DHAKA: The government has taken initiatives to make University Grants Commission (UGC) strong and accelerate works of University Accreditation Council.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid made the disclosure while addressing the inauguration ceremony of a three-day international conference titled ‘Identity in the Globalized World: Dimensions, Transformations and Challenges’.

The varsities of the country would be ranked as people make complaint that country’s universities do not have acceptable global ranks.

The conference was arranged by Center for Social Science Research (CSSR), at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) Campus at Bashundhara residential area in city on Saturday.

He said, “We do not want to differentiate public and private universities. Private universities are the demand of time.”

Mentioning that there are some 79 private universities in the country now, he said, “We need more private universities. They (private universities) are also doing well.”

Nahid also asked the private university authorities to initiate systems so that students from middle and lower-middle class families also can enroll them for studying here.

He also asked the private university authorities to spend more in research for higher studies.

IUB Vice Chancellor M Omar Rahman and CSSR Director Zakir Hossain Raju, also School of Liberal Arts and Social Science Dean, among others, addressed the ceremony.

Noted scholar Willem van Schendel of University of Amsterdam will present the keynote speech titled ‘Interconnected Asia’ on Sunday.

BDST: 1620 HRS, AUG 23, 2014