Whenever the topic of studying abroad for higher education comes up, most students first think of IELTS, the GRE or TOEFL. But there is another, fully legitimate and effective path that can lead to fully funded study abroad: learning a foreign language. Dhaka is home to several government-run cultural and language centers where students can learn German, French, Chinese, Korean or Russian and apply directly for that country’s government scholarships.
Goethe-Institut
The Goethe-Institut Bangladesh, located in Dhanmondi, Dhaka, has worked on German language and culture since 1961. After a long renovation, the center reopened in April 2025 at House 10 in Dhanmondi, and now offers German-language courses, exams, and a DAAD — German Academic Exchange Service — information center. That means students can learn German there and prepare to apply directly to various DAAD scholarship programs, which fund study at German public universities from undergraduate through PhD level. For details, visit https://www.goethe.de/en/index.html.
Alliance Française
Alliance Française de Dhaka has been teaching French in Bangladesh since 1959. Alongside its main center in Dhanmondi, the organization now has two additional branches, in Gulshan and Uttara, and currently runs courses out of all three locations. According to the organization, more than 6,000 students learn French there each year. After earning internationally recognized certifications such as the DELF and DALF, students can apply to French universities for higher education through Campus France. Details are available at afdhaka.org.
Confucius Institute
Dhaka University and BRAC University both host HSK, or Chinese Proficiency Test, centers. The Confucius Institute offers HSK preparatory courses. A strong HSK score significantly strengthens an application for the Chinese Government Scholarship, or CSC. Application deadlines for most programs typically fall in late February, though deadlines can vary by specific scholarship or university. One survey found that more than 1,200 Bangladeshi students went to China in 2025 on some form of government or university scholarship. The Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh has said the total number of Bangladeshi students currently in China is close to 20,000. For details or to learn the language at this institute, visit ci.cn/en.
King Sejong Institute
Two King Sejong Institutes currently operate in Dhaka — one at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), and the other at American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) — where Korean language is taught under the South Korean government’s program. Bangladesh regularly appears on the list of countries eligible for the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS), and the Korean Embassy in Dhaka opens applications for both undergraduate and graduate levels each year. Details are available at www.iksi.or.kr/lms/main/main.do.
Russian Cultural Centre
The Russian government’s scholarship quota for Bangladeshi students has grown significantly in recent years.
The Russian Cultural Centre in Dhaka, or Russian House, is a cultural and educational institution operated under Russian government supervision. It works to promote Russian language, art, culture and heritage in Bangladesh. According to Russian House Dhaka, the quota stood at just 65 in 2018 and has since risen to 200 in 2026. Scholarships are offered at various levels, from undergraduate through PhD, and Russian House also provides opportunities to learn the Russian language. It began operating in 1974 as the Soviet Centre of Science and Culture. It is currently located at 42 Bhasha Shainik M A Matin Sarak, Dhanmondi Residential Area, Dhaka-1205.
Dhaka University’s Institute of Modern Languages
Beyond the embassy-linked centers, one homegrown institution also plays a notable role: Dhaka University’s Institute of Modern Languages. The institute has worked in foreign-language education since 1974. With a faculty of roughly 50 teachers, it currently offers courses in more than 14 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Hindi. Courses run year-round, and students can enroll for training at any time, in any subject. For details on learning a language at this Dhaka University-run institute, visit www.iml-du.ac.bd.
Other languages
Students can also learn other languages through embassy-recognized institutions and pursue fully funded scholarships. Japanese is among the most notable. Passing Japan’s N4 or N5 exam can also lead to good scholarships at Japanese universities. Bangladeshi students have also become increasingly sought after at universities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and several other countries. Students interested can learn Arabic and apply for scholarships at universities in these countries as well. A new language can be a viable path to a higher-education scholarship — particularly for countries such as Germany, France, China, South Korea and Russia, where the number of scholarships keeps growing every year. Right here in Dhaka, at relatively low cost, you too can build a foundation in a new language.