DU to update curriculum to face 4IR challenges

The University of Dhaka (DU) has decided to update its overall syllabus with a view to building skilled and innovative graduates to tackle the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution.

Apart from modernising the syllabus, the university will also update the assessment procedure to adapt to the new learning system.

Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman, vice-chancellor of DU, told The Business Standard that the decision has been taken considering the rapidly changing world and capacity of the university, as well as national and international needs.

The DU's syndicate recently formed a 16-member committee led by Professor Dr Haseena Khan of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology to update the syllabus. The committee will submit a report with their recommendations within the next three months.

University sources said last year letters were sent to all departments to update the syllabuses following the world standard in education curriculum. They were also asked to evaluate their department's academic activities and take measures to ensure quality education.

In response to the evaluations, the DU authorities reduced the number of seats by more than 1,000 to meet an equitable teacher-student ratio from the 2021-22 academic year.

Speaking to TBS, Professor Dr ASM Maksud Kamal, pro-vice-chancellor (Academic) of DU, said, "We are going to update the syllabus to reflect the Outcome Based Education (OBE). I believe that we will be able to create the curriculum within the shortest possible time as our committee members are highly capable of doing so."

The OBE is a system of restructuring the syllabi around contents that directly increase students' proficiency in a particular skill or knowledge.

"The curricula should be prepared considering an assessment of needs, syllabus, medium and evaluation. The whole world will have to prepare for the fourth industrial revolution. So, Dhaka University will be one of the leaders of that era in terms of [creating] skilled manpower," he said.

Committee member Professor Dr Ak Azad Chowdhury, former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University and also former chairman of University Grants Commission, said, "It is very positive sign that the university is going to update its curriculum. The future world is very competitive. So, our graduates must be skilled and also qualified. We will try to provide a good curriculum which will contribute to producing innovative graduates," he added.

Prof Syed Manzoorul Islam, former teacher of DU's English Department and another committee member, welcomed the initiative, saying, "It [OBE] is a good system. But the university must ensure an equal learning atmosphere for each student. Otherwise it will not be fruitful in Bangladesh."

Professor Dr Khandoker Bazlul Haque, honourary professor of the International Business Department, Professor Dr Atiur Rahman, honourary professor of the Development Studies Department and former governor of Bangladesh Bank are among the other committee members.

UGC's initiative

The University Grants Commission (UGC) sources said it has encouraged the public and private universities to update their curriculum, sending each a letter in this regard earlier.

The Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) of the UGC will train at least five selected teachers from each public and private university on the OBE system.

These teachers will later train at least two more teachers from each department, who will work on reconfiguring the syllabus.

The UGC believes that every graduate must be creative, highly skilled, flexible, innovative, a critical thinker and possess the entrepreneurial spirit to tackle the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution. The OBE system is crucial for producing such graduates.

Bangladesh has been witnessing an increasing demand for higher education and for institutions that provide it. Wider access to higher education has become necessary to address the diversifying demands of local and global job markets.

Improving the quality of higher education involves improving the curriculum, faculty, resources, academic facilities and research opportunities.

Professor Dr Biswajit Chanda, member of the UGC, told TBS that they will cooperate and provide all the help to the Dhaka University authorities in implementing the restructuring of the curriculum.

"The university's initiative will encourage other public and private universities to update their syllabus," he said.