Higher Education: A Catalyst for Peacebuilding in India-Bangladesh Relations

Higher Education: A Catalyst for Peacebuilding in India-Bangladesh Relations

The people-to-people connection between India and Bangladesh has defined the relationship between the countries for decades. Education has also played a pivotal role in enhancing this connection.

The educational ties between India and Bangladesh have been deeply rooted in shared history and culture. Bangladesh, which had only six universities in 1971, has come a long way in increasing access to education amongst its people. University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh reports a steady rise in the number of public and private universities, increasing from 143 in 2018 to 163 in 2022, alongside a substantial growth in student enrolment, which surged from approximately 3.6 million in 2018 to 4.8 million in 2022.

Notable collaborations between India and Bangladesh in education include scholarships for Bangladeshi students such as Suborno Jayanti scholarship announced in 2021 during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Bangladesh to promote synergies between both countries under India’s National Education Policy. Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Ayush and Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Program also offer scholarships to visiting Bangladeshi students.

In the last decade, several MoUs have been signed between the universities in India and Bangladesh in the areas of defence, fashion technology, engineering, science and technology, culture and linguistics to enhance student exchange programs and collaborative research amongst the students.

Through MoUs between the military colleges, India imparts military education in Strategic and Operational Studies that enhances student officers’ and faculty members’ professional and academic abilities.

Education is a platform that facilitates direct people-to-people interactions. It serves as a transformative peace-building tool at the grassroots level, where students develop intercultural linkages and lasting friendships that make them sensitive to each other’s situations and problems. This, in turn, helps resolve the differences humanely and peacefully.

In the last few years, around 2500 to 3000 Bangladeshi students have come to study in Indian universities annually. Interestingly the number of Indian students studying in Bangladesh is relatively high. Dhaka has 55 public universities, 115 private universities and three International universities. Some of these universities, appearing in the top 1000 ranking of the world university rankings, have emerged as possible study destinations for Indian students. Medical education at an affordable price of about Rs 25 lakhs, with a curriculum comparable to that of India, attracts Indian students to pursue Medicine in Bangladesh. The medical colleges in Bangladesh have also allocated 25 percent of the foreign national seats every year, making this student mobility possible. Apart from that, the shared culture connects the country’s youth with that of Bangladesh.