Photo : Collected

DHAKA, May 13, 2026 (BSS) - University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed today said Bangladesh is striving to establish itself not only as a country sending students abroad for higher education, but also as an attractive and internationally recognised destination for foreign students.

He made the remarks when a three-member delegation from the Australian High Commission in Dhaka and the Australian Consulate General in India paid a courtesy call on him at his office this afternoon.

The delegation included Trade and Investment Commissioner at the Australian Consulate General in India Vic Singh, Trade and Investment Commissioner at the Australian High Commission in Dhaka Megha Gupta, and Senior Director of Trade and Investment Mostafizur Rahman.

UGC Director of the International Cooperation Division Jesmin Parvin was present at the meeting.

During the meeting, Dr Mamun said the UGC is working with specific plans to upgrade the country’s higher education institutions to international standards. As part of the initiative, the commission is actively considering upgrading several existing top-tier universities to world-class standards or establishing new internationally standard higher education institutions.

He assured of all possible support from the UGC to strengthen partnerships and relations between the universities of the two countries.

The delegation members said there are plans to organise a high-level roundtable meeting in Dhaka next June to further strengthen strategic engagement between Australia and Bangladesh in the higher education sector. 

Senior officials from seven to eight leading Australian universities are expected to participate in the meeting, they informed.

They sought UGC support in selecting suitable representatives from Bangladesh’s higher education institutions.

The delegation also invited the UGC chairman to participate, along with representatives from Bangladesh’s higher education sector, in the Australian International Education Conference (AIEC) scheduled to be held in Australia in October this year.

They informed the chairman about various collaborative initiatives previously undertaken by the UGC and the Australian government.

Both sides expressed consensus on expanding and strengthening the existing cooperation in education and research.