The Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC), Directorate of Technical and Madrasah Education (DTE) and the Institute of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEB) have successfully collaborated in organizing the International Conference on Skills Readiness for Achieving SDG and Adopting IR 4.0 and Regional Program on Equipping Future Workforce with 21st Century and Technopreneurship Skills through Quality TVET. The two joint events were held at the Bangabhandu International Convention Center (BICC) and IDEB Bhaban in Dhaka from February 2-6, 2020.

Some of the participants during the regional conference. The three organizations focused on addressing the current issues and challenges related to skills, technology and employment and try to extract the solutions for guiding the nations. The programs were conceptualized to address these trends, based on the encouraging responses of the participants from the CPSC member countries and success of the first and second joint conference in 2015 and 2017. The events covered issues of emerging technologies and industry, the types of skills needed to succeed in a fast-changing world, the role of technopreneurship and private and public sector investment in industry as well as in TVET, and how to plan TVET strategies for future changes in skills and work.

The program was jointly supervised by CPSC Director General, Dr. Ramhari Lamichhane, DTE Director General, Mr. Md. Sanowar Hossain and IDEB President, Mr. AKMA Hamid. CPSC’s Faculty Specialist, Engr. Sanyog Bhatarai, was assigned as the program coordinator and resource person. Meanwhile, local coordination was jointly facilitated by the DTE Director of Planning and Development, Engr. Md. Jahangir Alam and IDEB Member Secretary, Mr. Md. Enamul Haque. CPSC’s ICT Officer, Mr. Felix Sibal, was available during the program to assist in preparation and conduction of program. In attendance as well was Dr. G. Kulanthaivel, CPSC’s Former Faculty Consultant and OIC.

A total of 31 participants from Bangladesh, Fiji, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, and Thailand, as well as CPSC’s honorary members from the Diploma Engineers Association of Nepal (DEAN) and the Institute of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEB) attended the regional program. It tackled issues about greening TVET for sustainable development, technopreneurship and curriculum development incorporating 21st century skills. An action plan to further integrate these lessons into implementable policies were also drafted by the participants for implementation in their respective home countries.

The program was closed on February 6, 2020. In attendance was the chief guest, Mumshi Shahabuddin Ahmed, Secretary of the Technical and Madrasah Education Division, Ministry of Education. The program supervisors as well as the participants are all in attendance to receive their respective certificates and celebrate the program’s success.

The participants with the program organizers after the closing ceremony.

International Conference on Skills Readiness for Achieving SDG and Adopting IR 4.0 and Regional Program on Equipping Future Workforce with 21st Century

The conference participants with the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Hon. Sheikh Hasina

The Bangladesh Prime Minister, Hon. Sheikh Hasina, (second from left) and the Minister of Education, Dr. Dipu Moni, MP (first from left), accompanied by the IDEB President, Mr. AKMA Hamid (second from right) and IDEB General Secretary, Mr. Md. Shamsur Rahman (first from right) during the inauguration ceremony of the conference (Photo from the IDEB Facebook Page). The inaugural ceremony and international conference was held on from 2-4 February 2020 at the Bangabhandu International Convention Center and IDEB Bhaban and was graced by the Honorable Prime Minister of Bangladesh, H.E. Sheikh Hasina, MP. Notable guests were also invited including the Minister of the Ministry of Education, Dr. Dipu Moni; Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education, Mr. Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury, MP; CPSC Director General, Dr. Ramhari Lamichhane; IDEB President, Mr. AKMA Hamid, and IDEB General Secretary, Mr. Md. Shamsur Rahman.

Many parallel sessions were organized in the international conference. In one of the sessions, Dr. Ramhari Lamichhane, Director General CPSC, presented paper on Quality TVET for 21st Century as a key note speaker. In another session, Dr. Shyamal Majumdar, CPSC’s former Director General from 2007-2011 and the former head of the UNESCO-UNEVOC office in Bonn, Germany presented paper on Skills Readiness for Adopting IR 4.0 as a keynote speaker.

The conference had a total attendance of 5000 participants and comprised of four sub-themes namely: (1) Challenges and opportunities for adopting IR 4.0; (2) Quality TVET for Skill Readiness; (3) 21st Century skills for achieving sustainable development goals and (4) technopreneurship for employment and growth acceleration.

At the end of the conference, the participants and organizers jointly adopted the Dhaka Declaration that emphasizes the current need for the country to achieve SDGs and adopting IR 4.0 and recommendations were provided to government to further improve and strengthen TVET system in the country.

Dr. Lamichhane addressing the audience during the Welcome Dinner held in the Pan Pacific Sonargaon held on February 2, 2020.

The keynote speaker and Former Director General of CPSC, Dr. Shyamal Majumdar, addressing the audience during the inauguration ceremony at the Bagabhandu International Convention Center held on February 2, 2020.