Experts at a seminar on Saturday observed that there is no alternative to ensuring better collaboration and synchronization between the industry and academia to secure the future economic development as well as to reduce the existing skill mismatch.
Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) organised the seminar titled “Industry-Academia Linkage: Employability of Graduates in the Changing Global Context” at the DCCI conference room.
Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni, MP was present on the occasion as the chief guest while Executive Chairman (Secretary), National Skills Development Authority (NSDA) Nasreen Afroz was present as guest of honour.
Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni stressed the commercialization of research and development initiatives.
She said that a transformation in our national curriculum system is already visible, reiterating to bringing in soft skills, re-skilling and up-skilling, team-work development, technology adaptation, changing mindset, demand mapping and expediting TVET education.
She said at present enrollment rate in the TVET is 17%, she informed. Diversification of education is more important, it will not be the right decision to attract our students only to medical or engineering education system.
DCCI President Barrister Md. Sameer Sattar, while addressing, said that Industry-Academia linkage is instrumental in creating a skilled and industry-oriented workforce. It ensures a workforce - ready with a specialized skills set for the relevant industries but the linkage has still not been fully developed due to our conventional educational system.
The absence of an academia-industry harmony results in an increasing skills gap in the workforce, he added. So, it is very important to focus on industry-academia linkage in order to take full advantage of Bangladesh’s demographic dividend.
Nasreen Afroz, Executive Chairman (Secretary), National Skills Development Authority (NSDA) said that the NSDA is keen to create skilled manpower to export.
She also informed that a ‘Skills Qualification Framework’ has been formed under the Chairmanship of the Education Minister.
Fourteen (14) skills development councils have already been formed, she informed.
Dr. Sayema Haque Bidisha, Professor of Economics, University of Dhaka and Research Director, SANEM presented the keynote paper.
She highlighted that one of the challenges of the labor market of Bangladesh is absence of strong linkage between the supply and demand sides- primarily between the academia and the industry.
Mohammad Abdul Momen stressed on need-based curriculum development, development of IT infrastructure, skills training and adopting industry-specific programmes.
Vice Chancellor of BUET Prof. Satya Prasad Majumder underscored the importance of having joint collaboration and cooperation between industry and academia. Industries should come forward with more research and development with their own investment, he added.
