BRAC University, Swisscontact to develop ESG certificate course

BRAC University and Swisscontact signed an agreement yesterday at the university's Merul Badda campus in Dhaka to develop a professional certificate course on ESG for Bangladesh's export-oriented industries, particularly the ready-made garment sector.

ESG—environmental, social, and governance—refers to standards used to assess an organisation's environmental and social impact. While widely used in investment, ESG frameworks also influence customers, suppliers, employees, and the wider public.

The collaboration aims to create a nationally recognised learning pathway for professionals and graduates pursuing sustainability-focused careers. It also seeks to address the growing need for organisations to embed ESG practices as part of core business strategy, to achieve sustainable growth and meet stakeholder expectations.

The course will cover ESG frameworks, reporting, measurement, financing, and industry case studies. It will target factory professionals working in compliance, HR, and sustainability functions, as well as graduates, development practitioners, and staff from global brands and buying houses. Industry associations and institutions working on sustainability advocacy are also expected to benefit.

The initiative is part of Swisscontact's Promoting Green Growth in the Ready-Made Garments Sector through Skills (PROGRESS) project, funded by the Embassy of Sweden and the Embassy of Switzerland.

A total of twenty-four companies shared their insights and parameters at a focus group discussion last week, said Professor Shahidur Rahman of the Department of Economics and Social Sciences (ESS) while addressing the signing ceremony. BRAC University will explore the skills required and aims to develop the curriculum by 10 December, he added. The first batch of students is expected to enrol in January 2026, with a second intake planned for May or June.

BRAC University has been studying ESG for some time and has consulted international partners, including universities in the United Kingdom offering similar programmes, said Vice-Chancellor, Professor Syed Ferhat Anwar. The application goes beyond academics, he said, as BRAC University works on sustainability and the economic and social well-being of people.

Swisscontact is supporting green transition and decarbonisation in Bangladesh's garment sector, said Farzana Amin, Team Leader of PROGRESS. The country lacks qualified ESG professionals, with only a handful of local consultants, she said, expressing hope that the course would guide the launch of future postgraduate programmes.

Amin and BRAC University Treasurer, Ariful Islam, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.

Registrar, Dr David Dowland; Professor Wasiqur Rahman Khan, Chairperson of ESS; Professor Syed A Mamun; and Khairul Basher, Director of the Office of Communications, attended the ceremony. Also present were Ikramul H Sohel, Senior Programme Officer, Inclusive Economic Development, Embassy of Sweden; Helal Hussain, Country Director, Swisscontact Bangladesh; Sayedul Arefin, Coordinator, PROGRESS; and officials Nowshin Anjum and Syeda Suhaymah Ahmed.

BRAC University's collaboration with Swisscontact supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 4, 8, 9, 12 and 17.