CIU, HELP University and UCEP to develop skills platform

Chittagong Independent University (CIU), HELP University and UCEP Bangladesh have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a pilot skills and employability platform and strengthen education-to-employment pathways in Bangladesh.

The agreement was signed at the seminar, "Creating Pathways for Education, Skills and Employability: A Bangladesh–Malaysia Joint Initiative," held at the Samson H Chowdhury Centre of Dhaka Club, according to a press release.

The seminar was jointly organised by CIU, HELP University of Malaysia and UCEP Bangladesh, with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh.

Under the agreement, the three institutions will work to establish a pilot skills and employability platform and promote the implementation of Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning for Qualification (APEL.Q), Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning for Credit Award (APEL.C), Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), microcredentials and modular certification.

They will also support skills certification and employability for diverse groups of learners, develop industry-linked certification pathways and explore artificial intelligence-enabled platforms for learning, certification and workforce development.

The long-term goal is to develop a scalable model that could contribute to a future national skills, recognition and employability platform for Bangladesh.

The seminar was attended by Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, MP, Minister for Finance and Planning; Shama Obaed Islam, MP, State Minister for Foreign Affairs; and Mohd Shuhada Othman, High Commissioner of Malaysia to Bangladesh.

Senior government officials, diplomats, university leaders, industry experts and policymakers from Bangladesh and Malaysia also participated.

Shama Obaed Islam attended the inaugural session as chief guest, while Syed Mahmudul Huq delivered the welcome address.

Syed Mahmudul Huq, Convenor of the Committee on Academia–Industry Partnership and Member of the Board of Trustees of Chittagong Independent University, delivered the welcome address.

Dr Md Abdul Karim, Executive Director of UCEP Bangladesh; Datuk Professor Dr Paul Chan, Co-Founder and Chancellor of HELP University, Malaysia; and Professor Dr MM Nurul Absar, Vice Chancellor of Chittagong Independent University, spoke at the inaugural session.

Lutfe M Ayub, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Chittagong Independent University, chaired the inaugural session.

Two technical sessions examined emerging challenges and opportunities in education, skills development and workforce readiness.

The first session, titled "From Education to Employability: Aligning Learning, Skills and Industry Needs in the Age of AI and Emerging Technologies", was chaired by Md Anwar Hossain, Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Datuk Professor Dr Paul Chan delivered the keynote address, titled "Preparing Graduates for AI-Driven Industries: Lessons from Malaysia".

During the panel discussion, Engineer Md Ruhul Amin, Chairman of the Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB), discussed government reforms and the introduction of technical education from Class VI.

Mohammed Walid Hossain, Executive Programme Director (Additional Secretary) at the Ministry of Finance, highlighted government initiatives on education and employability.

Mohammed Enayetur Rahman, Founder, Chief Executive Officer and President of ULKASEMI, discussed semiconductors, the AI-driven digital economy and future workforce requirements.

The second session, titled "Human Capital Intelligence, Skills Recognition and Employability", was chaired by Dr Md Nazrul Islam, Secretary (East and West Wing) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Dr ASMA Haseeb, Former Dean of the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and Former Dean of the Innovative Industry and Sustainability Science Research Cluster at the University of Malaya, delivered the keynote address.

His presentation, titled "Intelligent National Platform for Human Capital: Scalable Pathway to Workforce Capability Planning for the Future", focused on the development of a national platform for workforce planning.

During the panel discussion, Datuk Professor Dr Paul Chan shared Malaysia's experience with APEL.Q, APEL.C, lifelong learning and quality assurance.

Professor Dr Aseef Iqbal, Dean of the School of Science and Engineering at Chittagong Independent University, discussed university transformation to improve employability.

Jamil Ahmed, Director General of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), highlighted the recognition of migrant workers' skills and its importance for overseas employment.

Both sessions concluded with interactive discussions that emphasised stronger collaboration among academia, industry and government to build a future-ready workforce.

Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury attended the concluding session as chief guest, and Syed Mahmudul Huq presented the seminar's key recommendations and proposed a way forward.

Syed Mahmudul Huq presented the seminar's key recommendations and proposed a way forward.

The session also featured remarks from Datuk Professor Dr Paul Chan; Md Mokhtar Ahmed, Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment; Dr Nazneen Kawshar Chowdhury, Executive Chairman (Secretary) of the National Skills Development Authority; Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed, Chairman of the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh; and Mohd Shuhada Othman.

Lutfe M Ayub delivered the closing remarks.

The seminar provided a platform for dialogue on strengthening cooperation among higher education institutions, industry and government, equipping graduates with future-ready skills, and addressing the opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and the evolving global labour market.