Photo: UGC

DHAKA, Nov 1, 2025 (BSS) – The Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) project being implemented by University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh and the British Council have signed a partnership agreement aimed at enhancing the quality of higher education in Bangladesh.

The agreement was signed recently at the House of Lords in the United Kingdom, hosted by Baroness Rosie Winterton, the UK Trade Envoy to Bangladesh, said a press release here today.

The Country Director of British Council Bangladesh Stephen Forbes and the Director of the HEAT project Professor Dr Asaduzzaman signed the agreement on behalf their respective sides. 

According to the release, under the partnership, the British Council, in collaboration with UK partner Advance HE, will support the HEAT project in advancing faculty development, academic leadership, and institutional capacity-building — contributing to the Bangladesh government’s vision for a more dynamic, globally engaged higher education. 

The collaboration will also promote greater alignment with international standards and establish a sustainable professional development framework for university academics and leaders.

The signing ceremony was attended by Baroness Wendy Alexander, Vice Chair of the British Council and Member of the House of Lords, and Professor Dr SMA Faiz, Chairman of UGC. 

Other attendees included - UGC members Professor Dr Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan and Professor Dr Masuma Habib, Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Professor Dr Niaz Ahmed Khan, Vice-Chancellor of BUET Professor Dr Abu Borhan Mohammad Badruzzaman, North South University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Abdul Hannan Chowdhury, BRAC University Registrar Dr David Dowland, Task Team Leader of the World Bank TM Asaduzzaman, Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Abida Islam, British Council Bangladesh Education Head Toufique Hasan and Deputy Director of the HEAT project Mohammad Khorshed Alam.

UGC Chairman Professor Faiz stated, “This partnership with the British Council represents a timely and strategic step in Bangladesh’s higher education reform journey. Together with the World Bank and Advance HE, we are investing in leadership, teaching excellence, and institutional quality — building the foundations for a globally connected higher education system.”

Stephen Forbes, Country Director of British Council Bangladesh, said, "The British Council’s long-standing partnership with the UGC reflects our shared ambition to enhance quality, governance, and leadership within higher education”. 

This agreement reaffirms that commitment and opens the door to deeper collaboration in the years ahead, Forbes added. 

Baroness Rosie Winterton, the event organizer, remarked, “This partnership reflects the UK’s enduring collaboration with Bangladesh in education and skills, and our shared belief that education is the most powerful bridge between nations.”