Dhaka Declaration Drives Digital, Inclusive, and Innovative Higher Education in South Asia
Aiming to establish a stable, inclusive, innovative, and globally recognized higher education system in South Asia, stakeholders have collectively endorsed the “Dhaka Declaration”, prioritizing digital transformation, ethical and responsible artificial intelligence (AI) use, and smart learning systems. The declaration emphasizes continuous political commitment, strong institutional leadership, effective regional cooperation, and coordinated action by all stakeholders as essential for meaningful and sustainable higher education reform.
The declaration was adopted on Thursday, January 15, on the closing day of the four-day conference titled “Current Status and Future Directions of Regional Higher Education in South Asia” in Dhaka. Professor Dr. Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan, a member of the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh, read the declaration to the participants, who approved it unanimously.
Key attendees included UGC Chairman Professor Dr. SMA Faiz, UGC members Professors Dr. Mohammad Anwar Hossain, Dr. Md. Saidur Rahman, Dr. Mashuma Habib, Dr. Ayub Islam, executive directors and vice-chancellors from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Nepal, senior World Bank education specialists, and policymakers, regulators, academics, researchers, and civil society representatives from across South Asia.
The declaration highlights higher education as a strategic sector critical for achieving human security, public welfare, sustainable national investment goals (SDGs), 21st-century skills, climate and environmental resilience, economic stability, democratic values, and regional peace and trust.
It identifies challenges including weak governance, quality assurance gaps, limited research and innovation, poor labor market alignment, digital divides, AI risks, and climate-related crises, while noting the region’s large youth population, expanding university network, and growing digital capabilities as opportunities.
The Dhaka Declaration sets out eight strategic commitments:
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Strengthening institutional autonomy, transparency, and accountability.
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Ensuring equitable and affordable higher education for women, marginalized groups, and underserved regions.
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Enhancing research capacity, innovation, and industry-academia partnerships.
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Developing labor market-oriented curricula and internships to boost graduate employability.
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Promoting digital transformation, ethical AI use, and smart learning systems.
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Mainstreaming sustainable development and climate action into teaching and research.
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Encouraging regional cooperation, student and faculty mobility, and networking.
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Increasing public trust through engagement with civil society, industry, media, and development partners.
The declaration also recognizes the conference as a key platform for sustainable regional dialogue and cooperation in higher education, calling for revitalization of the SAARC platform to strengthen regional higher education networks. Regular conferences of this nature have been committed to, with the next edition planned in the Maldives.
The event was organized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh under the Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) Project, funded by the Bangladesh government and the World Bank, at the Le Méridien Hotel, Dhaka. Participants noted that the declaration provides a unified vision and actionable roadmap for transforming higher education in South Asia. UGC Chairman Professor Faiz expressed sincere thanks to all participants for their enthusiastic engagement.
DBTech/EME/SA/OR
