Eleven Bangladeshi universities including eight private ones have made it to the list of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asia University Ranking 2021.

"This year's ranking of the top Asian universities featured 650 institutions and it had been constructed using 11 indicators, including academic and employer reputation," QS Quacquarelli Symond said.

University of Dhaka claimed the 134th spot in Asia, followed by Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (199) and North South University (228).

Brac University (271-280) and Independent University (351-400) came next in the list.

And Daffodil International University, East West University, and United International University ranked between 401-450.

Khulna Science and Technology University ranked between 451-500, while Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, and American International University of Bangladesh fell within the range of 551-600.

National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, and the University of Hong Kong became the top three academic institutions in Asia.

"Mainland China leads the way with over 120 universities included this year, with India, Japan, and South Korea the next most-represented study destinations," QS Quacquarelli Symond said.

New students for different classes of schools, including class I, will be selected through a lottery process this time due to the Covid-19 pandemic, said Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni.

“After discussions with experts, we’ve decided to admit students to different classes through a lottery method. Detailed information will be disclosed by December 7 [next],” she said while speaking at a virtual press conference on Tuesday.

“This year, the catchment area will be enhanced to 50 percent from the existing  40 percent; the admission seekers under the cluster system can choose five schools for enrollment,” she said.

Considering the current situation, it is not possible to hold admission tests ensuring the physical presence of students, and arranging online admission tests in every school is very tough, said Dipu adding, “That’s why the government has taken the decision.”

“The government has taken the decision assessing three options it had – taking admission tests with the students being present physically using MCQ questions, arranging online admission tests and introducing a lottery system for all classes,” Dipu Moni added.

Next SSC, HSC exams may defer

The Education Minister also hinted that the Secondary School Examination (SSC) and Higher Secondary School Examination (HSC) examinations of 2020-21 may be deferred for one or two months due to the Covid-19 situation.

“Already, a short syllabus has been prepared for the SSC and  HSC examinations so that the examinees can take preparations for the examinations after attending classes for three months,” she said.

On October 7, the minister said HSC and equivalent examinations will not be held this time.

“The HSC results will be evaluated based on the students’ JSC and SSC results. The results will be readied by December,” she said.

Dipu Moni said the decision has been taken considering the global pandemic situation, and planning for a risk-free exam is virtually impossible right now.

Decision on other exams

Talking about the other examinations under the Technical Education Board and National University, Dipu Moni said, “We’ve taken a decision in this regard. Hope, we’ll be able to take the examinations after a month."

“The number of examinees under the Technical Education Board and National University is less than that of other public exams, and we hope we can take the exams following health guidelines,” she said.

The minister urged all the examinees to take preparations for the examinations as there will be no auto-pass.

The schedule of the examinations will be announced one month before the examinations, she added.

About the class VIII certificates, Dipu Moni said the education board concerned will provide the certificates of  Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) students.

Reopening schools

Dipu Moni said the educational institutions will reopen once the Covid-19 situation improves.

The students need not go to school every day as they will have to attend it three-four days a week maintaining health guidelines.

The closure of educational institutions may be extended further after observing the current situation.

HSC exam results

Turning to the results of the HSC and its equivalent examinations, the minister said the experts have taken a decision to publish the results after merging the results of both the SSC and JSC.

In that case, 75 percent will be taken from SSC and 25 percent from JSC, and the results will be published within December next, she said.

“A technical committee has been formed in this regard and it has provided a solution with which we can fix the grade,” said Dipu.

The government has extended the closure of educational institutions until December 19, aiming to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Read Also: Primary students to be promoted without exams

The government has decided to promote all students from grade I to grade V without traditional year final examinations amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision was announced in a handout from the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) on Monday.

Signed by Director General Alamgir Muhammad Mansurul Alam, it directed teachers to take necessary actions to evaluate students. The handout noted that online classes were taken during the virus shutdown to keep academic activities uninterrupted.

Bangladesh shut educational institutions on March 17, just a week after the first cases of coronavirus were reported on March 8.

Also Read- Closure of educational institutions extended again till Dec 19

The closure has been extended in phases to Dec 19 apprehending that there could be a second wave of coronavirus infections in winter.

Meanwhile, the government also decided not to take any Higher Secondary Certificate and equivalent examinations as well as Primary Education Completion and its equivalent Ebtedayee examinations for 2020.

Students will be promoted to the next class through class assessment instead.

Coronavirus spreads rapidly when people come in contact with infected persons. The government says it won’t put students at risk.

Bangladesh’s coronavirus caseload stands at 449,760 with 6,416 fatalities. The government has already signed a deal for procuring 30 million doses of vaccine.

More than 8,800 Bangladeshi students chose to study in the United States during the 2019/2020 academic year, according to the 2020 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange.  

This is a new all-time high for Bangladesh, reflecting a 7.1 percent increase over the 2019 report (8,249 students), more than tripling since 2009.  

The 2020 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange released by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the non-profit Institute of International Education (IIE), reveals the United States remained the top destination for international students.  

The US Embassy in Dhaka made the announcement on Monday in celebration of International Education Week (IEW) - November 16-20, a joint U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Education initiative.

International education exchanges benefit both our nations and peoples, boosting intellectual and cross-cultural capital as well as business and professional networks, and helping prepare students to enter the global job markets and solve the world’s toughest challenges.

Bangladesh is among the fastest growing countries of origin for international students in the United States, said the US Embassy.

It now ranks 17th in the world, up from 20the place last year, of countries sending students to the United States for higher education.  

Bangladesh had the highest percentage growth among the top 20 countries, and the highest increase in the South Asian region.  

Out of the 8,838 Bangladeshi students studying in the United States in 2019/2020, 5,787 studied at the graduate level; a 9.6% increase over 2018/2019 academic year, moving Bangladesh from 9th to 8th place in the world for graduate students studying in the United States.  

More than 75% of Bangladeshi students currently on U.S. campuses study in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).  Of them, over 41 percent study Engineering, over 19 percent - Math/Computer Science, and over 15 percent - Physical or Life Sciences.

Nearly seven percent study Business/Management and nearly six percent study Social Sciences.  

Nearly 1,300 Bangladeshi students (14% of all Bangladeshi students) during the 2019/2020 academic year participated in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) - on-the-job training in one’s field of study - as part of their studies in the United States.  

For the fifth consecutive year, the United States hosted more than one million international students (1,075,496) during the 2019/2020 academic year.  

Despite a slight decline (1.8%) in the number of international students in the United States during the 2019/2020 academic year, this group still represents 5.5% of all students in U.S. higher education.  

The U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, through EducationUSA Bangladesh, is celebrating International Education Week (IEW) by offering a number of virtual programs for Bangladeshi students and scholars to join.  

Over the next five days, our EdUSA advising centers in Bangladesh will host 10 webinars on various topics related to studying in the United States.  

Programmes will feature Bangladeshi students currently studying at Michigan State, Yale University, McNeese State University, and New York University, and representatives from the following U.S. higher education institutions:  Bentley University, California State University at San Bernardino, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida International University, Hamilton College.

Midway University, Minnesota State University, Missouri Western State University, New York University’s (NYU) Tandon School of Engineering, Northern Arizona University, Orange Coast College, Pepperdine University, State University of New York at Oswego and New Paltz, Stony Brook University, University of Houston-Victoria, University of New Mexico, University of Northern Iowa,  University of South Dakota, University of Texas at Arlington, University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire and Milwaukee, and Valparaiso University.

University Grants Commission (UGC) has called on the private universities to step forward to update the syllabus of their ongoing academic programs.

UGC made the call on Monday in an instruction sent to the vice-chancellors and registrars of private universities.

In 2019, the private universities were asked to update their approved syllabuses every four years from the date of approval of each program following the standard syllabus guideline of the commission.

Ensuring a modern and latest curriculum, variation, and breaking new ground in science and technology are essential for achieving the desired quality of higher education.

So, UGC has asked the private universities to update their approved, ongoing programs, reads a press release.

Also read: Final semester pvt university students can attend practical classes, exams: UGC