1. S.M. SAIFUDDIN **
Executive Secretary, Association of Universities of Bangladesh
Introductory Speech
Parallel Working Group B
Cross-Border Education Expansion:
What opportunities? What challenges? For whom?
What Services are needed for Member Institutions?
Global Meeting of University Associations
Alexandria, Egypt
14-15 November 2005
Mr. President
Distinguished Participants
Ladies & Gentlemen
May I first of all express my deep appreciation to the International Association of
Universities for inviting me to present a short introductory statement on what services
are needed for Member Institutions.
I would like to congratulate the Secretary General of the International Association of
Universities and her very hard working staff. This conference certainly manifests IAU’s
continued commitment to higher education and its crucial role in development. Their
foresight to convene the conference at a time when most Associations of Universities
are in the process of reforms to face the challenge of cross border education expansion
deserves special thanks.
Standing here in front of a galaxy of intellectuals, I am a little concerned. My short
presentation might not sound academic from the practical point of view. I see
Associations and Institutes from a different angle. Having spent more than 30 years as
an academic, a UNESCO official and Government official, I live with the impression that
learning is always a right.
I would like to begin with a quotation from Madam Eva Egron-Polak, “Universities are
places for the creation and sharing of knowledge.” Universities have many development
roles in local, regional and international setting. But today, higher education is often
comes second to commerce. Earning and not learning has become the right. There is a
cut in quality, equity, research and scholarship and on top of this, student polities in the
developing countries tend to vitiate the academic atmosphere in the university. Student
enrolment demand cannot be met, public financial support is not expanding or is in the
decline and infrastructure is often inadequate. There are many cases of increasing gaps
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2. in provision and quality especially between developing and developed countries and
between urban and rural areas. It may be mentioned here that one of the important
sources of inequality of income in developing countries like Bangladesh, is the inequality
in the access to education, particularly, pertaining to ICT, science, etc. If universities are
to address successfully the problem of limited resources and other factors it is crucial
that Institutions with requite experience in the International higher education must be
willing to share with others. In developing countries like Bangladesh, there is a growing
demand for quantitative expansion in higher education. In the majority of cases the
growth in the number of higher education students have not been accompanied by
increase in the allocation of resources in recent times thus forcing many institutions to
make cut backs in their budgets, study programs, modernization of their infrastructure,
library and academic staff. Thus, funding constraints have affected all types of higher
educational institutions. The students are demanding jobs after their graduation. The
increase in graduate unemployment in the developing countries is largely due to the
drastic fall in demand from the major employer of graduates-the state-as a result of
international competition and new political and economic approaches. The private
sector is in no position to absorb the supply of surplus graduates. World Bank studies
show that graduate unemployment is increasing. Higher education cannot be held
wholly responsible for graduate unemployment nor for the co-relation that showed to
exist between training, study programs and demand for labor. The great challenge will
thus be to create a stable relationship between higher education and market and higher
education and society through partnership.
Universities have now become bureaucratic centered. This means an education system
dominated by bureaucrats would place an institution on the same footing a as multi-
national company. Strategy for change cannot work unless higher education adapts to
the challenge of the knowledge explosion. The university must teach people to think, to
use common sense and to give free rein to the creative imagination. Professionals
move around because they need jobs and to work in the best possible working
conditions. Hundreds of people, both students and professionals, are crossing the
border and the figure has been rising. International student flows have increased
considerably often due to the belief that the quality of education is better in developed
countries. They further believe that studying abroad is almost a passport to
employment. But sometimes those who get degrees (even genuine ones) do not get
recognition of their degrees when they return home and do not get employment because
of non-recognition of their degrees. We want to see cross-border education serve the
interest of all and must make a positive contribution. Support from IAU is needed for
regional, national and international programs to encourage mobility, networking and
quality monitoring in higher education. IAU and other agencies, if necessary, should
take the lead in the search for solutions to the complex issues like quality assurance and
the recognition of studies and qualifications. The IAU effort to introduce a higher
education database and the international directions would help the learners know more
about the genuineness and quality of higher education providers. We are happy to learn
that IAU and UNESCO are already working in this respect.
Please allow me to submit some of the issues that I deem to be of importance for
furthering education services for institutions that I would like to share with you for
reaching a consensus.
• The crossing of borders opens up an opportunity as diversity of students and
staff brings the wealth of their experience and values in the pursuit of their
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3. knowledge and it also reflects the mirrors of their respective society.
International student flow should also be directed to and from those countries
that are in greater need than ever to reap the benefits of International co-
operation. Support is needed from IAU for regional and national programs to
encourage mobility, networking, quality and monitoring in higher education.
There is need to develop a plan of action for co-operation between IAU and
Member-states especially related to key issues as relevance, quality,
management and finance, etc.
• Time has come to set-up a Regional Office in view of the expansion of
universities in Member-states for which a close contact is necessary. Regional
co-operation among the Member-states can make significant contribution in
addressing major policy problems, strengthening national capacity and facilitating
the sharing of important expertise and experience. This contact can be
strengthened through the establishment of regional networks for research and
training. Similarly, staff exchange program, student and staff mobility can be
processed through regional offices. IAU can also facilitate interaction among the
institutions by providing an extensive link system to different Associations active
in the area.
• IAU, with the co-operation of Member-states, can prepare update reports on the
state of knowledge on higher education in the Member states. The steps may
also be taken to promote innovative projects of the Member-states especially on
the training and research. The center of excellence in Member-states can also
be strengthened through the joint efforts of IAU and the Associations.
• In making full use of information and communication technology (ICT) for
educational purpose. IAU should try to give attention to removing the grave
inequalities which exist among and also within the Member-states with record to
access to new information and communication technologies and to the
production of the resources. What is required is a system of training individuals
in the innovative and efficient use of ICT to begin the mechanism for sharing and
learning experience. The mechanism for sharing resources- among developed
and developing countries should be encouraged in order to improve efficiency of
the system. IAU can facilitate capacity building of all categories of persons who
are involved in the use of ICT in higher education delivery.
Associations/Institutes should be a place where government and other public
institutions can go for scientific and reliable information which is increasingly
required for decision making at all levels and which also promotes public
participation in the decision making process. IAU can facilitate exchange of
information and establishing a database on successful experiences and
innovations that can be consulted by Association/Institutions confronted with
problems. At the same time IAU can facilitate capacity building of all categories
of persons who are involved in the use of ICT in higher education delivery. The
Associations/Institutes should be a place where governments and other public
institutions which is increasingly being required for decision making at all levels
and which also promotes public participation in the decision making process.
• At the regional level, it would be essential to organize regular meeting/interaction
among the teachers in higher education and in upgrading the skills in higher
education through technology transfer. The visits of the faculty members among
the Universities, both developed and developing, could help generate information
about curricula, methods of teaching, university governance, etc.
• Gender inequality particularly among students, academic staff and senior
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4. management continues to be an issue of considerable concern at all levels in
Member-states. In a number of countries, at the undergraduate level, female
participation has exceeded 50 percent enrolment, but generally female students
are concentrated in traditionally female disciplines to enhance their active
involvement in decision-making.
• The devastating impact of HIV/AIDS on human resources and on the
development of those peoples which are gravely affected by it. I feel that the
education system should contribute to raising awareness of this scourge. Higher
education research in particular, should include HIV/AIDS among their priorities,
thus allowing for both teachers and learners at all levels to contribute to the
elaboration of true policies of HIV/AIDS eradication.
• Co-operation at the national, regional, and international levels is essential as,
today, no institution can expect to attain he highest standard in every field by
itself. It is necessary that IAU encourage the universities through associations to
promote genuine co-operation and benefits to all partners.
• Joint action plans must be formulated by International and regional Organizations
dealing with inter-university co-operation and strengthening of global networks by
all association of universities higher education institutions in strengthening
networks and building global networks.
• There is need to encourage student academic and professional mobility to
develop mutually accepted standards for the recognition of their studies.
• Associations are facing challenges but there are opportunities too which they
must grasp by taking services from IAU.
I am an optimist. I am hopeful. The challenges facing the associations/institutes of
the member-states mean that they must re-think their roles and relations with IAU.
Accordingly, priorities have to be set up. I emphasize the issue and it is for the IAU
to deal with the issues that arise there from. I would certainly appreciate hearing the
views of our higher education partners on this matter.
** Bionotes
Professor S.M. Saifuddin has been the Executive Secretary for the Association of
Universities of Bangladesh since 1997. He has an M.A. from Dhaka and Edinburgh,
U.K. He has worked as the Director of the Bangladesh Commission, and as Joint
Education Advisor for the Ministry of Education in Bangladesh.
More recently, he was the Director General of the Directorate of Non-Formal Education
with the Government of Bangladesh (1989-1992) and the Secretary of the Bangladesh
Nations UNESCO Commission (1984-1986 and 1992-1995).
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