No foreign student in CU in last 10 years

99 reserved seats lie vacant every year

No foreign student has been admitted to the Chittagong University (CU) over the past 10 years even though 99 seats are reserved for them every year. As a result, many home students have been denied admission to the university. Sources said the CU authorities have reserved 17 seats for international students in seven departments and institutes under the Science faculty, 30 seats for 15 departments and institutes under the Arts and Humanities faculty and 14 seats for seven departments under Business Administration faculty.
The CU also has 14 reserved seats in seven departments of the Social Science faculty, 18 seats in nine departments of the Biological Science faculty, two seats under the Law faculty and four seats in two departments of the Engineering faculty. In the last academic session (2016–17), no international student applied for admission to the CU. The last foreign student who took admission to the CU was a Sri Lankan. He was admitted to the Management department for a PhD degree in the 2007–08 session. Only four students enrolled themselves for postgraduate programmes in the 1999–2000 and 2002–03 sessions.
Earlier, only 15 foreign students took admission for postgraduate programmes in different departments from 1990–91 to 1998–99. According to some local students, foreign students have stayed away from the CU because of the political problems afflicting the university, thereby causing session jam.
The accommodation problem in the university dormitories, the location of the university (which is far away from the port city), and the teaching medium, which is Bengali (most teachers take classes in Bangla), the year-based academic system and a complicated admissions procedure are the main reasons why foreign students stay away from the CU. Even though all reserved seats lie vacant year after year, the CU has not taken any step to attract international students. Astonishingly, there is no information about admissions for foreign applicants on the CU website.
“Foreign students can apply through the Bangladesh high commission in their respective countries for all the universities in Bangladesh. If any foreign student is interested in obtaining admission to the CU, he has/she to select it during the application process,” said CU deputy registrar SM Akbar Hossain.
Prof. Dr Iftekhar Uddin Chowdhury, the university vice-chancellor, also blamed political violence. He said militancy across the country was one of the reasons why foreign students were shying away from the CU. “As the CU is located far away from the port city and not fully residential, foreign students are also not keen on taking admission,” said Dr Chowdhury. “Other reasons include session jam, the academic system and student politics,” he said.
“Foreign students might be interested if our academic system and facilities are developed further,” he added.

No foreign student in CU in last 10 years

99 reserved seats lie vacant every year

No foreign student has been admitted to the Chittagong University (CU) over the past 10 years even though 99 seats are reserved for them every year. As a result, many home students have been denied admission to the university. Sources said the CU authorities have reserved 17 seats for international students in seven departments and institutes under the Science faculty, 30 seats for 15 departments and institutes under the Arts and Humanities faculty and 14 seats for seven departments under Business Administration faculty. The CU also has 14 reserved seats in seven departments of the Social Science faculty, 18 seats in nine departments of the Biological Science faculty, two seats under the Law faculty and four seats in two departments of the Engineering faculty. In the last academic session (201617), no international student applied for admission to the CU. The last foreign student who took admission to the CU was a Sri Lankan. He was admitted to the Management department for a PhD degree in the 200708 session. Only four students enrolled themselves for postgraduate programmes in the 19992000 and 200203 sessions. Earlier, only 15 foreign students took admission for postgraduate programmes in different departments from 199091 to 199899. According to some local students, foreign students have stayed away from the CU because of the political problems afflicting the university, thereby causing session jam. The accommodation problem in the university dormitories, the location of the university (which is far away from the port city), and the teaching medium, which is Bengali (most teachers take classes in Bangla), the year-based academic system and a complicated admissions procedure are the main reasons why foreign students stay away from the CU. Even though all reserved seats lie vacant year after year, the CU has not taken any step to attract international students. Astonishingly, there is no information about admissions for foreign applicants on the CU website. Foreign students can apply through the Bangladesh high commission in their respective countries for all the universities in Bangladesh. If any foreign student is interested in obtaining admission to the CU, he has/she to select it during the application process, said CU deputy registrar SM Akbar Hossain. Prof. Dr Iftekhar Uddin Chowdhury, the university vice-chancellor, also blamed political violence. He said militancy across the country was one of the reasons why foreign students were shying away from the CU. As the CU is located far away from the port city and not fully residential, foreign students are also not keen on taking admission, said Dr Chowdhury. Other reasons include session jam, the academic system and student politics, he said. Foreign students might be interested if our academic system and facilities are developed further, he added.