Universal College Bangladesh (UCB), the exclusive partner of Monash College in Bangladesh, had a Monash Open Day on August 24, 2023. Hundreds of talented and aspiring young students joined the event held at the UCB campus in Gulshan Avenue, and exchanged ideas on ideal methods and strategies for approaching quality higher education abroad.
The objective of the Monash Open Day event was to introduce students to the Monash programs available at Universal College Bangladesh and show students how to begin their international educational journey from Dhaka to Monash University in Australia or Malaysia. Monash University is currently ranked #42 in the QS World University Rankings and entry for international students is extremely competitive. UCB is the only Ministry of Education-approved international education provider in Bangladesh and is also the exclusive partner of Monash College offering Monash University Foundation Year (MUFY), Monash University Pathway (MCD), and other top-quality educational programs to local students who have finished their O/AS/A/HSC levels. Students who complete a Monash University pathway program at UCB in Dhaka are guaranteed entry to a program at Monash University in Melbourne or Malaysia.
Professor Dr Hew Gill, the President & Provost of Universal College Bangladesh, welcomed the distinguished visitors from Monash University, including Alphonsa Pakiam, Head of South Asia and Africa for Monash University, Aasha Balaji, Team Leader on Special Projects and Bangladesh, Daniel Lum, Senior Executive, International Recruitment and Development, Monash University of Malaysia, and Azra Karim, In Country Representative for Bangladesh. The Monash party also included Rob Cioffi from Art, Humanities Social Science; Dermott McGrath representing Information Technology; Justin Burnell from, Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences; Guillermo Leguizamon from Science; and Patrick Soo representing Business, accompanied by colleagues from the International Student Recruitment (ISR) team.
Alphonsa Pakiam, Head of South Asia and Africa, Monash University said, “Every young person deserves the opportunity to aim for a successful career in the fields of their passion and interest. We are here today to help students bridge the gap between their dreams and current reality. It has been a gratifying experience to see so many inspired faces today at the Monash Open Day event, and I thank UCB for their wonderful efforts in Bangladesh”.
Prof. Dr Hew Gill, President & Provost of UCB, said, “As the first higher education institution in Bangladesh to be given permission by the Ministry of Education to offer international university programs, it has been our objective to open the door to high-quality and affordable foreign education for students in Bangladesh. With our friends at Monash, UCB is helping to develop the human capital and world-class skills that will enable Bangladesh to achieve the vision of becoming a higher middle-income country in the next few years. We have programs for National Curriculum and international school students, and we aim to give all our students and their guardians the highest quality educational experience at a reasonable cost. As the gateway to Monash University, we develop our students’ full potential and prepare them for the educational success that will lead to careers as skilled and highly paid-professionals. We hope that this Open Day has inspired more young Bangladeshis to begin their own Monash story with UCB here in Dhaka.”.
During the event, students and their guardians met the seasoned faculty members from Monash University Malaysia and asked many questions about studying a Monash program. The faculty gave the students expert guidance on the best education options for them, explaining the many education pathways and multiple degree options available to students studying Monash programs at UCB. The faculty also dealt with important questions like future career prospects and this made the event thoroughly informative and helpful for students at every stage of their education. The Monash Open Day also gave visiting students the chance to explore the state-of-the-art UCB campus and chat with students from the Monash programs to gain a better understanding of how Australian courses teach essential transferable skills. UCB also arranged an information desk for its sister company Eduko Pathways so that attendees could find out how easy it is to transition from the Gulshan campus to study in Melbourne or Malaysia.
Prof. Dr Ismail Hossain, Dean of Academic Affairs said, “At UCB, students get the unique opportunity to pursue their Monash University pathway programs like MUFY and MCD, and to begin their international education at home before heading to complete their degree at Monash University Malaysia or Melbourne. I studied for my doctorate at Monash University and I want to extend the same golden opportunity for a world-class degree to as many young Bangladeshis as possible.”.