UAP and University of Dhaka Sign MoA to Strengthen Pharmacy Education and Research
The School of Pharmacy, University of Asia Pacific (UAP), and the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, to strengthen academic and research collaboration between the two institutions.
The MoA aims to foster joint initiatives in research, faculty and student exchange, academic events, and other collaborative activities that will contribute to the advancement of pharmacy education and research. The agreement also provides a framework for technology transfer, joint research collaboration, and shared use of laboratory and research facilities between the two institutions, enabling faculty and students to access specialized equipment, instrumentation, and expertise available at either institution. This partnership reflects the shared commitment of both institutions to academic excellence, innovation, and the development of future healthcare professionals.
The signing ceremony was attended by Professor Dr. Mohiuddin Ahmed Bhuiyan, Acting Vice-Chancellor, UAP; Professor Dr. Swarnali Islam Khandaker, Controller of Examinations, UAP; Professor Dr. Md. Selim Reza, Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka; Professor Dr. Mohammad Shahriar, Dean, School of Pharmacy, UAP; Professor Dr. Zabun Nahar, Head, Department of Pharmacy, UAP; Professor Dr. Jakir Ahmed Chowdhury, Chairman, Department of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka; Emeritus Professor Dr. Mohammad Abdur Rashid; along with faculty members from both institutions.
Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Dr. Mohiuddin Ahmed Bhuiyan, Acting Vice-Chancellor, UAP, welcomed the agreement as a milestone in UAP's efforts to build stronger academic partnerships with leading institutions. He noted that the provisions for shared facility usage and technology transfer would allow both institutions to make more efficient use of their combined research infrastructure, and expressed hope that the collaboration would open new avenues for joint research and faculty development.
Professor Dr. Swarnali Islam Khandaker, Controller of Examinations, UAP, said the agreement would help align academic standards and examination practices between the two institutions, benefiting students through enriched learning experiences and exposure to shared academic resources.
Professor Dr. Md. Selim Reza, Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, remarked that the MoA marked an important step toward deeper cooperation between the country's oldest and one of its emerging pharmacy faculties. In a lighter moment, he recalled that many of UAP's senior pharmacy faculty, including its current School of Pharmacy leadership, were themselves graduates of the University of Dhaka's Faculty of Pharmacy, calling the agreement less a meeting of two separate institutions than "a homecoming formalized on paper." He highlighted that the technology transfer and research collaboration components of the agreement would be particularly valuable in translating laboratory findings into applied pharmaceutical innovations, and expressed confidence that joint research initiatives would strengthen the broader pharmaceutical sciences community in Bangladesh.
Professor Dr. Jakir Ahmed Chowdhury, Chairman, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, marked this MoA program an important milestone for the two institutions. He said the agreement represents more than a signed document, it reflects our collective aspiration to strengthen collaboration in education, research, innovation, capacity building, and the exchange of knowledge and expertise.
Professor Dr. Mohammad Shahriar, Dean, School of Pharmacy, UAP, said the partnership would create meaningful opportunities for UAP faculty and students to engage in collaborative research and academic exchange with the University of Dhaka. Sharing a forward-looking note, he suggested that the two institutions explore co-supervised PhD tracks and joint grant applications to international funding bodies as a next step, rather than limiting the collaboration to conventional exchange visits. He added that access to shared facilities and instrumentation under the agreement would significantly enhance the quality and scope of ongoing research at both institutions, noting that such collaborations were essential for elevating the standard of pharmacy education nationally.
Professor Dr. Zabun Nahar, Head, Department of Pharmacy, UAP, said the agreement reflected the department's ongoing commitment to expanding research capacity and building institutional linkages. She pointed out that the facility-sharing arrangement would help address common infrastructural constraints faced by pharmacy departments and expressed optimism that it would encourage joint publications and shared training opportunities for faculty and students.
As the ink dries on this new chapter of academic partnership, the University of Asia Pacific and the University of Dhaka stand united not merely by a signed document, but by a shared vision for the future of pharmacy in Bangladesh. What began as a single agreement signed on a Wednesday afternoon carries within it the promise of laboratories buzzing with joint discovery, classrooms enriched by cross-institutional exchange, and a new generation of pharmacists shaped by the combined strength of two respected institutions. UAP looks forward to a productive partnership --- one that transforms shared ambition into shared achievement, and opens new horizons for academic growth, research excellence, and knowledge exchange.