NU Nurtures Nationwide ICT Knowledge with New Mandatory Course
For the first time, Bangladesh’s National University has introduced a compulsory 4-credit Information and Communication Technology (ICT) course at the undergraduate level, aimed at transforming nearly 70 percent of the country’s higher education students into skilled human resources. The initiative is being implemented under the auspices of the ICT Division’s Aspire to Innovate (a2i) program with technical support from UNICEF.
The course, which combines 3 credits of theory and 1 credit of practical training, will initially cover approximately 360,000 students enrolled in 31 undergraduate (honors) disciplines and 4 on-campus programs during the 2024–25 academic year. From the following year, an additional 200,000 students from the undergraduate (pass) program will join, bringing the total annual enrollment under the ICT curriculum to 560,000.
However, a shortage of qualified teachers and inadequate computer lab facilities have been identified as major challenges. To address this, a2i and UNICEF are providing technical assistance.
As part of the initiative, a Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop has already been conducted to enhance the capacity of ICT instructors. In October, an online content development program and an orientation session for 90 core trainers will be launched. These trainers will subsequently train 900 teachers across 883 honors colleges in phases.
Future plans include extending the ICT course to degree (pass) programs, with a target of training approximately 12,000 teachers. Additionally, with support from Microsoft and Adobe, world-class professional skilled courses for students are also in the pipeline.
The National University expressed hope that once these initiatives are implemented, students will acquire modern ICT skills and become globally competitive professionals, equipped to meet the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The announcement was made in a circular issued by the National University on September 19.
