Why Bangladeshi private academia lags behind in research
Research productivity is a critical determinant of university rankings. Do Bangladeshi private university faculty members have sufficient time, resources, and institutional support to prioritise research?
In recent years, university rankings have gained significant importance for teachers, students, employers, prospective students, and other stakeholders in Bangladesh. However, the growing emphasis on rankings has yet to yield substantial progress.
A recent report reveals that Dhaka University, North South University, and Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET) are the top three institutions in Bangladesh according to the QS World University Rankings: Asia 2025. Yet, these universities fall short of the top 100 in Asia, ranking at 112, 155, and 158, respectively.
Research productivity— primarily driven by faculty members and, to a lesser extent, their students — is a critical determinant of these rankings. This raises a pressing question: Do Bangladeshi private university faculty members have sufficient time, resources, and institutional support to prioritize research?
Beyond the desk: The emotional weight of administrative duties
Many faculty members in Bangladeshi private universities constantly fight to meet their research goals due to overwhelming administrative duties and heavy teaching loads. These responsibilities often leave little to no time for meaningful research, causing frustration and, in some cases, leading to burnout and high attrition rates.
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In public universities, faculty members often receive additional compensation, housing, and other benefits for taking on administrative or extracurricular responsibilities. Unlike them, their private university counterparts are typically overburdened without comparable incentives.
"Universities expect faculty to balance three key responsibilities: teaching, research, and administrative duties," shares a faculty member. "Ideally, there should be flexibility in how time is allocated among these tasks, but the reality is starkly different. Administrative work consumes most of our time, leaving little for impactful research."
Routine tasks such as marking attendance, preparing exhaustive course files, managing student performance records, advising students and serving on numerous committees — such as those for examinations, alumni, seminars, sports and cultural programmes — consume significant time. Even weekends are often spent clearing backlogs, leaving faculty members unable to focus on publishing research or exploring innovative ideas.
Progress hindered by bureaucracy
A senior professor observes, "Research often feels like a burden because of the growing bureaucracy. Accreditation requirements in Bangladesh are constantly evolving, and institutional processes have become increasingly rigid."
Faculty members must dedicate a considerable portion of their time and energy to navigating bureaucratic processes, including documentation for compliance with accreditation standards. As a result, their teaching preparation, research activities, and professional growth become secondary priorities.
Additionally, the frequent and unpredictable changes in accreditation requirements pose further challenges. Faculty members are often caught in a cycle of fulfilling administrative demands, leaving their academic aspirations sidelined.
The strain of multiple roles
In public universities, faculty members often receive additional compensation, housing, and other benefits for taking on administrative or extracurricular responsibilities. Unlike them, their private university counterparts are typically overburdened without comparable incentives.
They are tasked with everything from admissions and examinations to student advising, results publication, and organising cultural and sports events, and working on committees in addition to their regular teaching. It leaves minimal time for research and they are not adequately compensated.
This lack of balance and recognition exacerbates dissatisfaction and affects their energy and drive for research. It underscores the urgent need for a standardized regulatory framework to ensure fair workloads, adequate compensation, and time allocation for research.
Lessons from global models
Innovative workload distribution models in other countries offer valuable insights. For instance, CMR University (named after educationalist Chikka Muniyappa Reddy), a private university in Bangalore, India employs the TRCPIE model, which stands for Teaching (T), Research (R), Consultancy (C), Projects (P), Innovation (I), and Entrepreneurship (E). Faculty can select components based on their expertise and interests, ensuring a balanced and productive workload.
Similarly, at Ashoka University, another Indian private university in Haryana, India, research is prioritised over teaching. A professor at Ashoka University explains, "Teaching is secondary to research. Faculty spend only six hours a week teaching, leaving the rest of the week for publishing, supervising research students, and pursuing intellectual work." Such models create an environment where faculty can thrive as researchers, writers, and educators.
The way forward
Bangladesh must implement structural reforms that equally prioritise research and teaching to enhance the research landscape. This requires specific measures, including streamlining administrative processes to reduce bureaucratic burdens and eliminate redundant documentation, thereby enabling faculty to focus more on academic pursuits.
Furthermore, institutions should allocate dedicated research hours within faculty schedules, ensuring sufficient time for both scholarly activities and essential teaching tasks. Providing financial support, grants, and formal recognition for research contributions will serve as effective incentives, motivating faculty to engage more deeply in academic work.
Additionally, the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh may establish clear guidelines to ensure fair workloads, equitable research opportunities, and non-discriminatory compensation for university faculty members, thereby creating an environment conducive to research excellence.
Faculty members in private universities are vital to higher education in Bangladesh. By addressing their challenges and enabling them to contribute effectively to research and innovation, the country can elevate its universities' global standing and build a culture of academic excellence.
It is to be noted that an "ideal" teacher-researcher is someone deeply committed to learning, sharing, and contributing to the growth of their students and their field. It is the role of the institutions to facilitate their faculty members in this enriching and impactful journey.
Takad Ahmed Chowdhury is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of English, at the University of Asia Pacific (UAP).
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard
