NU-UNICEF join hands to prepare youth for global job market
UNICEF's Generation Unlimited (GenU) will partner with the National University (NU) to equip disadvantaged Bangladeshi youth with the skills and employability they need.
GenU Bangladesh, launched in 2019, aims to make 17 million young people employable and entrepreneurship-ready by 2025.
A discussion meeting titled 'Strategic Partnership to Strengthen Learning to Earn' was held on Wednesday in the conference room of the ICT building at the National University to discuss NU's joint initiative with UNICEF's GenU programme.
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The meeting was chaired by Professor Dr A S M Amanullah, Vice-Chancellor of the National University, with Urmila Sarkar, Principal Adviser of the Generation Unlimited–YPA Secretariat, attending as the chief guest.
Professor Amanullah noted that the National University is the largest in Bangladesh, overseeing nearly 70% of higher education, mostly for disadvantaged students. 'There is a huge opportunity to support them in various ways,' he said.
He noted that the university has introduced compulsory ICT and English education at the undergraduate and honours levels, reformed the curriculum, and is working with partners such as A2I and UNICEF to modernise education and enhance employability.
Urmila Sarkar emphasised the potential for collaboration between the UN, UNICEF and the National University to create job opportunities for Bangladeshi youth, with the university positioned to play a leading role.
Pro-Vice-Chancellors Professor Md Lutfar Rahman and Professor Dr Md Nurul Islam; UNICEF Programme Specialists Mamie Kiyo and Fahmida Shabnam; Education Manager Iqbal Hossain; Education Officer Mostafa Kamal; and Md Afzal Hossain Sarwar, Policy Analyst and Cluster Head of the government's A2I project, also spoke at the meeting.
Deans, registrars, exam controllers and directors of various departments of the National University were present at the event.
