Muktibani Online Report
Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury yesterday called for stronger links between higher education, employment and entrepreneurship.
New universities, departments and academic programmes should be introduced in line with the country’s economic priorities and labour-market needs, he said while speaking at a two-day vice-chancellors’ dialogue at BRAC CDM in Savar.
The minister also advised the University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman not to recommend new universities without proper planning.
Amir Khosru said the government was working to gradually raise education spending to five percent of GDP, but stressed that higher allocations must be used effectively and transparently to improve teaching quality, research and students’ skills.
He called for stronger university-industry collaboration, saying research should address practical business problems. Universities should promote their research and innovation capabilities, while businesses should help finance research and commercially utilise its findings, he added.
