Private Universities Out of Research Facilities

Less Research at Private Universities

The private universities of the country which now number 60 have relegated research to the back burner. Eleven of these universities have not spent a taka for research which is thought to be an indispensable component of higher education. UGC's annual report for 2011, shows that while 11 universities spent nothing for research, in many private universities research was nominal and limited to launching of two or three research projects. Obviously, then, research is not their cup of tea. Then how can they claim to be institutions of higher learning?

Absence of interest in research and research facilities is not the only shortcoming of the private universities. Since many of them have been operating since the mid-nineties it is time to take a hard look at their performance in promoting higher education and how thy fit into the country's overall scheme in this regard. We would not hesitate to concede that these universities have widened the opportunity for higher education for those students who could not make it to any public university but possess the means to enrol in a private university. We also agree that these private universities are mostly free from violence and disruptions and academic backlog known as "session jam". But on the more fundamental question of quality of education there is little that is commendable. Sometime ago the chairman of UGC observed that many of these universities have failed to provide quality education and are functioning like commercial institutions. His predecessor had said almost the same thing: the education they imparted lacked any quality. The fact is that these private universities are not just private but profit-based. (Some top universities of the world are private but they are backed by foundations and endowments and are not run on commercial basis). Many do not even possess a full-fledged library and the Internet is made to serve the purpose of library. In this situation research is a far cry. But they are taking money both for library and for research. Educationists would even doubt that they at all fit the image of a university, since they award degrees in only two or three most marketable and employable subjects and do not encourage the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake.

Private universities cannot be wished away; they must be made to fulfill their objective. Constant monitoring and supervision are necessary. It is good to know that the UGC will exert its pressure for conducting research. It is due to UGC pressure that the private universities are having their own campus. Similarly the other shortcomings of these universities should also be addressed.শিক্ষা সংক্রান্ত খবরাখবর নিয়মিত পেতে রেজিস্ট্রেশন করুন অথবা Log In করুন।

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