Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has urged a shift in the country’s education system from degree-centric trends to skill-oriented and technical training for SSC and HSC graduates, rather than pushing all students into university admission competitions.
Salahuddin said universities must transcend the boundaries of job-oriented education to become centres for research, innovation, and the practice of free intellect.
He made these remarks at a discussion meeting organised on Monday to mark the University Day of Jagannath University (JnU).
Salahuddin noted that higher education opportunities should be ensured for those interested in teaching and research, while not every student needs to attend university.
Instead, a section of students ought to be equipped with employment-focused, skill-dependent, and technical education.
Highlighting educated unemployment in the country, Salahuddin remarked that national development cannot be achieved merely through obtaining academic degrees.
He stressed qualitative changes in education aligned with modern global demands, stating there is no alternative to a technology-, innovation-, and research-based education system to survive in global competition.
Underscoring the importance of the semiconductor industry and artificial intelligence (AI), Salahuddin noted that these technologies play a pivotal role in shaping the future global economy.
He called for reviewing how much knowledge and research Bangladeshi universities are pursuing in these fields.
To capitalise on global manufacturing shifts and new investment opportunities, he urged the creation of trained human resources so that Bangladesh does not become an alternative destination for discarded industries from other countries.
Addressing political transitions, Salahuddin pointed out that political changes often disrupt the continuity of public welfare work initiated by previous administrations.
He said that for the country’s interest, good initiatives begun by one government should be continued by successive ones, maintaining development and public interest continuity despite changes in state power.
Regarding Jagannath University’s second campus project, Salahuddin shared that he had learnt about plans to build a new campus with residential facilities on nearly 200 acres of land in Keraniganj.
Acknowledging students’ demands regarding accommodation, he described them as positive but advised against irrelevant movements.
He assured that initiatives would be taken to meet reasonable demands at appropriate times based on the government’s financial capability and available resources.
