40% classes online: Seven colleges to form ‘Dhaka Central University’ — Higher education in hybrid model

The Ministry of Education has announced that the new government university ‘Dhaka Central University’, which will be formed by seven government colleges in the capital, will be run in a hybrid education system. 40 percent of the university’s classes will be taken online and 60 percent of the classes will be taken in person. However, all types of exams will be held directly on campus. This information was given at a press conference organized by the Ministry of Education on Monday (August 4) by Acting Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Department Md. Mujibur Rahman, UGC Chairman Professor SM Fayez, UGC Member Professor Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan and Interim Administrator of the seven colleges and Principal of Dhaka College Professor AKM Elias.

It was informed at the press conference that the seven colleges will be divided into four separate ‘schools’ for teaching and research activities. Among them, the ‘School of Science’ will be comprised of Dhaka College, Eden Women’s College and Begum Badrunnesa Government Women’s College. The ‘School of Arts and Humanities’ and ‘School of Business’ will be run from the Government Titumir College. And the ‘School of Law and Justice’ will be run from the Kabi Nazrul Government College and the Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College.

Students of the new university will study in general (non-major) courses for the first four semesters. Then from the fifth semester (at the beginning of the third year), there will be an opportunity to change the department (discipline) subject to fulfilling the prescribed conditions. However, the campus cannot be changed. The Chairman of the University Grants Commission said that all the preparations of the university will be completed within this year and the necessary ordinance will be issued.

In addition, higher secondary level education will continue in seven colleges as before and education cadre officials will also be in charge. As a result, teaching at the HSC level will not be disrupted and there will be no teacher crisis.