ছবি: ইউজিসি জনসংযোগ দপ্তর

DHAKA, April 15, 2026 (BSS)- Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed has said under the Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) project, one lakh students from the country’s public universities will receive training in soft skills, ethics, and values by 2028.

He said that the effective implementation of this training would bring about a radical change in the country's higher education sector.

In the first phase, first-year university students will be brought under this program, with second and third-year students will be included in phases.

The UGC Chairman said this while speaking at a workshop organized for stakeholders regarding the revision of the HEAT project's DPP at the UGC building today.

The program was presided over by UGC Member Professor Dr. Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan. Other commission members present included Professor Dr. Mohammad Anwar Hossain, Professor Dr. Md. Saidur Rahman, Professor Dr. Masuma Habib, Professor Dr. Mohammad Ayub Islam, and Secretary Dr. Md. Fakhrul Islam.

Additional Secretary (Planning) of the Ministry of Education, Dr. Sardar Md. Keramat Ali, HEAT Project Director Professor Dr. Asaduzzaman, and officials from the World Bank participated in the meeting.

The UGC Chairman asked for close monitoring of the research sub-projects being implemented under the HEAT project, emphasizing that transparency and accountability.

Highlighting the importance of improving teacher-student relationships, Dr. Mamun Ahmed noted that a decline in this relationship has become visible in recent times.

To overcome this situation he urged for more active involvement of both teachers and students in academic and co-curricular activities.

He further mentioned that if an internal ‘Faculty Exchange Program’ could be launched among the country’s universities, new universities would be benefit significantly.

Furthermore, he called for the establishment of a ‘resource sharing’ system among different universities and departments to ensure maximum utilization of research equipment purchased under the project.

The UGC Chairman also noted that the revised DPP would include critical initiatives such as launching international desks in all universities, developing virtual teaching platforms, and establishing career centers and alumni offices across all universities.