EDUCATION AS A STRATEGIC INSTRUMENT FOR SOVEREIGNTY: BANGLADESH IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This research paper examines education as a strategic instrument for sovereignty, arguing that a nation’s power now extends beyond military might to its intellectual and human capital. The paper employs a mixed-methods design, combining a qualitative, comparative case-study analysis with a quantitative field survey of 220 key stakeholders in Bangladesh. The findings reveal that while education was historically central to Bangladesh’s national identity, there is now a critical consensus that systemic weaknesses are creating strategic vulnerabilities. Survey data confirms that a severe curriculum-market mismatch (identified by 82% of respondents) and an acute ‘brain drain’ (rated as a severe threat by 88%) are undermining the nation’s economic and technological sovereignty. International case studies from nations like South Korea and Singapore provide models for strategically leveraging education for national resilience and economic transformation. The paper concludes with data-driven policy implications for Bangladesh, advocating for curriculum reforms, strategic investment in STEM education, and formalised military-academic partnerships. This research asserts that for developing nations, strategically managing education is not a social service but an indispensable pillar of modern statecraft and national security.