CEMCA and UGC build faculty capacities in OER in Bangladesh

CEMCA has partnered with the University Grants Commission (UGC), Bangladesh, to build the capacity of higher education institutions in teaching and learning with Open Educational Resources (OER). Many learners in Bangladesh have limited access to relevant, quality educational resources, and the new initiative aims to fill this void.

In July – August 2021, two online workshops brought together 1,000 teachers from 20 private and public universities in Bangladesh. Participants were greeted by UGC Chairman, Professor Kazi Shahidullah, UGC Chairman addressed participants of both workshops. He emphasised the importance of identifying appropriate learning solutions to fulfil the aspirations of various stakeholders.

The workshops were designed to raise participant awareness about different facets of OER - from searching to using to creating these resources. Creative common licensing and integration of OER in teaching and learning were also discussed.

A key takeaway for participants was the opportunity to create a network among academics from 20 different universities. According to one of the participants, Professor M. Shah Azam, University of Rajshahi, they are now looking forward to sharing their resources.

CEMCA will continue to support the universities in Bangladesh by offering faculty training on developing institutional OER policies.