The British Council published a landmark research report that provides useful insights into the state of affairs and future prospects of Transnational Education (TNE) in Bangladesh, highlighting opportunities and challenges before students and educational institutions, according to a press release.
The report was initiated in an event held at the British Council's Fuller Road auditorium in Dhaka. The event convened policy makers, academics and representatives of higher education institutions, industry actors, academic groups and international education practitioners to explore various aspects and primary areas of Transnational Education (TNE).
Professor SMA Faiz, chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) was the chief guest at the event. British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Sarah Cooke was the special guest at the event. Salvador Carbajal Lopez, director of education for British Council South Asia, presented the major findings of the research on Transnational Education in Bangladesh.
Stephen Forbes, British Council country director in Bangladesh, stated in his welcome message, "TNE can have a significant role to play in determining the future of higher education in Bangladesh. This report assists in the identification of challenges and opportunities for TNE development in the country and increased collaboration between the UK and Bangladesh higher education sectors. TNE has the ability to fill the gap in the access to higher education and boost economic development of the nation and we are looking forward to cooperation with our stakeholders in Bangladesh for the implementation of the report recommendations".
UGC chairman professor SMA Faiz stated, "I would like to extend my sincerest appreciation to British Council for its efforts in promoting TNE partnership among universities in the UK and Bangladesh for academic excellence and building institutions' capacity. Diversifying these connections will be beneficial for both nations, furthering the improvement of higher education quality, knowledge transfer, and international competitiveness in the industry".
British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke stated, "I am pleased to join the British Council in launching the Transnational Education Research Report. Transnational Education is huge opportunity to investigate how global education partnerships are constructing the future of learning and strengthening connections between the UK and Bangladesh".
A lively panel discussion on 'Unlocking the Potential and Social Value of Transnational Education in Bangladesh' was also conducted, during which participants expressed their useful inputs. David Knox, programmes director for British Council in Bangladesh, facilitated the session.
Those present on the panel were University Grants Commission (UGC) member Mohammad Anwar Hossen, vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University professor Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan, secretary general of Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh Ishtiaque Abedin, and British Council South Asia director of education Salvador Carbajal Lopez.
The report, published by the British Council to Ecctis, presents some of the important recommendations as follows:
- Streamline regulatory processes and provide clear guidelines for TNE providers
- Overcome linguistic challenges through bridging language courses
- Strengthen digital infrastructure to enable remote and online learning
- Increase transparency and alignment in quality assurance procedures
- Create tailored interventions to enhance female participation in various subject disciplines
- Enabling dual degree programs can be of great benefit to middle-income students
Toufiq Hasan, Education Director at British Council declared the recipients of The Transnational Education (TNE) Grant winner for 2025, with a GBP 25,000 award each for the chosen partnership. The winning UK-Bangladesh partnerships are Liverpool John Moores University with the Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies of the University of Dhaka, Nottingham Trent University with Jahangirnagar University, and Birmingham City University with the American International University – Bangladesh.
In addition, Royal Holloway and University of London have collaborated with the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), and Keele University has collaborated with FIVDB. These grants seek to deepen institutional collaborations through transnational education initiatives.
