Photo : Collected

DHAKA, June 28, 2026 (BSS) – Around 100 Bangladeshi students will have the opportunity to pursue master's and PhD degrees at China's Tianjin University over the next few years under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh and the Tianjin University.

The MoU was signed today in Tianjin during the visit of a UGC delegation led by its Chairman Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed.

UGC Director Dr. Sultan Mahmud Bhuiyan was present on behalf of Bangladesh, while Tianjin University Vice President Professor Ming Dong signed the agreement for the Chinese side. Dean of the School of International Education Professor Li Qiang also attended the signing ceremony.

Under the agreement, the two institutions will collaborate in postgraduate education, scholarship programmes, joint research, faculty and student exchanges, academic mobility, Chinese language education, institutional development and the establishment of joint research laboratories.

Speaking at the meeting, Professor Mamun Ahmed highlighted Bangladesh's recent progress in higher education and underscored the importance of building strategic partnerships with leading global universities to enhance research capacity and develop internationally competitive human resources.

He proposed launching jointly funded master's and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programmes under a shared financing mechanism between the UGC and Tianjin University. 

He said expanding postgraduate opportunities for Bangladeshi university teachers and researchers in engineering, science, technology, humanities and other priority disciplines would strengthen faculty development, research excellence and international academic collaboration.

The UGC chairman also proposed establishing Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms at Bangladeshi universities to promote Chinese language education and cultural exchange.

He said the UGC plans to introduce Chinese language education at around 25 universities across Bangladesh and sought Tianjin University's support in providing qualified Chinese language teachers, curriculum development assistance and other academic cooperation.

Professor Mamun Ahmed said expanding Chinese language education would create new opportunities for Bangladeshi students in higher education, research, employment and international engagement.

He also proposed establishing joint research laboratories in Bangladesh, saying such facilities would foster collaborative research, innovation, technology transfer and capacity building in areas of mutual interest while strengthening the country's science and technology-based research ecosystem.

Professor Ming Dong reaffirmed Tianjin University's strong commitment to expanding academic and research collaboration with Bangladesh.

During the meeting, both sides discussed enhancing cooperation in postgraduate education, faculty and student exchanges, joint research, academic mobility and institutional development.

Professor Li Qiang highlighted Tianjin University's academic excellence, international achievements and global partnerships. He said about 70 Bangladeshi students are currently studying at the university and expressed its willingness to welcome many more in the coming years.

Officials concerned said the strategic partnership is expected to make a significant contribution to Bangladesh's human resource development, research excellence and innovation capacity.

The MoU comes shortly after the Bangladesh Prime Minister's recent visit to China and reflects the growing momentum in bilateral cooperation between the two countries. 

Both sides expressed optimism that stronger collaboration in education, research, innovation and people-to-people exchanges would further deepen the longstanding friendship between Bangladesh and China.

At the conclusion of the visit, the UGC and Tianjin University reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the MoU through concrete initiatives, expressing confidence that the partnership would make a meaningful contribution to the advancement of higher education and scientific research in both countries.