Daffodil International University (DIU) has taken the lead in developing Bangladesh’s first Post-Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Sustainable Business and ESG Management.
The university hosted a strategic roundtable on learning needs for the proposed programme on Tuesday at the Daffodil Smart City campus.
DIU’s Faculty of Graduate Studies, through its Sustainability Wing, organised the session under Swisscontact’s PROGRESS project, funded by the Embassy of Sweden and the Embassy of Switzerland, a press release says.
Industry leaders, sustainability specialists, academics, policymakers, and prospective learners joined the discussion. They reviewed the fast-changing demands of the ready-made garments (RMG) sector, which accounts for more than 80% of Bangladesh’s export earnings and employs over four million people.
Speakers said the sector urgently needs professionals trained in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), decarbonisation, sustainability reporting, and governance compliance. They added that global buyers now insist on transparent and climate-responsible business practices, pushing factories to upgrade their ESG standards.
Participants called for a curriculum that mixes core ESG knowledge with practical, industry-focused learning. They highlighted technical skills such as energy auditing, data analytics, impact measurement, sustainability reporting, and governance compliance.
They also recommended hands-on modules using real factory data so professionals can apply ESG tools from day one.
The roundtable also discussed flexible learning pathways for mid-career professionals, especially women, who remain underrepresented in ESG leadership roles. Speakers noted growing job opportunities in emissions management, compliance audits, social performance, and climate-related disclosures as factories expand their sustainability functions.
DIU Registrar Dr Mohammed Nadir Bin Ali thanked Swisscontact, development partners, sector experts, academics, and industry representatives for their guidance. He said their inputs will help build an industry-ready curriculum.
Project Director Khalid Md Bahauddin said the insights shared at the event will shape the new PGD and strengthen Bangladesh’s position as a regional leader in ESG skills development.
Representatives from Swisscontact Bangladesh and DIU’s Sustainability Wing also attended the session.
