The Canadian University Application Centre has helped make the dreams of over a thousand Bangladeshi students -- to study abroad -- come true.  

Since 1997, CUAC and its member institutions have been the most respected and authoritative presence in Bangladesh for the promotion and pathway to higher education in Canada. There are many establishments in Dhaka that provide information on and help students with going abroad for higher education. But when it comes to interest in Canada, the CUAC office on Gulshan Road, Dhaka is an island of professionalism in a sea of sensational stories and unscrupulous sales pitches.

CUAC started very modestly in Dhaka -- working with two Canadian universities -- with a small liaison office inside a BRAC internet office. Today, almost two decades later, it's part of a global network with a dozen Canadian institutions.  

“We have been true to our founding principle,” says CUAC Bangladesh Director, Shafkat Ahmed Chowdhury. “We are about giving students and their families honest information and help them understand if Canada is the right choice, and if so, where and what they are eligible to study.”

Over the years CUAC has been an avid advocate of Canadian education. It has conducted hundreds of presentations at schools and universities in Bangladesh. Some of the leading schools in Dhaka have hosted the CUAC dozens of times, and always with the comfort of knowing that the guidance is expert and honest. The popularity of CUAC in Bangladesh has never been greater, as today CUAC's popular Facebook page (facebook.com/CUAC123) receives more inquiries from Bangladesh than any other country, including India.
The CUAC academic and career counselling services have always been free. The member institutions -- Canadian universities and colleges -- pay for the costs to have an office and staff in Bangladesh. Throughout the year, counsellors, advisors, professors and administrators from Canada come to Dhaka -- providing free informative sessions and individual appointments.

Last month the Saint Mary's University Dean of Science met students at the CUAC office. In the coming weeks, representatives from three more Canadian universities and one college will travel to Dhaka to make presentations at schools, meet with Bangladeshi universities and talk to students and their families.

Whether a student makes an appointment or walks into the CUAC office (on the 2nd floor of Hosna Centre), they have the opportunity to go through guidebooks on study options in Canada, watch videos about student life there and find out if they are eligible for admission. Applications are only accepted for those who are likely to be admitted.

“Being respectful of a student's time and aspirations is most important to us,” says CUAC Dhaka office manager and counsellor, Farhana Ali. “Unfortunately there are many misconceptions about studying in Canada, and it is our duty to give those interested a clear picture. If we can help them with an application, we do.”
Anyone interested in learning more about CUAC and higher studies in Canada, can contact the office by telephone (8826445, 01911365221) or by email ([email protected]).