Photo: BSS

 RANGPUR, Nov 28, 2025 (BSS) - Bangladesh University Grants Commission (UGC) Member Professor Dr Masuma Habib has said that emotional skills should be developed to develop students' mental health, so that they can control emotions.

"Students have to set goals and use their own good qualities. They should always maintain good relations with family members, especially with their parents," said Professor Dr Masuma Habib.

She said this while addressing a "Peer-to-Peer Orientation Learning Session on Social Emotional Wellbeing (SEW)" held at Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur (BRUR) to ensure the social and emotional health of students as the chief guest on Thursday. 

 Bangladesh UGC and UNESCO Bangladesh jointly organized the event at the Independence Memorial Ground of the university in the city with BRUR Vice-chancellor Professor Dr Md Showkat Ali in the chair. 

Teachers and 1,100 students from various departments of the university participated in the day-long session.

 Vice-chancellor Professor Showkat Ali said that students need physical and mental health to perform their educational activities properly. 

 "Such a learning session will provide students with proper guidance to achieve the right goals in life," he said, and thanked the UGC and UNESCO Bangladesh for organizing the event. 

 Director of the International Cooperation Department of UGC Jasmine Parveen, Associate Professor of the Department of Psychology of Dhaka University Syed Tanvir Rahman and Representative of UNESCO Bangladesh Shawkat Islam addressed the event as special guests.

 Director of the Office of the Students' Affairs of BRUR Professor Dr Md Ilias Pramanik, its Proctor Dr Md Ferdous Rahman and student Shamsur Rahman Sumon, also spoke. 

 The speakers said that 'Social Emotional Wellbeing' is a pilot project that has been included in 22 universities in Bangladesh. 

 Earliar, the 'Rapid Need Assessment' concept was included, in which teachers, health experts and mental health researchers of Dhaka University were involved.