National University launches reforms to build job-ready graduates
National University announced sweeping reforms on Friday to align higher education with the evolving needs of the labour market, Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr ASM Amanullah said.
He spoke at a press conference at the university's city office in Dhanmondi, Dhaka.
Professor Amanullah noted that National University has 2,284 affiliated institutions across 500 upazilas in 64 districts, enrolling nearly four million students.
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To boost employment prospects for this vast student body, the university is introducing programmes that make higher education more skills-based and technology-driven, he said.
He added that these initiatives support the government's priorities in youth and skills development, job creation, technology expansion, and higher education reform.
In response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, artificial intelligence, the digital economy, and shifting global job market demands, National University has made ICT courses compulsory for all undergraduates.
Developed in partnership with the government's a2i project and Unicef Bangladesh, the ICT curriculum is now under implementation. A significant number of skilled teachers will be needed to deliver ICT education nationwide.
The Vice-Chancellor said 12,000 college teachers are being trained as the first cohort of ICT trainers.
Prime Minister Tarek Rahman will inaugurate the training programme at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka on Sunday, 7 June. He will also launch the Multi-Language Institute and the "One Student One Tree" project, which aims to plant 20 million trees over the next five years.
Professor Amanullah said 89 core trainers and 840 master trainers have already been prepared to train college teachers in ICT, with technical support from the government's a2i project and Unicef Bangladesh.
Responding to questions from journalists, he said National University aims to prepare students as skilled human resources for the future, ensure their employability, and enhance their capacity in entrepreneurship and freelancing.
The university is also working to strengthen industry-academia linkages and expand digital and technology-focused education.
To this end, National University has signed memoranda of understanding with leading universities, technical education institutions, and organisations at home and abroad, with further discussions ongoing.
Professor Amanullah said the university's current industry-academia linkage rate is only 10%, with plans to increase it by 10 percentage points annually.
He expressed optimism that the industry-academia linkage rate could reach 50–60% by 2030.
The Vice-Chancellor said many students miss out on quality employment opportunities at home and abroad due to inadequate language skills.
To address this, National University has established the Multi-Language Institute, enabling students to learn a third language alongside Bangla and English.
The institute has begun operations at several colleges in Dhaka and plans a nationwide rollout.
Professor Amanullah said the university aims to contribute to the government's greening agenda through the "One Student One Tree" programme.
Under this initiative, around four million students will each plant one tree per year for the next five years. Motivation and awareness campaigns are already under way.
He expressed hope that, if implemented effectively, the university's reforms will drive significant change in Bangladesh.
Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Md Lutfar Rahman, Treasurer Professor Dr ATM Zafrul Azam, and Registrar Molla Mahfuz Al-Hossain attended the press conference.
