Mehrin Mubdi Chowdhury
Photograph by Ashraf Uddin Apu
Dean of the School of Business and Economics, NSU
NSU makes news once again when, for the first time in Bangladesh, the School of Business and Economics (SBE) at NSU was granted American accreditation.
The leading specialised American accreditation association for business education, the Accreditation Council of Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) accredits business, accounting, and business-related programs at the associate, baccalaureate, master, and doctorate degree levels worldwide, and last November, the ACBSP Baccalaureate and Graduate Degree Board of Commissioners certified that the teaching and learning processes within NSU SBE meet the rigorous educational standards established by ACBSP.
This accreditation is a faculty-driven process, a culmination of a year’s worth of rigorous self-study and improvements of the academic programs, and the professor beamed as he explained how the accreditation will now streamline the educational track for NSU SBE graduates when they pursue further studies in the US. “Undergrad students would now be able to transfer midway to many American universities without losing any credits where previously most of their courses were disregarded and required repetition.” He also pointed out that the accreditation also meant that students could now stay in Bangladesh and receive the same quality of education as it aspires to implement global standards set by reputed universities in developed countries.
According to the dean, there still lies discrepancies between the numbers of students graduating each year compared to the number of jobs available in the market. “While the increase in number of graduates in our country is a good sign the alarming gap is symptomatic of a disconnect of what the education system is providing and what the job market requires.” SBE has formed the business advisory board at NSU, comprised of the CEOs of the top fifteen corporations in the country, and are addressing the issue of closing this gap. “We are trying to improve the situation by designing courses which promote experiential learning, equipping students with critical analytical thinking, technological and communication skills which are indispensible in the workplace,” he shared.
When it comes to the prospective changes for the university, the dean stressed on particulars for 2016, emphasising on the continuous improvement in the quality of education. “The assessment techniques, ensuring that the prevalent study curriculums are further developed to enhance the student experience, in both academic and co-curricular activities are all being looked into.” He also mentioned that SBE will focus not only on developing more research opportunities for faculty members, but also on increasing international and regional collaborations. “This includes student exchanges and invitations to international faculty members to teach at the university, with a view of promoting cultural diversity on campus,” he concludes.