UGC Urges Increased Budget Allocation for Research and Science-Driven Education
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has called on the interim government to increase the education sector budget in the upcoming fiscal year to ensure necessary infrastructure and a conducive environment for conducting high-quality applied research, aiming to nurture a science-driven and research-oriented new generation.
Professor Dr. Masuma Habib, UGC Member, made this appeal during a day-long workshop held on Monday, January 13, at the UGC auditorium. The workshop focused on evaluating research proposals under the Engineering and Technology branch for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
Delivering the keynote address as the chief guest, Dr. Habib emphasized, “To build world-class universities, we must increase budget allocations for education and research. Currently, we have only one Nobel laureate. With greater investment in this sector, our researchers can achieve further breakthroughs, potentially winning more Nobel Prizes. This would also improve the global rankings of our universities.”
She further noted the positive influence of the interim government’s Chief Advisor and Education Advisor, both of whom have backgrounds as university educators. “They can play a vital role in increasing budget allocations for education,” she remarked.
Highlighting the need to foster a research-oriented generation, Dr. Habib stressed, “New knowledge must be created through research.” She urged the government to reinstate travel grants for university faculty members to participate in international conferences, noting that such participation enhances skills, fosters networking with global researchers, and facilitates the exchange of new ideas.
Dr. Habib also appealed to project evaluators to prioritize research projects beneficial to the nation and society. She advised researchers to implement projects within the stipulated time and ensure the proper utilization of public funds.
The workshop was chaired by Dr. Ferdous Zaman, Director of UGC’s Research and Grants Management Division. Additional Director Mohammad Kabirul Hasan also addressed the event, while Senior Assistant Director Bishwanath Biswas moderated it.
Senior faculty members and researchers from various public universities evaluated project proposals during the session. They presented several recommendations, including improving the quality of research in Bangladesh, establishing suitable research environments, providing common laboratory facilities, funding for publications, reinstating full travel grants for international conference participation, increasing research funding, and ensuring timely disbursement of project finances.
