How are they fostering soft skills

With competition for jobs heating up, universities are seeking ways to offer their graduates an edge in the employment market. Will a second marksheet – one that focuses on a student's soi-disant soft skills – do the trick?

Once extracurricular activities were available only in the country's public universities. But in the last two decades, private universities have switched much of their focus to developing soft skills like photography, professional writing, painting and debating.

According to educationists, mastery in those skills helps students acquire professional attitude, develop intercultural fluency, attain work ethics and build leadership.       

Syed Manzoorul Islam, a former professor of Dhaka University, points out that now private university graduates are able to prove their competence in various ways both at home and abroad thanks to the extracurricular activities on top of the well-structured curricula.

He said many private university student clubs are now participating in experience sharing programmes even with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). They are participating in various international competitions, science fairs and tech exhibitions – developing their talent and brightening the image of Bangladesh.  

"These students are also getting priority in the job market," he told The Business Standard. 

Prof AFM Mafizul Islam, vice-chancellor of the Southeast University, said they have 18 student clubs, as he took pride in the university moot court that earned the inter-university championship title several times.   

"Our cricket club also won the championship in Clemon Indoor Uni-cricket recently," he told The Business Standard. 

Students say the clubs enable them to spread the wings and add value to personal portfolios.       

"Despite being a BBA [Bachelor of Business Administration] student, photography still remains at the core of my passion. My university helps me keep shining on both," Adib Jaman Niloy, a student of the country's first private university North South University, told The Business Standard.

The university now has 21 student clubs and societies. Art and Photography club is one of those that has been quite popular among the students. 

Niloy said his membership to the club helped him participate in three international photo exhibitions.       

Md Pizuar Hossain, a senior lecturer of law at the East West University and also a coach at the university's moot court, believes the student clubs mainly play a key role in developing self-confidence.

Pizuar – a Brac University alumnus who travelled around half a dozen countries in his student life representing the Brac University moot court – said it is not easy to talk, debate and present oneself everywhere if they get bogged down in studies.

"The clubs prepare a student in such a way that they can represent their institution as well as the country anywhere," he added. 

Shahdeen Malik, former director of Brac University School of Law, said the extracurricular activities are crucial for career development and supercharging the resume. 

Student clubs at the private universities are mostly funded by the members. In some cases, the clubs get grants from respective authorities. But foreign universities keep aside large allocations from institutional funds for the student bodies. 

Prof Imran Rahman, vice-chancellor of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, said extracurricular activities at universities are still considered optional, but it should be mandated. 

Educationists say the University Grants Commission (UGC) can formulate a guideline specifying allocations for the clubs.