Degrees, research, and Dhaka University

Research allocation at Dhaka University is a much-talked-about issue. During my time there as a student, I even got into debate with my classmates and at times with teachers, arguing how the world is moving ahead while DU is either standing still or regressing. As far as I remember, it was in 2018, when in a seminar on national budget issues at the Senate Building, a respected and well-known professor was asked, "Why does DU have such a small amount of allocation for research compared to other top universities in the world?" and "Why we like to boast about being the Oxford of the East even though we are nothing like Oxford?” The answer startled me.

The respected teacher didn’t bother to defend DU’s stand, arguing that historically DU was established for just providing degrees, not for research. He then indicated that DU’s allocation for research is more than enough. The university is actually not bound to do any sort of research but is still doing it for the betterment of the nation.

From what has happened in the last four years, his statement on allocation being enough doesn’t seem too wrong. Otherwise, why couldn't DU even spend Tk 360 million (Tk 36 crores) allocated for research in that four-year period? Every year, in the months of June and July, this discussion starts and ends without any visible result. While DU continues operating as usual, other top universities around continue making breakthroughs through research work. According to the University Grants Commission (UGC) in 2022, the 142 public and private universities of the country altogether have spent Tk 1.84 billion (Tk 184 crores) —an average of Tk 12.6 million (Tk 1.26 crore) each—on research activities in 2020, which is only two per cent of their total academic expenditure.

On the other hand, the actual Oxford University in the UK, had approximately Tk 98 billion (Tk 9.8 thousand crores) for research purposes only. Their research work has taken them to the No. 1 position in the Times Higher Education ranking. Furthermore, a report by the economic research consultancy London Economics has revealed that the University of Oxford contributed a total of £15.7 billion to the UK economy in 2018-19. The report also demonstrated that every pound invested in University of Oxford’s research and knowledge exchange activities generated around £10 for the UK national economy in that fiscal year.

Then there is DU, ranked between 601 and 800 among higher education institutions worldwide, wondering why they should they bother focusing more on research. Not every academician possesses a positive attitude towards research. Some are doing extraordinary work, but DU isn’t helping them enough. A report of a national daily recently revealed that the process of acquiring the allocated funding isn’t easy. Red tape awaits enthusiastic researchers who seek funding. This eventually demotivates them for brainstorming new research areas. This hurdle also causes enough aversion resulting in the ‘brain drain’.

It’s high time to restructure DU’s role for the nation's benefit and regain its prestigious position on the world stage. It surely can be attributed to low research spending for the nation, which ranks 105th out of 132 countries in the Global Knowledge Index 2022.

As we were taught in the classroom to be proactive in developing an effective work culture, the same is true for DU. This institution needs to be proactive to compete on the world stage for the nation’s sake. The things that plague DU, including politics, irregularities and a false sense of superiority, should be pointed out publicly and eliminated without any delay. If things remain unchanged, DU will have no space left even to retreat.

* Asif Mahmud is a learner in the communication sector and can be contacted at [email protected]