With the changing face of economy and education, there is a growing need for stronger industry-academia interface. There is a perceivable difference between classroom teaching and industry requirements. In Bangladesh, industry requirements move at a fairly fast pace. However, the pace of change in academics is relatively slower. While the syllabi get updated over periods spanning over five to 10 years, the industry evolves in a matter of few months, so does its resource requirements. Hence, faculty development and teaching modernisation have to be accelerated so that a young population can make the most of the industry opportunities. Some of the areas in which the gap exists include lack of quality faculty, lack of high quality ICT and connectivity infrastructure. The curriculum needs to be overhauled. There is a need to introduce application-oriented learning with meaningful exercises so that academic learning becomes relevant when students join industry. The focus on research areas should be on a par or ahead of the global innovation pace. Moreover, higher education in Bangladesh does not focus on soft skills (verbal or written communication, working on interpersonal skills and team collaboration), which should be a priority. Higher education reform should be given utmost importance in terms of policy as well as implementation at the university level. Public-private partnerships in higher education can play the role of a catalyst. Specific opportunities abound in areas of faculty development, skill development and curriculum changes where industry partners can provide knowledge, expertise and support to address gaps.
As the world is going through an economic slowdown and facing demographic challenges, Bangladesh can now have a competitive advantage in many areas by channelling the energy of its young workforce. But, this will be possible only if the young workforce is adequately trained to operate efficiently within the dynamics of a changing work environment. Human capital is the key to a long-lasting sustainable advantage for nations as well as organisations. Bangladesh could lose a golden opportunity to use this valuable human capital and drive sustainable socio-economic development that is commensurate with the aspirations of its citizens. Academia should join hands with the industry to strengthen research, curriculum, entrepreneurship and employability agendas.
Developing and strengthening an innovative mindset by encouraging more students to do PhDs and attracting them to teaching as a career are some of the initiatives that can be taken by joining hands with the industry.