Staff Correspondent

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called upon students to utilise their acquired education and skills for the welfare of the country and its people.

"The education and skills you have acquired must be utilized for the welfare of the country and its people while prioritising the interests of common people," he said.

"True value of success won't be measured solely by personal achievements, but by how much positive changes you can bring to the lives of others," he added.

The President made the remarks at the 27th convocation of the Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) as the university’s Chancellor.

The convocation was held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre this morning.

"Convocation is not merely a formal ceremony for receiving certificates; rather it is recognition of years of perseverance, hard work and dedication," said Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

He added, "Convocation marks the beginning of new responsibilities and a commitment to using acquired knowledge for the welfare of individuals, society and the country." 

Emphasizing lifelong teaching, the President said, "We must remember that institutional education may come to an end with the attainment of a certificate but the education of becoming a human being never ends. We must learn throughout our life."

The President said today's convocation not only recognises the achievements of students but also entrusts them with new responsibilities towards the society and state.
 
"Genuine development of an individual or the country is not possible through certificate-oriented knowledge alone. It requires inner motivation, profound patriotism, and humanistic and moral values," he added.

The Chancellor further said the success of higher education cannot be measured merely by the number of universities or degree holders. 

"The quality of education, up-to-date curricula, qualified teachers, acquisition of practical knowledge and skills by students, and decent employment opportunities are the true benchmarks of a university's success," he said.

Calling upon students to acquire time-befitting education and skills, he said, "Rapid advances in science and technology are changing conventional concepts of people's lifestyles, the economy and employment. Emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, biotechnology and robotics, are transforming the nature of the world of works." 

He urged the students to equip with timely knowledge and skills to cope up with the new challenges.

"Students must not only obtain degrees but also develop a mindset of continuous learning, independent thinking, problem-solving skills and adaptability to changing circumstances," he said.

He highlighted that past irregularities in the education sector had pushed a vast, promising young generation into an abyss of despair.

"Over the past one and a half decades, the education system, along with many important state institutions reached the brink of destruction. Universities had been allowed to be established indiscriminately, without proper scrutiny," he added.

These substandard institutions had produced unemployed people with higher degrees and pushed a vast, promising young generation into an abyss of despair and unemployment, he said.

The President also called for building an integrated national education system by bringing coordination among the different streams of education.

"The quality of education must be raised to international standards to compete with the rest of the world. In this journey of progress, the country must embrace its own history, language, literature, culture and heritage by remaining firmly rooted in our own heritage," he said.

Emphasising the need to link higher education more closely with labour market demands, the President said universities must attach importance to developing and implementing up-to-date, employment-oriented and skill-based curricula.

"Opportunities for acquiring practical and technical education, real-life experience and technological skills must be expanded alongside theoretical knowledge," he said 

He advised that the country's youth must be developed not merely as job seekers but as skilled workers, entrepreneurs and creators of employment opportunities.

The President urged students to uphold honesty and justice at every stage of their lives and expressed hope that they would utilise their talent, skills and leadership to build a knowledge-based, just and prosperous Bangladesh.

At the time, the President also recalled the courageous and glorious role played by students of private universities, including Independent University, Bangladesh, and other educational institutions during the 2024 July mass uprising led by students and people.

Before his speech, IUB Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Daniel W. Lund presented the eligible graduates and postgraduates of the university before the Chancellor, President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who conferred their degrees.

The President also presented gold medals to three recipients of the Chancellor's Medal and crests to other students who had successfully completed their degrees with distinction.

Earlier, the President inaugurated the convocation ceremony upon his arrival at the venue around 11 am.

University Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr M. Tamim delivered the welcome address while Professor Dr Ainun Nishat addressed the programme as the convocation speaker.

Among others, University Grants Commission Chairman Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed, Chairman of the university's Education, Science, Technology and Cultural Development Trust Md Zakaria Khan and Chairman of the university's Board of Trustees Didar Hossain addressed the programme.

University Registrar Asif Parvez conducted the programme.