UNESCO has expressed a deep interest in expanding its cooperation with Dhaka University in education, research, and capacity building.

A delegation from the organisation’s Bangladesh office shared this intent during a courtesy call at the Vice-Chancellor’s Office on Monday.

The delegation, led by Norihide Furukawa, head of the education department at UNESCO Bangladesh, met with Vice-Chancellor Prof ABM Obaidul Islam. Pro-Vice Chancellor (administration) Prof Mohammad Almojaddidi Alfesani and relevant faculty members were also present at the meeting.

The representatives discussed the progress, success, and future prospects of a Burmese language training project designed for teachers working in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.

Implemented from July 2024 to June 2026, the project aims to make Rohingya teachers proficient in Burmese so they can effectively teach the Myanmar curriculum.

This initiative strengthens the preparation of Rohingya children for future reintegration into Myanmar’s mainstream education system and society, while establishing an effective education model for displaced populations.

Funded by UNESCO Bangladesh, the project received implementation support from the Center for Development and Cooperation (CODEC).

The Institute of Modern Languages (IML) at Dhaka University served as the primary technical partner, with strategic direction provided by the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) and the Cox’s Bazar Education Sector.

A technical team led by Prof Saidur Rahman of the IML contributed significantly to developing the curriculum, creating a Learning Management System (LMS), monitoring training quality, and designing an international standard-based assessment system.

Prof Mohammad Ansarul Alam, Md Monir Uddin, and Jannatun Nahar served as members of the team

A total of 2,221 Rohingya teachers successfully completed the training, significantly boosting language education capacity and Myanmar curriculum implementation among the refugee population.

During the meeting, the UNESCO representatives praised Dhaka University for its successful execution of the project. They expressed their interest in developing broader cooperation for other training and skill-development activities in the future.

Prof ABM Obaidul Islam welcomed the university’s involvement in these humanitarian and international development activities, expressing hope to further expand the existing partnership with UNESCO.