Since its inception in 2001, BRAC University (BRACU) has inspired excellence in teaching, research and innovation. In 2025, BRACU published 4.1% of the 21,951 Scopus-indexed documents from Bangladesh. Research at BRACU spans computer science, medicine, engineering, social science, mathematics, environmental science, decision science, business, management, energy physics, economics, biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, agricultural and biological science, material science, arts and humanities, pharmacology and toxicology, nursing, earth and planetary science, and immunology and microbiology.

To shape the research landscape in Bangladesh and beyond, BRACU is investing in building its research ecosystem, the institutional machinery to facilitate the conversion of research efforts into evidence, policy and products. The research ecosystem at BRACU is a set of connected functions that interact to develop, share and apply scientific evidence and innovations.

The research ecosystem at BRAC University

In November 2024, BRAC University set out four core pillars for its new strategic plan: curriculum, teaching and learning; research for impact; student centricity; and amplifying impact through BRAC–BRAC University synergy. Through the ‘Research for Impact’ pillar, BRACU commits to pursuing excellence through research that addresses social and economic challenges and yields solutions for Bangladesh and beyond. Accordingly, BRACU’s research ambition is explicit: to become a leading university from the Global South in research outcomes and impact, measured by social and economic benefits.

Delivering on this commitment required reshaping BRACU’s research ecosystem. At the centre of the ecosystem are the schools, departments, institutes and centres where research is actually conducted. Around the centre, we have been assembling the functions that no individual faculty member can perform alone. The research strategy function sets priorities for schools, departments, institutes and centres. Research governance, through the Institutional Review Board and the Research Core Committee, protects participants and research integrity.

Grant management deals with the proposal-to-award pipeline; implementation management supports the delivery of research activities. The data management function preserves data quality from collection to storage, and a research archive preserves what we produce. Investigators on research projects deposit their datasets in the BRACU Dataverse and other knowledge products in BRACU DSpace. The knowledge management function facilitates the capture and reshaping of knowledge products for wider dissemination and policy impact.

The capacity-strengthening function builds the research skills of faculty members, researchers and students in research ethics, grant proposal development, data analysis and research communication. Performance management makes research productivity visible, and a recognition and rewards system provides additional incentives to motivate BRACU researchers. The Central Research and Innovation Office coordinates all these functions, while a Technology Transfer Office (TTO), along with a Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC), manages intellectual property and supports licensing and commercialisation.

Figure 1: Research Ecosystem at BRAC University

The importance of a revamped research ecosystem

A revamped research ecosystem is fundamental to reshaping the traditional model of universities in Bangladesh into a research-intensive model. In a traditional university in Bangladesh, faculty roles are primarily focused on teaching, with research activities undertaken incidentally.

In the research-intensive model, research and teaching are integrated and incentivised. Intellectual property and innovation are largely absent from the traditional model; in the research-intensive model, technology transfer and commercialisation are active functions with dedicated staff and financial resources. The traditional university model has a locally oriented footprint, while the research-intensive model is embedded in national and international research networks.

The traditional model measures success based on enrolment and pass rates, whereas in a research-intensive model, success also depends on quality, policy uptake, intellectual property generated and patents approved. More importantly, in the traditional model, the funding base is dependent on tuition fees or government support, while the research-intensive university model diversifies its funding base through grants, industry contracts and licensing.

A functioning research ecosystem is therefore central to the transition from a teaching-focused university to one that integrates research and teaching. A research ecosystem is also important for bridging academia, government and industry so that innovation emerges from their intersection to make a lasting impact.

The future ahead

Bangladesh’s transition to middle-income status will depend on whether it can innovate and apply innovations to bring about social and economic change. Universities are where innovations emerge and pathways to their application are reshaped. A functional research ecosystem is an urgent requirement for all universities in Bangladesh to foster innovation and its application.

The work under way at BRACU is far from over. However, the direction of this work has been set, and the destination is clearly in sight: a research-intensive university that works in collaboration with the government and industry and fosters social and economic change through science and innovation.