DHAKA, Nov 15, 2022 (BSS) - Speakers at a dialogue stressed the need for ensuring utmost priority on research activities in academia along with bringing significant changes in the curriculum to cope with the rapidly-changing industry and markets as the consumers' behaviour are changing faster due to the innovation of information and technology apart from political and economic shifting.
 
The world is going to face a lot of diverse and fascinating challenges, including the fourth industrial revolution and political-economic shifting, as the market and behaviour of consumers are changing rapidly. And thus, significant changes need to be brought to the academic curriculum where research will be given utmost priority, said the speakers.

The experts and industrialists from home and abroad came up with the observation at a two-day seminar titled 'South Asian Academic Leadership Dialogue 2022', jointly organised by the Association of Management Development Institutions in South Asia (AMDISA) and the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) of Dhaka University, on DU campus.

The dialogue focused on two major topics- "Mapping South Asian Agenda for Academic Collaboration and Leadership in Business Education" and "Rethinking Business Curriculum in the context of 4IR, Sustainable Development Principles and Global-Economic Shift".
 
The education system must be updated and market-oriented as the fourth industrial revolution is knocking at the door while markets and consumers behaviour are changing faster, they said, adding, research should be the priority to survive in the market as the consumers, nowadays, do not even buy a packet of chips before doing their research on the internet.
 
DU Pro-VC Prof Dr ASM Maksud Kamal, DU Treasurer Professor Mamtaz Uddin Ahmed, Chairman of South Asian Academic Leadership Dialogue Professor Sheikh Morshed Jahan, among others, addressed the dialogue, chaired by IBA director and also president of AMDIB and AMDISA Mohammad A Momen.
 
Aminur Rashid, chairman of Edision Group, said, "The world is changing so fast due to technological advancements. We have to think about how to be more creative and how the technology can be turned into effect. We have to change the variation in our works. We have to shift new curriculum model and focus on research to dominate the market."

Managing director of Berger Rupali Chowdhury said, "We do not have enough data in our hands. There is no sufficient data on market size as many companies are not listed. These approaches must be changed and involved with the trend of the global market."
 Mohammad A. Momen said, "We are going to face some challenges in the future due to shifting of global politics and global warming as well as the industrial revolution. We have to make that kind of business people fight the challenges and focus on such kinds of curriculum."
 
Besides, strong collaboration among industry, government and academia is a must in this regard, he added.
 
Academicians from major South Asian countries, industry-experts from 30 major corporations, including Grameenphone, M&S, Edison Group, BdJobs, Berger, GiZ, BAT and Unilever, were present.