Bangladesh’s University Grants Commission (UGC) said it will give Chinese top priority in third-language education at universities. UGC চেয়ারম্যান Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed announced the initiative at a meeting at the UGC office on 4 August with a six-member delegation from the Chinese embassy in Dhaka and Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University. He said a programme to establish language centres at 30 universities will begin within three months.

The initiative aims to include a foreign or international language in curricula alongside Bangla and English. Ten universities currently have language centres, and 20 more will be added in phases, creating third-language learning opportunities at 30 institutions. Ahmed said language skills are essential as Bangladesh-China cooperation in education, trade, technology and development is expanding rapidly.

The meeting also discussed higher-education quality, graduate skills, employment-oriented education and a five-year higher-education transformation programme. Participants discussed expanding internships and scholarships in China for Bangladeshi students and increasing joint cooperation in technical and vocational education. The Chinese delegation said it would train Bangladeshi teachers to improve language proficiency under its Global Teachers Training Programme and plans teacher-training programmes for Bangladesh and other South Asian countries.