The New Nation - Internet Edition

Professor M M Shahidul Hassan

We are living in an era characterized by unprecedented advancement in science and technology. Not only the developed countries but also the developing countries have been able to make significant economic advancement with appropriate usage of technology. It is very possible for our country to do the same. A big part of today's generation is interested in engineering studies. If we can educate them properly, they can contribute to building the glorious nation the martyrs dreamed of. The universities in the country have to take on the great responsibility of educating these youngsters. We earned our independence through a bloody battle. Now we have to prepare ourselves to fight a different battle to rescue our country from its present state. Our country today is not the country the martyrs had sacrificed their lives for but nevertheless it is us who have to work hard to return the nations glory and leave a happy and prosperous Bangladesh for our posterity.

At present quite a number of public and private universities in the country are providing undergraduate engineering degrees. There are two systems that universities follow. One is the tri-mister system, the other the bi-semester system. Most private universities follow the tri -mister system where there are three, 13 week semesters in a year with no short semesters. The bi-semester system has two 14 week semesters in a year with no short semesters as well. The problem with bi-semester system is that students sit for one big exam carrying 70% of the total marks. A 2 week preparatory leave is given before it. But it is still hard to score a good grade is such systems thus students are quite afraid of the exams and often revolt for postponing them. So in most cases the semester takes longer to finish and thus in the end a 4 year course often takes up to 5-6 years! The degree earned becomes questionable and losses credibility in the outside world. In most western countries where the universities run under semester system there are 2 midterm exams and one final exam. As each exam carries a small percentage of the total grade the students are not afraid of exams even with no preparatory leave and thus a revolt is out of the question. Also, usually there are one or two short semesters along with the regular semesters in the West.

We have not heard of any 13 week semesters. In our country the students of both the systems have to acquire around 140 or so credit hours. But in the west the minimum credit hours requirement for undergraduate engineering degree in bi and tri semester system is not the same. Quite naturally the credit hours for a tri semester system are higher than a bi-semester system.

The semester system prevailing in North America and other Western countries differ from our system in terms of credit-hours, semester and class duration. ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, USA) had specified the minimum credit requirement for earning an undergraduate engineering degree for American universities. It has also specified the minimum number of courses to be taken. The credits and time duration of classes are explained separately for theory and practical courses. A three credit theory course should have three classes per week each having one hour duration. But the private universities in our country have scheduled two 1hour 30 minute classes for a three credit course. It is difficult for the young undergraduate students to sit and listen to such long lectures alternatively. ABET had decided on the three one hour class system taking these simple facts into account. We have no special committee to specify and regulate such things. Like in our country, most public universities in Thailand run under bi-semester system and most private universities under tri-mister system. But they have a special panel of specialists to decide on credit requirements and semester and class duration. It is time for us to create such a committee too.

Each engineering course has a few significant purposes. The theory and practical courses are defined keeping those purposes in mind. Thus the courses need to be prepared and reviewed by experts on that field. Sadly, studying the syllabus of electrical and electronic engineering program of quite a few universities in the country, we found out that most of the syllabuses were just a copy of the syllabus of a well-reputed engineering university. Each university needs to have a vision; and the syllabus should portray the vision. Copying another university's syllabus make the university's standard of education questionable.

Gone are the days of memorizing. Today's engineering teaching puts emphasis on practical problem solution. The students are encouraged to learn and use various software for simulation and calculation. Where the West discourages its students to memorize equations and even provide cheat sheet for easy access to important formulas and equations our students have to jam their head with numerous complicated equations. In America, on the first class the teacher not only explains the course materials but also discusses the importance and practical application of it.

The students are given interesting assignment which they might face in their work field, the exam questions are problem solving ones rather than derivational. The interactive learning method enables the students to gain more knowledge. Not only engineering subjects, the graduates need to be properly trained in many non-engineering subjects like math, physics and chemistry also.

There are many ongoing researches as to how these subjects must be taught to the engineering students. Students of engineering are taught math in a different way than the students of pure mathematics. We should adopt those methods. English and business communication are another two very important courses. Private universities have started giving importance to developing students communication skills, public universities should start doing the same by starting preliminary foundation courses.

Evolution of engineering is constantly gaining pace so to keep up with it the syllabus needs to be changed regularly. The students need to learn the usage of the new revolutionary software to help them in their work. Unfortunately, as the syllabi of our universities have not faced much change over the past few decades, software usage is almost nil.

If our graduates had known how the usage of software it would've been easier for them to get jobs in American and European companies. But graduates of our neighboring country India are easily getting good jobs in the big company's abroad with their communication and advanced software usage skills.

Time has come to make ourselves known to the international world. To introduce our engineering universities we must first adopt modern methods of teaching and increase the quality to education to reach the standard of the front line western universities.

Teachers must come forward to make the change. A teacher has power to influence the students. A good teacher can create good successful human beings out of his students while a bad teacher may turn his students' future into a disastrous black hole. Sadly, in our country bad teachers greatly outnumber the good ones. It is high time for teachers to rectify themselves and start paying attention to their primary duties. A teacher must do research, be aware of the modern methods of teaching and be updated with advancements in their respective fields. Along with the teachers the students must alter their attitude as well. Student leaders are barely ever seen revolting for modernisation of the education system; most of the time they are involved in political activities. Casting aside such political affiliations the student organisations need to get involved in students' welfare politics.

To standardize our engineering education sector we think the government should create a committee comprising of expert and experienced professors, professional engineers, industrialists and Bangladeshi professors teaching abroad. The main responsibility of the committee would be to create a up to date manual for creating the syllabus of a engineering program. It would decide on credit hours, class and semester duration for both bi semester and tri semester system; combine the works of BAETE (the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technological Education, Bangladesh), engineering professional bodies and other organizations for accreditation. To survive in this highly competitive world we must develop our universities taking the western universities as models but also keep our heritage. It is not an easy task but we have to come forward to do it.