DHAKA, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS) - The Korea International Cooperation Agency 
(KOICA) has officially launched Project Management Consultancy services to 
strengthen graduate nursing education and research capacity at Bangladesh's 
National Institute of Advanced Nursing Education and Research.

The Project Management Consultancy (PMC) for the Project on Education and 
Research Capacity Building of the National Institute of Advanced Nursing 
Education and Research (NIANER) will be implemented from 2025 to 2029 with 
the aim of improving the quality of advanced nursing education and 
strengthening research capabilities in Bangladesh, said a press release. 

The project builds on the achievements of the earlier "Establishment of a 
Graduate School of Nursing in Bangladesh" initiative implemented between 2012 
and 2019, which laid the foundation for the country's first structured 
graduate-level nursing education system.

The current phase addresses sustainability challenges of the graduate nursing 
programme by introducing a doctoral programme in nursing, alongside measures 
to enhance educational quality, research standards and the overall research 
environment.

The project is jointly implemented by Yonsei University College of Nursing, 
the Hyundai Research Institute and the Hanaro Medical Foundation, with the 
goal of transforming NIANER into a self-sustaining centre for advanced 
nursing education and policy-relevant research.

The initiative is expected to contribute to the qualitative improvement of 
Bangladesh's health workforce, elevate the professional status of nursing and 
support the strengthening of the national healthcare system, said the 
release. 

To facilitate effective implementation, a delegation from KOICA recently 
visited Bangladesh and held an inception meeting with key stakeholder 
institutions, including the Medical Education and Family Welfare Division of 
the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Bangladesh Nursing and 
Midwifery Council, the Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery and 
NIANER.

During the meeting, the PMC team presented the project implementation 
framework and detailed action plans, clarified institutional roles and 
cooperation mechanisms, and confirmed the phased implementation schedule, 
formally marking the launch of the project.