Mandarin to be introduced as third language: Mahdi

Bangladesh plans to introduce Mandarin as a “third language” alongside Bangla and English, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Spokesperson Mahdi Amin said on Monday, as Dhaka and Beijing stepped up cooperation in technical and vocational education.

Mahdi, who is also the prime minister’s adviser, said the government wants to integrate Chinese language education with technical and vocational training to equip Bangladeshi youth with skills suited to employment opportunities in Chinese projects and companies.

“The recent China visit was quite fruitful,” he said at a press briefing at the Ministry of Education, describing the Bangladeshi delegation’s recent three-day visit to China.

He said Mandarin has emerged as an important area of bilateral educational cooperation and that the government is working to bring skilled Chinese language teachers to Bangladesh and enrich the curriculum.

The two sides also discussed modernising technical education curricula, strengthening industry-academia collaboration, establishing institutional partnerships between technical institutes in the two countries, conducting joint research and introducing joint degree programmes.

MoU, four platforms launched

During the visit, Bangladesh and China signed a memorandum of understanding titled “Agreement on the China-Bangladesh Vocational Teacher Training” to develop the skills of teachers at Bangladesh’s technical education institutions.

An international platform, the “China-Bangladesh Industry and Education Integration International Service Centre”, was also launched.

Three other platforms were inaugurated: the China-Bangladesh Vocational Teacher Training Centre, Bangladesh Vocational Education Research Centre and Bangladesh Chinese Language Plus Skill Development Cooperation Centre.

The initiatives will focus on curriculum development, stronger industry-academia links and bringing Bangladesh’s technical education in line with international standards.

Mahdi said China has extensive experience in providing quality technical education at relatively low cost, particularly through strong institutional links between educational institutions and industries.

During the visit, the delegation held a high-level meeting with representatives of 19 leading Chinese technical and vocational universities to discuss making Bangladesh’s curricula more practical and employment-oriented.

It also visited a specialised “Vocational Education Town”, where 11 renowned technical universities are located, as well as industrial sites, research and development facilities and smart manufacturing centres to observe cooperation between educational institutions and industries.

More scholarships sought

Bangladesh has also asked China to provide more full scholarships for Bangladeshi students pursuing higher education in technical and vocational fields, Mahdi said.

He said significant progress had been made on the issue at the ministerial level.

“We want our students to go to China for higher education not only in conventional academic disciplines but also in technical and vocational education,” he said.

The government also wants to establish institutional networks between leading Chinese technical institutions and Bangladeshi polytechnic institutes and universities.

Mahdi said the initiative could create a pool of Bangladeshi workers proficient in Mandarin and equipped with technical skills, increasing their employment prospects in Chinese projects and companies operating in Bangladesh.

He said Chinese multinational companies have significant demand worldwide for workers with both language and technical skills, creating potential new employment opportunities for Bangladeshi youth.

Visa process to be eased

Mahdi said steps have been taken to simplify visa procedures for Chinese language teachers, researchers and technical experts coming to Bangladesh.

The education minister, Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh and Ministry of Foreign Affairs have already held discussions on the issue in Dhaka, he said.

Describing the visit as an important step towards strengthening people-to-people connectivity between Bangladesh and China through technical education, Mahdi said the initiative would deepen ties between the younger generations of the two countries while opening new employment and career opportunities.

He said the visit could mark a milestone in the development of technical education in Bangladesh, claiming that the country had not previously seen such a coordinated state-level initiative focused on technical and vocational education.

“We want to build a modern education system where we transform education into skills, skills into employment and employment into the immense potential of our youth,” Mahdi said.

He expressed hope that Bangladesh-China educational cooperation would reach new heights.

The adviser also thanked Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon for his leadership, saying bilateral discussions were held with around 50 leading technical education institutions and universities during the visit.