NU VC laments AI-assisted exams, idle principals

National University (NU) Vice-Chancellor (VC) ASM Amanullah has criticised the institution’s academic system, saying it produces “examinees, not students,” and lacks any meaningful link between curriculum and industry.

Speaking at a dialogue titled “365 Days of the Interim Government” organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) at a Gulshan hotel in Dhaka on Sunday, Amanullah said the disconnect has persisted without debate because large corporations still need NU graduates—who, he alleged, are often less skilled, less ambitious, and therefore easier to exploit for long periods.

Sharing a recent experience from an inspection in Dhaka, the VC said, “I saw students using AI on their mobile phones to take an exam, while the principal sat quietly sipping tea.” 

He also noted that in many cases, physics teachers enter grades for philosophy courses, and colleges without laboratories still award full marks in lab-based subjects like chemistry, physics, and biology. Even where labs exist, he said, they are rarely used.

He warned that finding responsible teachers is becoming increasingly difficult, with many splitting into multiple small groups to minimise accountability.

The dialogue was attended by Interim Government Shipping Affairs Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur, BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Communist Party of Bangladesh General Secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince, among others. CPD Executive Director Fahmida Khatun presented the keynote paper.