DHAKA, Jan 14, 2026 (BSS)- Academics and researchers in a meeting here today underscored the need for creating opportunities for graduate students to gain practical, latest technological and language skills to make them eligible for the global job market.

They made the call in a session titled ‘Future Outline of Higher Education: Increasing Graduate Employment Opportunities and Industry-Academia Collaboration’ on the third day of the ‘South Asian Higher Education Conference’ organised at a city hotel, a UGC press release said.

The conference is being held under the ‘Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HIT)’ project of the Bangladesh University Grants Commission (UGC).

Chaired by BRAC University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Syed Ferhat Anwar, the session was addressed by UGC member Professor Dr Mohammad Ayub Islam.

Speaking as the main discussant, Prof Ayub Islam said strengthening industry-academia cooperation now is the demand of time. 

It is not possible to sustain students in global competition by ignoring the needs of industry and trade institutions and teaching them only in traditional classrooms, he said. 

Prof Ayub said there is no alternative to effective partnership between the industry and higher education institutions to keep pace with technological changes.

The discussants suggested appointing ‘Industry Relations Officers’ in each university, who will assess the manpower and skill needs of industry and higher education institutions. 

In addition, the experts put emphasis on establishing industry parks and science parks in universities.

They said it is important to formulate time befitting policy frameworks and regularly update the curriculum to bridge gaps between higher education and industries.

Among others, BUET Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Abu Borhan Mohammad Badruzzaman, Rector of Pakistan's National University of Modern Languages Major General (retd) Shahid Mahmood Kayani, Executive Director of ICDDR,B Dr Tahmid Ahmed, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) Vice Chancellor Professor Dr AM Sarwaruddin Chowdhury, Vice Chancellor of North South University Professor Abdul Hannan Chowdhury and Vice Chancellor of Pabna Science and Technology University Professor Dr SM Abdul-Awal also spoke at the session.

Representatives of different countries, including the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and the World Bank are participating in the conference.

One of the goals of this event is to strengthen the higher education network of SAARC countries, the press release said.