A four-day Student Grooming and University Orientation Programme is being held at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University (MBSTU) to help newly admitted students of the 2025–2026 academic session adapt quickly and effectively to university life.
The programme is being organised under the patronage of Vice-Chancellor ABM Shahidul Islam and is taking place from 18 to 21 July at Conference Room-1 and Conference Room-2 of the university’s 12-storey Academic Building, reads a press release.
The programme is being implemented in partnership with FutureNation, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bangladesh and Quazi Consultancy.
The four-day programme is designed to provide first-year students with practical insights into university life, the academic environment, leadership, personal development, communication skills, career planning and global opportunities.
Several 90-minute sessions are being conducted daily from 9:30am to 5:15pm. Students have been divided into four groups to participate in the sessions on a rotational basis.
On the opening day, two sessions titled “Life at MBSTU Beyond the Classroom” and “Building a Safe, Respectful and Ethical Campus” were held.
The sessions covered mental health and counselling services, student welfare, clubs and co-curricular activities, university rules and discipline, anti-ragging and anti-harassment measures, and the importance of maintaining a safe, respectful and ethical campus.
The sessions were conducted by Director of the Student Welfare and Counselling Centre Md Fazlul Karim and Proctor Monir Morshed.
On Sunday, Vice-Chancellor ABM Shahidul Islam addressed the session titled “A Successful Beginning to University Life” as the keynote speaker.
He highlighted the university’s vision, mission and values, academic integrity, sense of responsibility, critical thinking and the importance of fostering a culture of excellence.
The vice-chancellor said, “Getting admitted to a university is not merely the beginning of a journey towards earning a degree; it is the beginning of becoming a skilled, humane, ethical and responsible individual.
Alongside acquiring knowledge, developing character, creativity, leadership qualities and a sense of social responsibility is what truly makes a student successful.”
He added, “In today’s world, good academic results alone are not enough. Students must develop communication skills, technological competence, knowledge of artificial intelligence, innovative thinking, teamwork and problem-solving abilities. They should make the most of every opportunity during university life to prepare themselves for the future.”
On Monday (July 20), two sessions titled “Communicating with Confidence” and “Preparing for the Future Beyond the Classroom” will be held.
Experts from FutureNation, UNDP Bangladesh and Quazi Consultancy will discuss effective communication, academic and professional communication in English, presentation skills, artificial intelligence (AI), cyber security, entrepreneurship, scholarships, internships, career planning and global opportunities.
On the final day, July 21, a session titled “Lead Yourself Before Leading Others” will focus on building self-confidence, mental resilience, leadership, ethics, responsible citizenship, relationship building and conflict management.
Expressing hope about the initiative, ABM Shahidul Islam said such grooming and orientation programmes would play an important role in helping new students adapt successfully to university life, develop their personal and professional skills, and become responsible, innovative and future-ready graduates.
