Government to establish innovation hubs and startup ecosystems at universities: Mahdi Amin

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Education and Primary and Mass Education Dr Mahdi Amin said the government plans to establish innovation hubs, incubation centres and startup ecosystems at universities across Bangladesh to encourage innovation, entrepreneurship and research.

Speaking at the ‘Vice-Chancellors’ Dialogue: Shaping the Future of Higher Education’ in Savar, he said the government would provide policy support and funding to help universities turn promising ideas into startups.

Mahdi urged universities to organise innovation and idea competitions and offer grants to projects capable of addressing local and national challenges. He also stressed the need to strengthen links between universities and industrial clusters, hi-tech parks and economic zones so students can access opportunities and practical support.

He said the government would facilitate regulatory and institutional assistance for students seeking to become entrepreneurs, particularly in areas such as licensing.

On research, Mahdi said a significant increase in research funding is expected in the next fiscal year, with greater emphasis on solving local problems. He called for improved access to international journals, better laboratory facilities and stronger research and development infrastructure.

The adviser also advocated turning “brain drain” into “brain circulation” by creating opportunities for Bangladeshi academics and researchers working abroad to contribute to local universities through visiting faculty and fellowship programmes.

He proposed introducing summer schools and making credit transfers between Bangladeshi and foreign universities easier, saying global best practices could make higher education more flexible, inclusive and equitable.

Mahdi emphasised that quality should be prioritised over numbers and expressed confidence that Bangladeshi universities could improve their global rankings with stronger research facilities and appropriate policy support.

The two-day dialogue, organised under the UGC’s Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) Project, brought together around 65 public and private university vice-chancellors, policymakers, academics and experts to discuss higher education leadership, research, innovation, university-industry collaboration, AI and digital transformation.