’s experience illustrates the necessity for discipline-specific councils and policies facilitating private universities to pursue international collaborations without bureaucratic hindrance.
Malaysia: Flexible Accreditation and Government-Supported Internationalization
Malaysia has been prosperous beyond expectations in positioning itself as an education hub in the region, with both private and public universities attracting thousands of international students each year. At the very heart of this success is the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), the accrediting body for institutions of higher learning. Unlike rigid model uniforms, MQA offers flexible pathways specifically for private universities, enabling them to rapidly launch new programs that are aligned with market demands while still maintaining strict quality imperatives.
In addition, Malaysia has pursued an overt internationalization strategy. The government actively promotes Malaysian universities abroad and has encouraged the establishment of foreign university branch campuses, such as Monash University Malaysia and the University of Nottingham Malaysia. Such foreign university branch campuses not only lend prestige to Malaysia but also create collaborative environments in which local private universities can benchmark themselves against international standards.
Malaysia’s policy approach demonstrates that collaboration between the government and private universities, rather than over-regulation, is the key to international competitiveness. Bangladesh may, as in Malaysia, introduce flexible accreditation processes and promote itself as a South Asian education hub, and its private universities may attract sizable numbers of international students.
Pakistan: Incentivizing Research Output
Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC), though not without issues, has been able to implement structured funding models to reward research. Faculty members are rewarded and recognized for publishing in Scopus and Web of Science-indexed journals, and universities are ranked locally based on their research performance. This has led to a consistent increase in research production from Pakistani universities during the last decade.
Pakistan has also made faculty development programs a priority, sending hundreds of scholars for doctoral training overseas on HEC sponsorship. These scholars return with international networks and collaboration potential that benefit their home institutions.
For Bangladesh, Pakistan’s experience underscores the need to tie research funding to quantifiable outputs and offer incentives for international publications. Such a model can significantly enhance transparency in Bangladesh’s visibility in international citation indices and rankings.
Sri Lanka: Quality Assurance Through University Grants Commission
Sri Lanka, being smaller in size, has developed quality assurance mechanisms within its University Grants Commission to evaluate both public and private universities. The Sri Lanka Quality Assurance Council (SLQAC) conducts periodic institutional reviews and subject reviews. Although Sri Lanka also experiences centralization, similar to Bangladesh, it has taken steps towards introducing outcome-based education standards and international benchmarking in accreditation. Private universities such as NSBM Green University have been capable of leveraging these frameworks and becoming competitive players in South Asia.
Bangladesh can learn from Sri Lanka’s attempt to institutionalize quality assurance councils under a national framework—but with greater autonomy for private institutions to innovate.
Nepal: Opening to International Collaboration
Nepal has also achieved incremental progress in internationalization. Its private universities and colleges have developed cooperation with universities in the United Kingdom, Australia, and India for twinning dual degree programs. Tribhuvan University and Kathmandu University have also developed research cooperation with foreign institutions in the fields of climate change and Himalayan studies. Although the scale may be smaller in Nepal, its private universities demonstrate the virtues of leveraging international cooperation to gain visibility without waiting for systemic change.
Lessons for Bangladesh
The South Asian region offers a variety of models, but three common lessons are apparent. First, specialist governance, whether through agencies or councils, liberates universities to innovate in their specific fields without becoming entangled in a one-size-fits-all regulatory framework. Second, internationalization efforts, including branch campuses, visiting faculty, and global program partnerships, are central to building global reputations. Third, research incentives—from funding formalities to international collaborations—directly affect rankings and reputations.
Bangladesh can benefit from these lessons by establishing an independent Higher Education Commission for private universities, which would facilitate rapid innovation, accreditation, and global partnerships, rather than exerting control. Taking a leaf from its neighbors, Bangladesh can not only catch up but leapfrog in making private universities world-class.
Toward a Global Vision: Recommendations
To transform Bangladesh’s private universities into global players in the real sense, reforms must not stop at the rhetorical level but must address the structural constraints to growth. Three strategic interventions—policy autonomy, international faculty mobility, and research integration—stand out as key. Each requires thoughtful action, visionary boldness, and an empowerment-based governance framework instead of one of constraint.
Policy Autonomy for Innovation
Provide fast-track approval for new programs.
When fields evolve at such a rapid speed, universities cannot afford to wait years for permission to introduce new programs. International peers tend to revise curricula annually, introducing cutting-edge courses in artificial intelligence, data science, biotechnology, or renewable energy, the moment the need is felt. Bangladesh’s private universities, however, tend to be at the tail end of bureaucratic queues, with program approvals arriving too late to be meaningful. An open evaluation and digital submission-based fast-track approval process would allow institutions to be responsive to the labor market’s needs, getting graduates ready for tomorrow’s jobs, not yesterday’s policy.
Incentivize international accreditation efforts.
International accreditation by the likes of AACSB (business), ABET (engineering), and APHEA (public health) is not a question of prestige—it is a passport to global recognition. Accredited university programs attract international students, make graduates more employable, and gain recognition in rankings. Accreditation is costly, takes time, and requires systemic preparedness. Singaporean and Malaysian governments co-invest together with accreditation processes, which are regarded as national assets. Bangladesh can follow by providing subsidies, tax refunds, or grants to private universities that pursue accreditation, thereby aligning institutional ambitions with national competitiveness.
Establish an exclusive commission for private universities.
Most critical reform is to establish a Higher Education Commission for Private Universities—a separate entity with authority to regulate private institutions independent of the public ones. In contrast to the current University Grants Commission (UGC), established for public universities, this new commission would be tasked with promoting innovation, internationalization, and accountability in the private sector. It may establish performance benchmarks, incentivize excellence, and be a collaborative partner in the establishment of world-class universities. Without it, private universities will remain trapped with a governance structure that consigns them to second-class status.
International Faculty Mobility
Simplify visa and work permit processes.
Global talent is the lifeline of modern universities. Hiring international faculty not only improves the quality of teaching but also strengthens global research collaborations and visibility. However, in Bangladesh, hiring international faculty remains mired in cumbersome visa requirements, unpredictable work permits, and rigid salary caps. Simplifying these—perhaps through a fast-tracked academic visa process—would significantly ease the hiring of world-class professors, researchers, and postdoctoral fellows. Other countries, such as India and Malaysia, have already demonstrated the transformational impact of opening the way for foreign academic appointments. Bangladesh must follow suit if it wishes to internationalize its classrooms.
Provide policy incentives for visiting scholar programs.
Even where permanent appointments are difficult, visiting scholar programs can prove to be a successful avenue for internationalization. Universities that invite professors from leading universities for a semester or summer course automatically enhance their global standing. These exchanges also create opportunities for co-authored research and student exposure to current knowledge. Countries like India, through its Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN), and Malaysia, through government-supported visiting professorships, have shown how systematic programs can yield high returns. Bangladesh can initiate the same programs, offering policy incentives and funds to private universities for recruiting visiting scholars regularly.
Create government-university partnership funds for international hiring.
Money is a significant limiting factor in recruiting foreign faculty. To overcome this, a government-university partnership mechanism can be created. Under such a framework, the government co-funds international faculty appointments as investments in national capacity building. These can be invested in priority domains—like artificial intelligence, renewable energy, or public health—where global expertise is urgently needed. By cost-sharing, the universities can afford talent that would otherwise be unaffordable, thereby improving their competitiveness and international integration.
Research Integration and Consortium Membership
Offer competitive research grants to private universities.
Research powers global reputation, yet Bangladesh’s private universities are habitually under-resourced in this area. In contrast to public universities, they are excluded from nearly all government research grants, such that faculty members must depend on limited institutional support. A competitive, merit-based grant system in which public and private universities could compete on equal terms would be an equalizer. This would encourage faculty to conduct high-impact research, publish in foreign journals, and integrate with national development priorities. Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission has successfully employed such a model of funding, resulting in a measurable increase in international publications. Bangladesh could see the same with due investment.
Facilitate membership in international research consortia.
The best research today is rarely developed in isolation. Large, cross-border consortia of universities from different continents tackle climate change, artificial intelligence, pandemics, and sustainable development. Membership in such networks unlocks access to grants, co-authorship, and publication in high-impact journals. Bangladeshi private universities often cannot be part of such platforms due to a lack of facilitation or recognition by the government. Design a framework to enable private universities to join international consortia—such as the EU’s Horizon Europe or ASEAN’s university networks—that would embed them in global research ecosystems and enhance their rankings.
Establish national centers of excellence in private universities in priority themes.
Finally, Bangladesh must recognize that private universities can be national champions in niche research areas. Establishing government-sponsored centers of excellence in private universities on themes such as climate change adaptation, ICT innovation, public health, and the blue economy would not only boost research profiles but also align academia with national development agendas. India and Malaysia have made strategic investments in such centers, leveraging them as magnets to attract international scholars and collaborative grants. For Bangladesh, this could be the bridge between local relevance and global competitiveness.
The path to global competitiveness for Bangladesh’s private universities is clear: policy autonomy, internationalization of faculty, and integration of research. These reforms are not luxuries—they are necessities in a world where education is now a global market and a national security imperative. If Bangladesh acts decisively, its private universities can, within a decade, be credible players in international rankings, contributing not only to national development but to the global knowledge economy as well.
Conclusion: Playing the Global Game
Bangladesh’s private universities have already demonstrated resilience, innovation, and dedication to excellence despite regulatory hurdles. Their graduates are performing across the globe, their faculty are publishing in international journals, and their leadership is advocating for reform.
But the leap from national relevance to international prestige requires systemic change. With specialist governance, international integration, and a research-driven vision, private universities can play the global game—and win.
As one of NSU’s senior professors correctly summarized: “Our universities do not lack talent or ambition. What we lack is the freedom to grow. Give us the right governance model, and within a decade, Bangladesh will have private universities ranked among the top 500 globally.”
The message is straightforward: competitive excellence is within reach, but the rules must be altered to allow Bangladesh’s private universities to become world players.
Source:
https://southasiajournal.net/global-competitiveness-begins-at-home-why-bangladesh-must-establish-a-higher-education-commission-for-private-universities/
