Private universities oppose Australian ‘study centre’

Bangladesh’s private universities are opposing a decision by the education ministry to give conditional approval for an Australian university to set up a ‘Study Centre’ in the country, which has also caused concern at the country’s higher education authority, the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Education ministry officials said conditional approval had been granted for a study centre of Monash College, Australia, in the capital, Dhaka. Monash College is affiliated with Monash University, a prominent university in Australia. It will be operated by Educo Bangladesh Limited.

Previously, in 2016, the ministry had declined approval for a Monash branch campus.

A study centre is not a full branch campus – Bangladesh has so far not approved any foreign branch campuses – but it is allowed to carry out teaching. In 2014, the UGC worked with the education ministry to formulate a rule to permit foreign university branches or study centres.

It allows a study centre to conduct classes and provide other assistance to students to prepare for graduate and undergraduate level degrees, certificates and diploma courses of the foreign university it is affiliated with.

Education Secretary Mahbub Hossain confirmed the approval for Monash and said the decision was taken after “proper scrutiny”. He told University World News the government is also considering approving other study centres if they “fulfil the requirements”.

UGC concerns

However, the University Grants Commission is unhappy with the ministry’s decision. UGC Additional Director Maksudur Rahman Bhuiyan told University World News that the commission has formed a committee to look into whether the permission for Monash is in line with private university regulations.

Maksudur, who is in charge of cross-border higher education at the UGC, said the commission would send a recommendation letter to the ministry after the UGC committee report. Experts said the UGC is unlikely to be able to overturn the ministry decision; however it can influence future decisions.

Several UGC officials told University World News that they are in favour of permitting branches of reputable foreign universities. However, they fear some low-quality foreign universities might get permission in the process and they want proper evaluations of applications before foreign universities can be allowed to offer courses within the country.

“We are concerned about the quality. While branches of reputable foreign universities will help Bangladesh’s university education, low-quality universities won’t,” said a senior UGC official who did not want to be identified.

Bangladesh’s private university body, the Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh (APUB), said the ministry decision will have a negative impact on Bangladesh’s higher education sector. APUB Chairman Sheikh Kabir Hossain said the decision was in conflict with the Private University Act 2010 and called on the ministry to revoke the decision.

“As per the Private University Act, private universities can operate in the country as a not-for-profit organisation, but the study centre was approved as a for-profit organisation under the Company Act 1994,” he said. “This will create uneven competition for the private universities,” he added.

The Monash Study Centre in Dhaka did not respond to requests for comment.

At present, there are 107 private universities in the country with the sector expanding rapidly – 87 more have applied for permission even as educationists question the quality of some private universities. Bangladesh also has 49 publicly funded universities.

Long held opposition

Bangladesh’s private universities have long opposed permitting foreign university branches and study centres. In 2013 the education ministry could not go along with its then decision to allow foreign university branches following objections from private universities. At that time, after the education ministry finalised its policy on allowing foreign universities, APUB went to court to prevent it from being implemented.

Bangladesh’s private university owners are often influential business people in the country with strong ties with the leading political parties, making it difficult for the ministry to ignore them.

Ministry officials said a total of 14 study centres linked to foreign universities have applied to operate in Bangladesh, including the United Kingdom’s University of Derby operated by BAC International, and the London School of Commerce operated by the Asian Centre for Management and Information Technology.

In April this year, the UGC issued a notice that a ‘fake study centre’ using the name London School of Commerce had been illegally operating in Bangladesh and recruiting students. The UGC said the study centre did not have permission from the government or the UGC. The UGC has ordered the closure of around 56 study centres operating without permission in recent years.

During a trade dialogue meeting in February, the UK’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Robert Chatterton Dickson, said at least nine British universities were keen to open campuses in Bangladesh.