Published : 19 Jul 2023, 08:24 PM
Updated : 19 Jul 2023, 08:24 PM
Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman has cancelled plans to attend a York University event titled ‘The ACO Canada Symposium 2023’ after he failed to secure a visa from the Canadian High Commission in Dhaka after a month.
Akhtaruzzaman applied for the visa on Jun 15, but has yet to get back his passport.
The symposium, jointly organised by The Association of Commonwealth Universities and Canada’s York University, was held on Tuesday.
Akhtaruzzaman was to leave Dhaka on Monday to attend the event. He scrapped his plans to travel on Jul 14 due to the delay.
“My meeting was scheduled for yesterday,” the Dhaka University VC said. “I needed to fly on Jul 16, but on the site it shows my visa is still processing. I had to cancel my trip. However, I was able to join the session online. [The organising committee] apologised for the issue.”
The Dhaka University vice-chancellor holds a diplomatic passport. As such, there has been much discussion and criticism of the visa delay.
Asked about the talk, the VC said, “Many nasty and uncivil people are misinterpreting the situation in negative ways. We don’t need to take everything we hear into consideration. The visa is still processing.”
The vice-chancellors, pro vice chancellors, academics, and specialists of ACO universities were invited to take part in the symposium.
It provided an opportunity to present experiences and discuss how universities are tackling inequality and the challenges they face in incorporating the Sustainable Development Goals.
Other topics up for discussion include access and inclusion in universities, social impact, and the role of higher education in addressing global issues.
