Report

H IGHER EDUCATION SERVICES 145
Afghanistan run by BRAC (Raihan and Mahmood
2004). The trade takes place in all modes. In Mode 1,
Bangladeshi students participate in various certificate
exams, like TOEFL, GMAT, GRE, etc., to qualify for
pursuing higher studies abroad, particularly in the US,
Canada and the UK. Students of computer science and
ICT courses also participate in various professional
examinations, like MCSE and MCP.
As elsewhere, import and export of educational
services take place essentially through Mode 2 and the
country is a net importer of education services. Major
destinations for tertiary education abroad are: the US,
the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, India and Singapore.
Generally, students going abroad for higher studies stay
there under permanent immigration schemes (Raihan
and Mahmood 2004). The total number of students
going to major destinations per year is estimated at
25,000, of which 40% go to India, and more than 2,000
to Australia.
In terms of exports through Mode 2, Bangladesh
attracts students from Nepal, Bhutan, India and some
African countries. Though the total number of students
is unknown, most foreign students come to Bangladesh
to study medicine, languages or science disciplines.
Bangladesh started to import education services
through Mode 3 after the government allowed the
establishment of private universities and off-shore
campuses for foreign private universities. In 2003, the
total number of private universities and off-shore
campuses of many foreign universities was 52. In most
cases, private universities substituted for the import of
educational services. While half of the private
universities do not have campuses of their own, all have
credit transfer facilities with universities abroad (Raihan
and Mahmood 2004). More than half have foreign
affiliation status. The countries, with which the
universities have affiliations, or exchange, joint and offshore
programmes, are Australia, the US, the UK,
Malaysia, Japan, New Zealand, Canada and Singapore.
Although there are serious concerns regarding the
quality of most private universities, the boom in these
establishments is proof that there is a demand for adult
education services to complement the education available
at public universities. As a whole, private universities
are under-funded. Since 1992 the total investment
in private universities was $34.45 million. Twenty-nine
foreign teachers visited Bangladesh to provide education
services through private universities. One positive
impact of these establishments is that many holders of
foreign PhDs have returned to Bangladesh to teach. In
2003, the total number of teachers with a PhD degree
was 362, and 284 students transferred their study credits
to foreign universities.
In terms of export, many Bangladeshi teachers also
provide education services at foreign universities on
either short- or long-term basis, although precise data
on the numbers is not available. As a whole, the study
suggests, the tertiary education sector is very vibrant
and there is potential for further growth in the areas of
adult education and training services through all
Modes.
The country’s higher educational facilities include
11 public and 16 private universities, 4 engineering
colleges, 13 public and 9 private medical colleges, and
20 polytechnic institutes (UNCTAD-ICC 2000). Every
year almost 45,000 students graduate from various
technical colleges and institutes, and the number of
students graduating from professional institutes is
around 82,000. (Raihan and Mahmood (2004).
Although the education sector in Bangladesh has
experienced progressive development over the last few
decades, it is clear that this particular service sector
looks forward to further investment in order to fill the
increased demand for quality education. The government’s
future vision and current education policy also
support the view that any kind of investment geared
towards developing the education sector would be well
appreciated. Raihan and Mahmood (2004:14–15)
provide the following brief description of the areas
where foreign service providers can look for investment
opportunities:
• Tertiary Level Education: This particular level has
experienced massive growth in recent years in terms
of the establishment of new private universities, the
opening of campuses for foreign universities and
institutes, and the transfer of students and foreign
teaching professionals. The increased demand for
tertiary level education, coupled with growing
competition in public universities, has opened a
window of opportunity for foreign service providers
to invest in this area.
• Training of Professionals: Since the movement of
natural persons has emerged as one of the most
lucrative export sectors in recent years, there is an
increased demand for skills training to enable
workers to access more value-adding professions.
However, the lack of experts and training centres
have emerged as constraints in this regard. Foreign
service providers, therefore, have opportunities to
seize opportunities in this area.
• Technical Education: Bangladesh has responded to