Staff Reporter:
President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called upon students to utilize their acquired education and skills for the welfare of the country and its people.
“The education and skills you have acquired must be utilized for the welfare of the country and its people while prioritising the interests of common people,” he said.
“True value of success won’t be measured solely by personal achievements, but by how much positive changes you can bring to the lives of others,” he added.
The President made the remarks yesterday at the 27th convocation of the Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) as the university’s Chancellor.
The convocation was held at city’s Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre yesterday.
“Convocation is not merely a formal ceremony for receiving certificates; rather it is recognition of years of perseverance, hard work and dedication,” said Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
He added, “Convocation marks the beginning of new responsibilities and a commitment to using acquired knowledge for the welfare of individuals, society and the country.”
Emphasizing lifelong teaching, the President said, “We must remember that institutional education may come to an end with the attainment of a certificate but the education of becoming a human being never ends. We must learn throughout our life.”
The President said yesterday’s convocation not only recognises the achievements of students but also entrusts them with new responsibilities towards the society and state.
“Genuine development of an individual or the country is not possible through certificate-oriented knowledge alone. It requires inner motivation, profound patriotism, and humanistic and moral values,” he added.
The Chancellor further said the success of higher education cannot be measured merely by the number of universities or degree holders.
“The quality of education, up-to-date curricula, qualified teachers, acquisition of practical knowledge and skills by students, and decent employment opportunities are the true benchmarks of a university’s success,” he said.
Calling upon students to acquire time-befitting education and skills, he said, “Rapid advances in science and technology are changing conventional concepts of people’s lifestyles, the economy and employment. Emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, biotechnology and robotics, are transforming the nature of the world of works.”
He urged the students to equip with timely knowledge and skills to cope up with the new challenges.
“Students must not only obtain degrees but also develop a mindset of continuous learning, independent thinking, problem-solving skills and adaptability to changing circumstances,” he said.
Before his speech, IUB Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Daniel W. Lund presented the eligible graduates and postgraduates of the university before the Chancellor, President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who conferred their degrees.
The President also presented gold medals to three recipients of the Chancellor’s Medal and crests to other students who had successfully completed their degrees with distinction.
Earlier, the President inaugurated the convocation ceremony upon his arrival at the venue around 11 am.
University Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr M. Tamim delivered the welcome address while Professor Dr Ainun Nishat addressed the program as the convocation speaker.
Among others, University Grants Commission Chairman Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed, Chairman of the university’s Education, Science, Technology and Cultural Development Trust Md Zakaria Khan and Chairman of the university’s Board of Trustees Didar Hossain addressed the program.
University Registrar Asif Parvez conducted the program.
