National University to strengthen industry links to address skills gap
At least one million students graduate from the National University every year, but around 40 percent struggle to find suitable employment, largely due to an outdated and traditional syllabus, university authorities said.
They noted that in the five decades since independence, higher education in Bangladesh has failed to establish effective links between education, research and industry. While global advancements in information technology have transformed job markets worldwide, Bangladesh has lagged behind in aligning its education system with these changes.
In response, the National University has undertaken initiatives to make higher education more work-oriented and contemporary. The undergraduate honours syllabus has been revised, with information technology and English made compulsory subjects. The university has also begun collaborating with institutions at home and abroad through academic exchange programmes and is working to strengthen industry–academia linkages.
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Several local and international organisations and universities, including Unicef, are supporting the National University's efforts to modernise higher education, officials said.
At the same time, the university authorities are holding consultations with principals and vice-principals of affiliated colleges to improve academic quality and modernise education management. As part of this process, a view-sharing meeting was held on Thursday at Rangamati Government College.
Addressing principals of colleges from Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban districts, National University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr ASM Amanullah said the reforms aim to make graduates more employable and better prepared for future challenges.
The meeting, chaired by Rangamati Government College Principal Professor Mohammad Nasimul Haque, allowed college principals to share experiences and raise various challenges and recommendations.
Professor Amanullah said that despite Bangladesh's large population, the country faces a shortage of skilled manpower due to insufficient investment in education.
"After independence, infrastructure development received priority, but similar emphasis was not placed on education development," he said.
He added that students must be developed as skilled citizens to meet future challenges, particularly those associated with the fourth industrial revolution. To that end, the National University is identifying existing problems in colleges through consultations and working towards solutions.
Professor Amanullah also said the university is considering forming a separate cell to ensure smoother operation of government colleges nationwide.
He further noted that initiatives have been taken to expand affiliation of master's, preliminary and degree pass courses in colleges across Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban districts.
