Bangladesh Education Forum 2023 brings Bangladeshi universities closer to students in the GCC region

• Bangladesh Education Forum aims to attract UAE-based 25,000 Non-Resident Bangladeshi (NRB) students and more than 1 million international students to 163 universities and 115 medical colleges in Bangladesh by showcase country’s cost-effective world-class education system

• More than 14.2 million school-going students in the GCC will look for university and medical college enrolment and Bangladesh offers a great cost-effective and high-quality higher education facilities

• The UAE has 639 public schools and 580 private schools with a total enrolment of 287,725 students in public schools and 793,295 students in private schools, totalling 1,081,020 students.

• More than 25,000 Non-Resident Bangladeshi (NRB) students currently study in different private schools and universities in the UAE.

• GCC students could avail university education with as low as US500 per semester, or US$6,000 – US$8,000 for a four-year Bachelors (Honours) Programme and a five-year MBBS degree for as low as US$35,000 to US$40,000 – one of the cheapest accredited MBBS degrees currently available in the world.

Dubai, UAE: Hundreds of students and parents are expected to participate at the second edition of the Bangladesh Education Forum 2023 that will be held at the Crowne Plaza, Deira, Dubai from October 14-15, 2023. It is the only international education roadshow for 163 Bangladeshi universities and 115 medical colleges where more than 14,000 foreign students and 4.6 million Bangladeshi students study in under-graduate and graduate programmes.

The UAE has 639 public schools and 580 private schools with a total enrolment of 287,725 students in public schools and 793,295 students in private schools, totalling 1,081,020 students. More than 25,000 Non-Resident Bangladeshi (NRB) students currently study in different private schools and universities in the UAE.

Bangladeshi universities, medical colleges and specialised institutions offers high-quality and cost-effective education to international students who could avail university curriculum with as low as US500 per semester, or US$6,000 – US$8,000 for a four-year Bachelors (Honours) Programme and a five-year MBBS degree for as low as US$35,000 to US$40,000 – one of the cheapest accredited MBBS degree currently available in the world.

Bangladesh Education Forum seeks to attract a portion of these students towards medical, engineering, business and liberal arts curriculum in Bangladesh’s more than 2,500 higher colleges, including 163 universities, 115 medical colleges and other specialised institutions.

“Bangladesh is emerging as a high-quality and cost-effective higher education hub that currently serves more than 4.6 million students including 14,000 foreign students from India, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and the GCC countries,” Saifur Rahman, CEO of Pan Asian Media and Organiser of Bangladesh Education Forum 2023, says.

“In the GCC, the number of NRB students would exceed 100,000 – most of whom would seek higher education in Bangladesh – that makes it a large captive market for Bangladeshi universities and medical colleges.

“However, the total number of the school-students in the GCC exceeds 1.2 million this year. Bangladesh economy could greatly benefit if Bangladeshi universities and medical colleges manage to attract a small portion of this market. Education sector could then become another sector attracting foreign currency that will help Bangladesh a lot by helping the foreign currency reserve at a higher level.”

Bangladesh Education Forum 2023 is well supported by the Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh (APUB).

Sheikh Kabir Hossain, President of APUB, says, “Bangladesh is progressing in all socio-economic indicators under the dynamic leadership of the present government led by the Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and education sector is no exception. Bangladesh currently hosts one of the largest education sectors in the world serving more than three million students including 4.6 million studying in more than 2,500 colleges and universities.

“Bangladesh Education Forum will help us reach millions of students in the GCC countries and we would like to welcome them to avail high-quality and cost-effective higher education from Bangladesh.”

With an objective to bring Bangladeshi universities and medical colleges closer to UAE-based high school students, parents, academicians and education consultants, organisers have launched a massive campaign to promote Bangladesh’s higher education in the UAE and GCC through Bangladesh Education Forum.

Dr. Md. Sabur Khan, President of the Association of Universities of Asia & the Pacific (AUAP) – a body representing more than 1,200 universities in Asia – believes that Bangladesh is becoming a major player in the global higher education landscape and Bangladesh Education Forum 2023 is an important event that will help to raise Bangladesh’s profile as an attractive destination for higher studies.

“Bangladesh offers high-quality and cost-effective education where an increasing number of international students are enrolling every year. The country’s universities offer good quality education at the lowest tuition fees as the universities are not-for-profit institutions by law,” says Dr M. Sabur Khan, who is also the Founder and Chairman of Daffodil International University – one of the largest private universities in Bangladesh.

“The success of Bangladesh’s higher education system could be measured by the high employment rate, leadership role of the university alumnus, entrepreneurship and their success in developing technology start-ups. In addition to good academic and research facilities, international students can benefit from good accommodation, good food and good socialising facilities at the least possible cost.”

Until recently, Bangladesh was known for its large number of students studying abroad in countries such as the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, and India. However, thanks to the high quality and affordable education it offers, Bangladesh is now also attracting students from a number of African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian countries.

Ishtiaque Abedin, Chairman of American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB), says, “We would like to welcome students from the GCC to Bangladesh and I have already declared a set of incentives and scholarships to students enrolling at the Bangladesh Education Forum – as we want to raise our profile in the international markets.

“AIUB has one of the best education, lab and technical facilities in its engineering and technology faculties that are second to none and we want students from the GCC to benefit from our facilities and the friendly eco-system of study in our campus.”

The country which hosts one of the largest education sectors in the world with 163 universities, 115 medical colleges and more than 2,500 general and specialised colleges, is now ready to attract international students and offer good quality cost-effective education to the students living in the Middle East.

More than 30 million students are groomed by the country’s education sector every year – making it one of the largest education service industries in the world.

By 2025, Bangladeshi universities, medical, dental and general colleges are expected to serve 4.6 million students, according to a research report. With an average annual cost of US$1,000 per year, this translates to a higher education market size of US$4.6 billion in Bangladesh, where the numbers are constantly growing due to the socio-economic growth of the country.

Bangladesh Education Forum 2023 is a great opportunity for students and their parents to learn more about the various educational options available in Bangladesh. The forum will also feature panel discussion and seminars on topics such as the admissions process, student visas, and financial aid etc.

Bangladesh Education Forum 2023 is a joint initiative by Pan Asian Group, a group of Dubai-based marketing, event management, public relations and media organisations, and Spiral World, a Dhaka-based physical and digital events management and marketing consultancy. AIUB is the Title Sponsor of the event.

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About Bangladesh Education Forum

Bangladesh Education Forum’s first edition took place in November 2022 as the first global convention to promote Bangladesh’s higher education in the GCC countries. The second edition of the forum will be held from October 14-15, 2023 at Crowne Plaza Deira Hotel at Salah Al Din Road in Dubai, UAE. Its objective is to increase foreign and NRB students’ enrolment into Bangladeshi universities, engineering and medical colleges and help brand and re-position Bangladesh as a destination of higher education, among the Middle Eastern audiences.

Bangladesh Education Forum 2023 will bring interested Bangladeshi universities closer to the international high-school students in the UAE and GCC who would be looking to enroll for universities in different countries, in 2024 and beyond through their participation at the exhibition and conference.

This way, Bangladeshi higher educational institutions will also play a role in attracting foreign currency by offering quality degree programmes to international students.