UGC chief calls for clean, green university campuses

University campuses across Bangladesh should be developed as clean, healthy, safe and environmentally friendly spaces, University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof Dr Mamun Ahmed has said.

He also assured universities of maximum cooperation from the UGC to ensure a conducive environment for quality education and research.

He made the remarks as the chief guest at a discussion organised at Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) on Tuesday marking its 23rd University Day.

Prof Mamun said university development should not be limited to infrastructure. Ensuring a clean, healthy, safe and research-friendly environment for students, teachers and researchers is equally important. Referring to RUET’s green and peaceful campus, he said the university should take further initiatives to make its campus cleaner and more environmentally friendly after completion of its ongoing development projects.

The UGC chairman said there was no major shortage of funds for research in Bangladesh, as different ministries, including those dealing with science and technology, education, health and family welfare, allocate funds for research. However, he noted a lack of effective coordination among ministries and institutions in research activities and funding.

He said the UGC has taken an initiative to establish an integrated research repository containing information on ongoing and completed research, priority areas and potential applications of research findings.

Such a repository would help reduce duplication and encourage need-based research, he added.

Prof Mamun urged universities, particularly science and technology institutions, to conduct research aimed at solving real-life problems and ensure that research findings are applied in industry, agriculture, healthcare and environmental protection.

“Research should not be limited to publications, citations or personal academic profiles,” he said, stressing that its ultimate goal should be improving people’s quality of life and addressing national challenges.

He also called on students to combine technical knowledge with ethical values, social responsibility and humanity.

RUET Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr SM Abdur Razzaq chaired the programme and sought UGC support to strengthen education, research and innovation at the university.