President Abdul Hamid on Thursday underscored the need for planning educational programmes by universities of the country in line with the labour market.
“Educational programmes have to be worked out in line with the labour market. It’s usually seen that the students can’t study the subjects of their choice and interest. They’re compelled to study the subjects which they are given through admission tests. This can’t be the measurement system of higher education,” he said.
The President said this while addressing the 17th convocation of North South University (NSU) on its campus in the city’s Bashundhara area.
A total of 1,425 students were awarded degrees at the convocation.
Farzana Alamgir, Tabinda Islam and Farzana Karim Arpita were awarded Chancellor Gold Medals while Haniam Maria and Najath Quamrul Islam the Vice Chancellor Gold Medals.
Abdul Hamid, also Chancellor of the University, said acquiring knowledge by students gets hampered if there is the absence of interest and in pursuing education. “This also hampers the purpose of education.”
“Bertrand Russell in his book ‘On Education’ had said the purpose of university is two — to prepare men and women with education for their professions and acquire higher-level of knowledge with scope for research. So, we want to see students contribute to society something valuable through higher education and research,” he said.
He went on saying, “University teachers have to engage themselves in research. There must have scopes for them to know what type of work is going on in their related subjects in other countries.”
Education is the first stair to build a nation, the President said adding, “Education doesn’t mean only economic and social development, it also means developing students intellectually with non-communal spirit, and above all awakening deep patriotism.”
The President stressed the need for combining joy with education saying that affection for people, humanity, culture, tradition, and knowledge and technology-based techniques must be infused in education.
“We need the education that can create creative and enlightened people, not the certificate-oriented education or the kind of education which rely on reading of textbooks and memorising guidebooks.”
Abdul Hamid hoped that education is the key to entering the world of enlightenment which has thousands of passages to it. “I hope the education will become the open window for the locked chamber of darkness and superstition. “
Mentioning that the rate of students in the country’s higher education is fourth in the world, the President said, “If we can build these huge students as world-class human resources through knowledge and skills, then it’s possible for the country, at any stage, to attain socioeconomic goals within a short time.”
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, UGC Chairman AK Azad Chowdhury, former US congresswoman and convocation speaker Cynthia Ann Mckinney, NSU board of trustees chairman Ragib Ali and NSU VC Dr Amin Sarker, among others, spoke on the occasion.
Source: UNB Connect
