Education cooperation between Bangladesh, China to boost opportunities: Mahdi

Prime Minister’s Education Adviser Mahdi Amin said on Thursday that education cooperation between Bangladesh and China will strengthen bilateral partnership while creating more employment and professional opportunities,

He said the government, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, is committed to taking effective and visible steps to meet public expectations and implement its election manifesto.

“Education has been given the highest priority,” Mahdi said, adding that the government plans to make technical and vocational education compulsory for all to connect classroom learning with the practical demands of the job market.

He also said the government has taken effective steps to make third-language education compulsory, with priority given to Mandarin or Chinese, to help Bangladesh’s large young population remain competitive in global trade and the international arena.

Mahdi, also a spokesperson at the Prime Minister’s Office, made the remarks at a symposium titled “Technical Education Bridging and China-Bangladesh Economic, Trade and Talent Development” in China’s Guangdong on Thursday morning.

The symposium was organised to expand cooperation in technical education, technological training, skills development, and the integration of technology, industry and education.

Mahdi stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral educational exchanges between Bangladesh and China, including teacher exchanges, student scholarships, curriculum development and institutional partnerships.

He said such cooperation could create employment opportunities, enhance skills and help build a more sustainable and mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries.

The adviser said stronger educational connectivity and direct cooperation with renowned Chinese educational institutions would be crucial for sustainable transformation.

“Developing a skilled generation is essential to sustain the growing economic and trade partnership between Bangladesh and China,” he said.

He added that the government’s key objective is to develop human resources skilled in international trade, cross-border e-commerce, supply chain management, financial technology and modern logistics.

By drawing on the experience of renowned Chinese educational institutions, Bangladesh plans to develop a job-ready generation capable of directly contributing to and leading bilateral trade, investment and industrial activities between the two countries, he said.

Mahdi said the government aims to build an inclusive education ecosystem where students are not restricted to competition for conventional careers but can develop expertise in the trades and professions of their choice.

He said the government also plans to ensure, through joint initiatives, that Bangladesh’s large young population does not face financial barriers in pursuing education and skills development.

The Prime Minister’s Office spokesperson called on Chinese industries and educational institutions to pursue joint investments to expand technical education in Bangladesh and strengthen economic ties between the two countries.

He said the government’s ultimate goal is to establish a sustainable framework for future cooperation between Bangladeshi educational institutions and Chinese technical institutions and industry partners.

Under the proposed framework, specific partners will be identified and joint projects, modern training programmes and academic activities will be launched, he said.

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Education should drive Bangladesh-China people-to-people connectivity: Mahdi

Mahdi also urged leading Chinese industrial and educational institutions to invest in Bangladesh by establishing modern laboratories and supporting skills development initiatives.

He expressed optimism that new investment and educational cooperation with China could help transform Bangladesh’s large and promising young population into globally competitive human resources.

The Bangladesh delegation also included Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon and Secretary of the Technical and Madrasa Education Division of the Ministry of Education Md Daud Mia.

Presidents and representatives of several prominent Chinese educational institutions, along with academics, researchers, students and leading Chinese industrial entrepreneurs, attended the symposium.