Southeast University prioritises producing market-oriented graduates

Southeast University (SEU) began its journey in the month of June 2002. A group of dedicated educationists and philanthropists established this university to impart quality education to young learners at an affordable cost to make them adequately capable of meeting the challenges of time. 

From the very beginning, the university envisioned obtaining global recognition as a world-class university with affordable costs, keeping in view the economic conditions of middle and lower-middle-income families.

A big leap

Southeast University started its journey with only 107 students, and now the total number of students stands at 12,000. It ranks third among the private universities. 

In 2022, Scimago, a highly reputed international ranking organisation, assessed Southeast University as the number one university among all private and public universities in Bangladesh. 

It was measured in terms of innovation, research and publication and social contribution. Under the Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP) financed by the World Bank and the government of Bangladesh, two departments of Southeast University were graded Excellent (A+) and all other departments "Very Good", which was a rare feat.  

We regularly arrange training for our faculty members, and organise seminars and workshops to ensure that those faculty members update their knowledge and skills with the latest teaching techniques to help their students. We have enormous research funds to carry out research by the faculty members. We also have a separate research institute, called the 'Institute of Research and Training'. 

In addition, other departments and various schools carry out research with their own initiatives. Some faculty members are also conducting externally funded research. We are committed to making SEU an excellent teaching and research centre to help our teachers and students face the challenges of globalisation.

SEU has a modern air-conditioned library system enriched with text and reference books as well as journals required by the students and faculties for study and research activities. The central library is spacious enough and computerised and connected with the internet. The library is linked with an international consortium named INASP/PERII and UGC e-resources for browsing and downloading valuable articles from international journals. Some academic departments also have their own departmental library. 

We are developing an integrated software system for the overall management of the university. This is almost at the final stage and is being implemented in a gradually phased manner. The students can exchange messages and have access to all relevant information regarding pre-registration, registration, payment, academic materials, academic performance and other academic issues. Our next plan is to digitise the library first so that students can use library resources from anywhere they wish.  

Departments and clubs arrange workshops and seminars on current issues and as demanded by the students and faculties. We invite external experts in the related fields as chief or special guests. We also arrange a 'Meet the Leader Program' to hear the successful stories of the leaders from their own mouths to motivate our students. 

Open to all income classes

Education costs have increased rapidly in the last decade in Bangladesh, particularly in the higher education sector. SEU keeps the tuition fees at a minimum level and also gives students the opportunity to pay tuition fees via instalments to ensure that more students, particularly from middle-class families, get the opportunity to pursue higher education. 

Moreover, SEU provides a significant amount of scholarships or tuition waivers to meritorious and needy students, and the children of the freedom fighters. Recently we signed an MoU with a local bank to provide student loans.

Reducing the gap between demand and supply in the job market 

Our Centre for Professional Development Services (CPDS) is responsible for internship and job placement. The Center imparts soft-skill, basic technical and computer skill training to the final semester students. We arrange job fairs to create more opportunities for our students. 

We prioritise producing market-oriented graduates. Each and every student has an adviser (teacher) who acts as a guide and pathfinder. We update our syllabus every 3-4 years as per the demand. In the departmental curriculum committee, we include three external members, viz., one alumni/employer, one academic and one industry leader. 

In course curricula, industry visit is mandatory. In each course, we engage with industry experts to deliver at least one lecture. As a part of the Co-curricular activity, we have introduced a program called "Meet the Leader Program". In this program, the resource person who is the leader of the sector delivers his success history to the students.

Our teachers are very keen to teach sincerely and never compromise with the standard of setting question papers and examining answer scripts. They take care of the students to the level possible for effective learning. They take care of the students to the level possible for effective learning. 

The students complete the degree with a firm understanding of the subject, thus our graduates, particularly science graduates, never remain unemployed. We have a high reputation and many of our science graduates are currently working abroad. Our Textile, EEE, CSE and Pharmacy laboratories are comparable to other best universities. We have a high reputation that many of our science graduates are currently working abroad. Our textile graduates have high demand in the Chinese market.

Reducing education migration 

I do not think that any private university would be able to survive without giving importance to the quality of higher education. The government is coming up with a project, called "Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) Project", the University Grants Commission (UGC) has been providing necessary directives to private universities and the Bangladesh Accreditation Council (BAC) is now in place. 

So there is no way to compromise quality and this will enhance higher education quality, ultimately reducing education migration abroad.

Southeast University's plan for the next decade

The ultimate mission of SEU is to provide higher education to students at an affordable cost, keeping in view the challenges of the 21^st century. SEU wants to achieve this by imparting world-class education and providing research facilities so that the students can attain their full intellectual, social and personal potential. 

The goal of the university is to provide excellent modern education for students with a view to equipping them with the skills and knowledge necessary to lead the country in its quest for development. In a gradually phased manner with appropriate planning and action, we are stepping forward to reach our goal following our vision. 

We have established good teams at different levels and they are working with high dedication. We are now preparing the "10-Year Academic Master Plan". At the new campus, our principal job is to establish the "Most Modern Lab" for the Science Departments so that our future graduates can earn the right skills not only to face the challenge of time but also to lead the sector of their disciplines. 

The second most important work would be to set up a "Digital Library" which students can enter into from wherever they are. We are also thinking of opening a new program, called "Entrepreneurship Development Program".  That is, we will design our programs/courses in such a way that either the employers will come to the doorstep of Southeast University searching for candidates, or our graduates themselves will be entrepreneurs and offer jobs. This is the way we are planning to develop our university in the next decade. 

The author is the Vice Chancellor of Southeast University.