British Council Builds Higher Education Capacity; Strengthens Tech-enabled academic leadership

The British Council has reached a new milestone in strengthening technology-enabled teaching, academic leadership, and professional development in Bangladesh's higher education sector by successfully completing a 10-day Training of Trainers (ToT) programme under its Senior Faculty Professional Development Programme. The initiative has produced the country's first batch of 15 master trainers, who will go on to train university faculty members at the national level.

The programme was implemented under the Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) Project of the University Grants Commission (UGC), operating under the Ministry of Education with funding from the World Bank. The project aims to modernize Bangladesh's higher education system by making it technology-driven, skills-based, and aligned with international standards.

As the technical partner of the HEAT Project, the British Council has been leading curriculum development, preparation of training materials, programme implementation, and the capacity building of master and national trainers.

The residential training programme, held in Cox's Bazar from June 21 to July 1, brought together 15 senior academics from public and private universities. Participants included current and former vice-chancellors, deans, treasurers, department heads, and directors of Institutional Quality Assurance Cells (IQACs).

Developed jointly by the British Council, the UK's Advance HE, and higher education experts from Bangladesh, the programme combined international best practices with the country's higher education context. Delivered through an interactive, participant-centred approach, the training covered strategic governance, quality assurance, internationalization, modern curriculum development, student support, research leadership, assessment reform, and university-industry collaboration.

The programme also emphasized enhancing participants' leadership and training delivery skills through case studies, group discussions, practical exercises, and experience sharing.

The closing ceremony was attended by Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed, Chairman of the UGC, as the chief guest. Special guests included Stephen Forbes, Country Director of the British Council Bangladesh; Professor Dr. Asaduzzaman, Project Director of the HEAT Project; Professor Dr. Borhan Uddin Khan of the Department of Law at the University of Dhaka; and Dr. Ben Brabyn, Consultant at Advance HE, UK. Certificates were awarded to the 15 master trainers, while both national and international trainers were also recognized for their contributions.

According to the organizers, these master trainers will subsequently prepare national trainers, helping establish a sustainable training framework for technology-enabled teaching, digital pedagogy, research, innovation, and academic leadership across universities in Bangladesh.

The British Council said it would continue its support during the next phase of the HEAT Project. The initiative aims to strengthen the competencies of university teachers and enhance the global competitiveness of Bangladesh's higher education sector by combining international expertise, technology-enabled education, and strong domestic partnerships.

//DBTech/MR/MUIM/OR//