National University reforms curriculum to boost employability
National University (NU), Bangladesh's largest higher education institution, with 2,257 affiliated colleges and over 3.5 million students, is implementing reforms to better prepare students for the global job market.
With 70 per cent of higher education students, mainly from middle- and lower-middle-class backgrounds, NU aims to address unemployment resulting from outdated syllabuses and limited technical and English proficiency.
To bridge this gap, NU has decided to make ICT and English courses compulsory for undergraduate students, aiming to enhance technical proficiency and English language skills for improved employability. The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division will provide full technical support for implementing this initiative, confirmed Faiz Ahmed Tayyab, Special Assistant to the Principal Adviser on Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology.
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He said, "The Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology will work jointly with the National University on technological initiatives, including automation of examination result publication, to improve efficiency and transparency".
Tayyab made the remarks while virtually addressing a three-day workshop on 'Online Training Content Development for Teachers in Implementing the National University's ICT Curriculum', held on Friday at a resort in Maona, Gazipur, where he joined as the Chief Guest.
UNICEF Chief of Education, Deepa Shankar, joined the event virtually as a Special Guest, while NU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr ASM Amanullah, presided over the session.
Highlighting the need for reform, Professor Amanullah said, "The country still lags behind others due to insufficient investment in education after independence. It is time to prioritise education to develop skilled human resources".
He added, "With the government, a2i and UNICEF's support, the ICT curriculum is advancing well. Once launched, it is expected to help students become proficient in technology and entrepreneurship, which could significantly enhance their employment opportunities, both nationally and internationally".
The workshop was jointly organised by the National University, the Aspire to Innovate (a2i) Programme under the ICT Division and UNICEF Bangladesh.
Speakers included Md Abdur Rafiq, Project Director of the a2i Programme; Afzal Hossain Sarwar, Policy Analyst; Abdullah Al Fahim, Head of Programme; and Rafiqul Islam Sujan, Education Specialist at UNICEF.
The event, moderated by Salma Parveen, Director of NU's Teacher Training Department, also featured remarks from Associate Professor Dr Nazma Tara.
Sessions focused on online training design, scriptwriting, content validation and finalisation, with ICT teachers, content developers and education specialists from NU-affiliated colleges, UNICEF and a2i participating.
