UK Qualifications Fair on in city

Visitors at the UK Qualifications Fair 2007 that began at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the city yesterday.Photo: STAR

Numerous possibilities to acquire a United Kingdom (UK) degree without studying abroad are on display at the UK Qualifications Fair 2007, which was inaugurated yesterday at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka.
The Fair also runs in Dhaka today and then moves on to Chittagong and Sylhet.
Chief guest at the opening ceremony was Science and ICT Adviser Tapan Chowdhury who said UK qualifications are widely accepted as the "gold standard" when it comes to academic standards and worldwide recognition.
Good education and internationally recognised qualifications would "help our people in acquiring the skills they need to compete in a global market," he added.
There were numerous examples of how UK qualifications had made a great contribution to building Bangladesh, said Prof Nazrul Islam, chairman of University Grants Commission, while speaking as guest of honour.
Kevin Ringham, head of trade of British High Commission to Bangladesh, expressed his hope that the fair would help strengthen the relationship between the United Kingdom and Bangladesh.
The fair has been organised by the British Council Bangladesh and brings together four UK awarding bodies and sixteen local education providers.
Speaking to The Daily Star, Nasreen Sultana of British Council highlighted the advantages of acquiring a British degree in Bangladesh through distant learning.
"If a student goes to the UK, the costs are easily eight to ten times higher, and she or he will probably also start missing the family," said Nasreen.
"We count some 1500 students in Bangladesh, most of them are between 18 and 24 years old and study law," said Mark Simmons of University of London, the first provider of distant learning in the world since 1858.
"So far we have got a tremendous response, thousands of people are coming here and they are very enthusiastic about getting an international degree," said Farial Huq Islam, director of Delta School of Business.
"Distant learning makes it affordable to reach my professional goal," said 23-year-old Morshada Alam who wants to study law and become a barrister.
Refat Uddin Akter, a first year college student, came here because he is eager to get information about higher education in business administration.
The fair will run at Peninsula Hotel in Chittagong on November 11 and 12, and at Nirvana Inn in Sylhet on November 15.