Neoliberal Universities and the Education of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences in Bangladesh

In this article, the author explores the neoliberal impacts on higher education in Bangladesh, how market-driven policies might limit the education of arts, humanities and social sciences, and whether or not this phenomenon may have consequences for the future of democracy in the country. First, the author focuses on the privatisation of higher education in the 1990s and the World Bank's influences on education policies, with specific reference to a recent policy reform initiative. Second, he takes a comparative look at the types of degree programmes offered by both public and private universities in Bangladesh. Finally, he situates his discussion in Martha Nussbaum's arguments to initiate a debate about whether or not the neoliberal universities' negligence in the education of arts, humanities and social sciences has implications for a strong and sustainable democracy.