Co-creating Doctoral Program through TNE in Bangladesh |

A new chapter for doctoral training in Bangladesh

Bangladesh's higher education sector is entering a transformative phase. Recent regulatory developments now allow private universities to offer doctoral programmes, opening the door to wider access, a more diverse pool of researchers, and a response to the country's pressing need for high-quality, locally-grounded doctoral training.
This project responds to that opportunity. The University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) and the University of Portsmouth (UoP) are working together to cocreate an interdisciplinary dual doctoral degree in the Social Sciences, delivered through transnational education (TNE). The curriculum, resources, and partnership model are being designed from the outset to be adopted and adapted by other Bangladeshi private universities, extending the project's reach well beyond a single institutional partnership.

Why it matters

Until recently, doctoral programmes in Bangladesh have been almost exclusively offered by public universities, with admissions processes that have historically excluded graduates from private institutions and non-traditional academic pathways. Many qualified Bangladeshis have had to pursue doctoral studies abroad at considerable personal and financial cost.
Extending high-quality doctoral provision to private universities is a meaningful step toward inclusivity in higher education. It widens the talent pool, strengthens national research capacity, and supports innovation and socio-economic development. By embedding gender sensitivity, interdisciplinarity, and environmental responsibility into the programme design, the project aims to set a benchmark for what doctoral education in Bangladesh can become.

Timeline

The project runs from January 2026 to May 2027, organised into five connected phases. Each phase builds on the previous, moving from sector analysis and stakeholder consultation through to curriculum development, quality benchmarking, and sector-wide dissemination.

Phases

Phase 1: Sector review and project launch

Phase 2: Stakeholder cocreation

Phase 3: Quality assurance capacity strengthening

Phase 4: Quality assurance benchmarking

Phase 5: Dissemination and signing

TNE Delivery Framework

A framework outlining a potential model for delivering doctoral training through transnational

education between UK and Bangladeshi institutions. It covers programme structure, doctoral training types (research and professional), supervisory arrangements, and assessment approaches. The framework is designed to be adapted by other partnerships.

Curriculum

Dual doctoral programme curriculum

The final curriculum for the interdisciplinary dual doctoral programme in the Social Sciences, cocreated through stakeholder consultation and benchmarked against international quality assurance standards. The curriculum is published openly and is designed for adoption and adaptation by other Bangladeshi private universities.

Training Materials

Quality assurance training for transnational education

Recordings and accompanying materials from the quality assurance training delivered by the Quality

Assurance Agency for Higher Education for representatives of Bangladeshi private universities. Topics include quality assurance principles for TNE, programme design considerations, and benchmarking against international standards.

Co-creation Topic Guide

The topic guide used to structure co-creation meetings with prospective students, university staff, and employers. Made available for reuse by other partnerships wishing to run similar participatory consultations.

Academic publications and presentations

Project publication

A peer-reviewed article documenting the project's process, partnership model, and lessons learned, intended for an international higher education audience.

Conference presentations

Slides and abstracts from conference presentations delivered by the project team in the United Kingdom and Bangladesh

Get Involved

There are several ways to engage with this project, whether you represent a university considering doctoral provision, a prospective student, an employer, or a media outlet. The sections below outline the main entry points. For any enquiry, please use the form at the bottom of the page.
Visit our Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/codoc-bangladesh/

For Private Universities
We are particularly keen to hear from Bangladeshi private universities interested in:
1. Attending the quality assurance training delivered by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.
2. Participating in the cocreation meetings shaping the dual doctoral programme curriculum.
3. Adapting the project's curriculum, framework, and resources for use in their own institutions.
4. Exploring future transnational education partnerships with UK-based institutions.
If your institution is interested in any of these opportunities, please get in touch using our email address: [email protected]

For Prospective Students

If you are considering doctoral study and would like to follow the development of the dual doctoral programme, we invite you to sign up for project updates on the News and Events page. We will share progress on the programme design, application timelines once available, and opportunities to take part in the cocreation meetings.

For Employers (via FBHRO)

Employers across academia, industry, government, and the non-profit sector have a stake in the calibre and relevance of doctoral graduates. Through our partnership with the Federation of Bangladesh Human Resource Organizations, we are convening employer cocreation meetings to ensure the programme produces graduates ready for the world of work.