Why NU students are not prepped for the job market 

Bangladesh sends hundreds of thousands of National University (NU) graduates into the workforce each year, equipped with degrees but unprepared for the demands of the labor market. This should inspire policymakers and educators to take responsibility for students' futures and to act urgently.

The National University, with over 3.4 million students, remains the most neglected component of our higher education system, underscoring the urgent need for reform to address systemic failures. And the cost of this failure is borne not only by the students but also by the nation's economic growth and social stability.

A 1990s University in a 2025 Employment Market: Even though technology, automation, and globalization have changed the world, NU continues to use teaching strategies and curriculum from the 1990s. Many universities lack reliable internet connectivity, operational labs, ICT equipment, and even trained instructors in key disciplines. Some instructors still use the same hand-written notes their own teachers used decades ago.

Meanwhile, employers increasingly demand digital literacy, communication skills, teamwork, problem-solving, and practical experience-none of which NU effectively provides. The result is predictable: a massive gap between what the university teaches and what the economy needs.

The Numbers Tell a Disturbing Story: The Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) submitted the "Tracer Study on Graduates of Tertiary-Level Colleges" study on June 30, 2021, which included interviews with 1,639 graduates from 54 NU-affiliated colleges around Bangladesh. Of these, 66% were jobless, 21% were employed, 1.5% were self-employed, 7% were pursuing higher education, and 5% were not in the workforce. The poll was conducted shortly after COVID; therefore, the results were bound to be high. Even so, the outcomes were quite worrisome.

Another study was released in 2023. According to the follow-up tracer study, the employment outcomes of National University graduates have significantly improved. From 66% in 2021 to 28.24% in 2023, the ILO-BBS definition of unemployment declined. Of the graduates, 42.28% were paid, 16.24% worked for themselves, 13.22% continued their education, and 8.92% were unemployed. Nevertheless, the rate was double that of the 2023 Labor Force Survey. 13.11 percent of Bangladeshis with postsecondary education were jobless in 2023, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) LFS survey 2024.The national unemployment rate is being significantly impacted.

The study also revealed that it is more difficult for female graduates to get employment than for male graduates. According to the 2023 survey, women's unemployment was 34.31 percent, while men's was 19.96 percent. Job mismatch is yet another significant issue. Due to their inability to find acceptable employment, about 64.52 percent of graduates work in fields unrelated to their field of study.

Even the Vice-Chancellor Admits the Shame: When NU's own Vice-Chancellor, Professor A. S. M. Amanullah, says the system "produces exam-takers rather than real students," it is a rare moment of honesty from within the institution itself.

He described glaring irregularities: physics teachers entering marks for philosophy courses, students receiving full practical marks without ever stepping inside a lab, and even students openly using AI tools during examinations.

This is not just mismanagement-it is a betrayal of the students' trust.

The So-Called "Reforms" are Nothing but Cosmetic Fixes: NU proudly announces ICT courses, English modules, reduced session jams, and "professional programs." But reforms without foundation are illusions. This should make policymakers feel the necessity of authentic change, not superficial fixes, to truly improve the system.

You cannot modernize a system without:
* Trained faculty
* Functioning labs
* Digital infrastructure
* Smaller class sizes
* Strict monitoring of affiliated colleges

NU reforms are band-aids slapped on a rotting structure. We don't need vague promises.
We need transformation.

A Call for National Urgency: The NU crisis is not an education issue alone-it is an economic, gender equity, and national productivity issue. This should make citizens and policymakers feel the critical importance of reform for the country's future.

The Way Ahead: NU may equip graduates with employable skills, greatly enhancing their employment prospects and boosting the country's economy by modernizing curricula, reducing class sizes, and investing in hands-on training.

* Curricula should be updated and standardized to meet contemporary needs.
* Hire more skilled instructors and reduce class sizes.
* Invest in ICT, language labs, and modern teaching tools.
* Introduce mandatory practical training, presentations, and skill-based assessment.
* Establish strict quality monitoring for affiliated colleges.

Students Want a More Meaningful Education: Many NU students believe their education should resemble that of other major universities-featuring:
* Regular viva exams
* Thesis requirements
* Shorter academic sessions (8-10 months per year)
* English-medium instruction for specific subjects
* Genuine assignment and presentation-based learning

Our Students Deserve More: The youth of Bangladesh are aspirational, diligent, and full of promise. Instead of institutions that keep individuals from reaching their objectives, they ought to have access to those that help them. They ought to have encouraging instructors, demanding courses, and helpful facilities. They ought to have access to a system of higher education that helps them rather than getting in the way.Compared to other public universities, the government. spends only 765 BDT for an NU student, whereas the expenditure becomes 2 to 3 lacs for a public university student.

If we fail to reform the National University now, we risk losing an entire generation of talent-millions of bright, capable young people whose potential will remain unrealized.

The question is not whether we can afford to reform NU. The question is whether we can afford not to.