Do we really need so many universities?

For a week, the residents of Dhaka had to endure nightmarish traffic congestions. Ambulances got stuck, trains stopped, critical patients suffered, young children and the elderly suffered. Thousands of work hours were wasted. All because of the blockade of the students of Government Titumir College demanding their separate university.

Bangladesh now boasts 170 universities—55 public and 115 private. Many of these institutions lack adequate faculty, research capabilities, and infrastructure. The quality of education is not up to the global standard, and it is clearly visible in the global rankings. 

Moreover, the unchecked growth of universities has led to an oversupply of graduates with degrees that do not align with market demands, exacerbating the unemployment crisis. Instead of expanding further, the focus should be on consolidating and improving existing institutions. Strengthening the existing universities and reducing the number of universities in the country through mergers can be a viable option to ensure quality higher education. 

Such is the recommendation of a government-formed task force on redefining economic strategies for inclusive and sustainable development who submitted their report to the Chief Advisor on 30 January. The report says that such steps should ensure better utilisation of the limited education budget, improve universities' positions in international rankings, and tackle high rates of unemployment among graduates.

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) reports that the number of highly educated unemployed individuals has more than doubled in six years, reaching 9 lakh six thousand in 2023 from 4 lakh five thousand in 2017. The unemployment rate among university graduates surged from 9.7% in 2013 to 27.8% in 2022.

Despite the country's economic growth, job creation for graduates has stagnated, with industries favouring blue-collar workers over university-educated employees. The mismatch between degrees offered and industry needs further exacerbates this crisis.

A significant issue in Bangladesh is the societal preference for university degrees over technical education, even when job prospects for graduates remain low. Many students enter universities without considering job market realities, often opting for degrees that hold little value in an evolving economy. So, hardly one can blame the students of Titumir College for demanding their own university, because being a university student is supposedly more prestigious.

Dr M Nazmul Haq, Professor of Education at Institute of Education and Research (IER), University of Dhaka, said, "In our country, higher studies have been encroached upon by businessmen. They influenced politicians and bureaucrats and opened universities to do business. We do not need so many universities, nor does everyone need so many degrees. But, it serves their ego." 

Over half of Bangladesh's universities were established in the last 15 years. Of the 87 universities established during this period, 26 are public and 61 are private. However, most lack sufficient faculty, research facilities, and proper governance. 

A large number of universities fail to maintain an acceptable teacher-student ratio or provide modern research opportunities. The lack of experienced faculty and research funding hampers innovation, leaving students ill-prepared for the workforce. In many universities, particularly in remote districts, teachers are forced to instruct in multiple subjects due to a shortage of qualified educators. 

The fault lies in part on the recently established universities, who are just certificate-churning mills. Many of the recently established universities have been created without proper planning, driven more by political considerations than by economic or educational necessity.

Furthermore, every university programme must have at least one professor or associate professor in accordance with UGC criteria. However, 60 private universities and 13 public universities fall short of this standard. Some universities don't have any professors or associate professors at all. A total of 16 institutions nationwide—seven public and nine private—are affected by this circumstance.

"The way the number of universities was increased did not follow the proper standards or the guidelines of the Higher Education Act. It was done to get a populist reaction. Those who could do the lobbying, they got universities.  As a result, some universities do not have enough classrooms, teachers or infrastructures—yet they are operational," said Dr Manzoor Ahmed,  professor emeritus at Brac University.

The low quality of education has led to an oversaturation of graduates in disciplines with limited job prospects. Over 60% of students from national universities graduate in arts and social sciences, while only a small fraction pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, which are in higher demand. 

The model of mass university expansion is unsustainable, particularly for public institutions, which struggle with limited budgets. The government allocated Tk11,690.04 crore for the operation and development of 55 public universities in the FY2024-25, with only Tk188.65 crore dedicated to research.

And as a result, the education system is producing graduates who are not employable in the domestic or global job market, resulting in underemployment and economic inefficiencies. Additionally, many graduates are unwilling to pursue jobs in the private sector, preferring to wait for government employment, which is limited in availability.

"The demand for setting up new universities is absurd. It needs to be understood that universities are not established only for giving degrees, but a lot of research related capabilities need to be there to be a proper University," said AKM Fahim Mashroor, a member of the task force and CEO of Bdjobs.com.

"Lots of private universities are having much fewer students than their capacity. There has been hardly any growth in the last 10 years in Private University students. Because there are not enough students, a lot of medium level universities cannot afford to keep good teachers. So, the quality suffers. Merging a few private universities (one large and one small) can improve education quality," he added. 

"A number of new public universities in remote districts cannot hire good quality teachers. Often a few teachers have to teach in multiple subjects. Quality suffers hugely for that. Few of those remote Universities can be converted into polytechnics to serve the local community." 

Dr Nazmul said, "Once a student takes higher studies, they can not take low-level jobs anymore. Since there has been little job creation, they remain unemployed. We have too many overqualified people, since there are too many universities."

Given these financial constraints, investing in fewer, well-equipped universities would allow for better faculty recruitment, improved research facilities, and stronger academic programmes. The report recommended that compulsory vocational training in national universities and incentives for non-English language courses will enhance employability, while short-term training in high-demand sectors like caregiving and hospitality can open global job markets. 

And for this, proper research and policy framework is needed. Dr Manzoor said, "We see that many important decisions are taken ad hoc, when a problem arises. That is not the way to deal with such delicate issues. The students are not supposed to provide solutions for their woes, the educationists and policymakers need to find that out through a coordinated process."