Research and development should get priority in universities

Research and development (R&D) should get more priority both in public and private universities of the country to get skilled graduates to meet the local demand as well as global market demand. 

Moreover, it needs to focus on how the requirement and skill gap can be mitigated. 

Academicians and industry owners made these observations at a roundtable discussion titled “Strengthening Collaboration between the Private Sector & Academia: The Way Forward” organised by Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) on 6 July 2024.

Academics  from different renowned public and private universities took part in the discussion to identify the challenges of industry-academia collaboration. 

DCCI President Ashraf Ahmed said, “Every year around two million graduates come into the job market, but we cannot accommodate all of them. According to BIDS, unemployment among graduates in the country is 66%. Furthermore, a World Bank survey reveals that 46% employers struggle to find job seekers with the necessary skills, while 69% report shortages of skilled manpower for technical and managerial roles. Experts are being hired from outside for key positions to run the industry and billions of dollars are flowing out of the country. On the other hand, due to lack of skills our manpower is not getting high paying jobs abroad.” 

Industry- Academia needs to work together to develop both soft and hard skills of the  graduates, he said, adding that  shared efforts and contributions by universities and private sector on research of contemporary matters can enrich and create new learning on macroeconomic matters. 

Vice Chancellor of ULAB Prof Imran Rahman said around 40% of young graduates are still unemployed and something should be done for them. 

“In our country university students through their internship can actually learn a little. As a result, there should be an apprenticeship for better learning out of the theoretical background,” he said adding, “Still many of our subjects or curricula studied in the universities do not have much demand even in the global market. Therefore,  emphasis should be given on popularising ICT and science based education more and more to compete with the world moving fast.”

BUET Professor Dr Muhammad Anisuzzaman Talukder said there should have been a strong trust between the industry and academia sector.

“In Bangladesh, our university curriculum is quite good but in some cases few good things can be included. But frequent changes in curriculum will not bring any good result for the students,” he said.

Prof Dr AKM Waresul Karim of North South University, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Saadat Hossain,ndc,psc, Dean, Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), Ltd. Col. Khondoker Zahirul Alam, psc, G (Retd.), Director, international affairs, BUP, Dr. Mohammad Zahedul Alam, Professor, BUP, Md. Yeashir Arafat, Assistant Director, FBS, BUP, Professor Dr. Mohammed Masum Iqbal, Dean, Dhaka International University, Dr. Md. Abdur Rahman, Pro-Vice Chancellor, AIUB, Dr. Partha P. Chowdhury, Professor, AIUB, Dr. Salma Karim, Professor, UIU, Dr. Md. Quamruzzaman, Associate Professor, UIU, Professor Nazmul Ahsan Khan, Dean, NUB, Khairul Alam, Assistant Professor, NUB and Dr. Khaled Mahmud, Professor, IBA also took part in the discussion.