PM pushes for mandatory industry-academia linkage

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday stressed the need for mandatory internships, apprenticeships and stronger industry-academia collaboration to make higher education more job-oriented and reduce unemployment among graduates, reports UNB.
"Many graduates remain unemployed despite completing higher education. One of the main reasons, many believe, is that while students earn academic qualifications, they often fail to acquire the practical, applied and technological skills," he said.
The Prime Minister made the remarks while inaugurating a national training programme, titled "Inclusion of Skills-Based Education in National University Curriculum", at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital.
Considering the situation, he said, the government wants to take effective steps to expand apprenticeship and internship opportunities and strengthen collaboration between universities and industries to make higher education more practical and relevant to the needs of the job market.
"To make the higher education system more technology-driven and employment-oriented, greater coordination between universities and the industrial sector, as well as mandatory internship and industry-academia linkage programmes, is now the demand of the time," Tarique Rahman said.
Initially, he said the programme will be implemented through partnerships between universities in divisional cities and local industries and business establishments.
As a result, the Prime Minister said, students will be able to gain practical skills alongside their academic studies while still studying, reducing the likelihood of unemployment after completing their education.
He said the government is also taking initiatives to create entrepreneurs directly from campuses.
As part of the plan, Tarique Rahman said, the government has decided to provide "seed funding" or "innovation grants" on a competitive basis for the commercialisation of innovative business ideas in colleges and universities.
He expressed hope that many young entrepreneurs will emerge through these initiatives and contribute to the country's economy instead of waiting for jobs after graduation.
The programme was organised by the National University as part of its initiative to train 12,000 college teachers across the country in vocational and technical education.
Highlighting the importance of developing skilled human resources, the Prime Minister said Bangladesh could emerge as a global role model if its youth and student population are transformed into a workforce equipped with knowledge, science and technology-based skills.
"The day is not far when Bangladesh can become a prosperous and self-reliant nation if we succeed in building a skilled generation," he said. Addressing young people, Tarique Rahman urged them to prepare themselves for the challenges of a rapidly changing world through education, skills and character building.
He encouraged students to acquire technological knowledge while remaining committed to the country's long-standing religious, social and moral values.
The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of learning foreign languages, saying proficiency in a third language alongside Bangla and English will significantly enhance employment opportunities both at home and abroad.