TGN Report :
The ICT Olympiad Bangladesh Season 2 offline registration campaign successfully concluded on February 28 and the final round will be held in April. Students from 40 districts participated in this event in 8 categories. Simultaneously, online registration campaigns were conducted in 400 educational institutions and offline registration booths and seminars were organized directly in 110 institutions. About 3000 campus ambassadors and 2000 mentor teachers participated in this initiative and reached out to approximately 1.6 million students at the upazila and union levels. Apart from Bangladesh, students from China also participated in this competition. In the next phase, the ICT Olympiad Bangladesh exam will be held in different phases. Selection and district rounds will be held in March; then the winners will be announced through divisional, semi-final and gala rounds at the end of April.
As a conclusion to the registration campaign, a three-day special campaign was held at Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT). The campaign was formally concluded with a seminar titled ‘Empowering Future with Technology’ on February 27.
The seminar discussed in detail the need to enhance the technical skills of students, narrowing the existing skill gap between academia and industry, and the role of future technology. The speakers said that modern technology is changing rapidly day by day. Therefore, it is very important for students to acquire skills in areas such as quantum computing, drone technology, data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, cybersecurity, software development, and freelancing. In particular, the importance of data analytics and artificial intelligence is increasing, which will bring about a huge change in the technology-based job market in the coming decade. The speakers advised the students to focus on acquiring technical skills along with academic studies.
The chief guest of the seminar was ICT Olympiad Bangladesh founder and CEO Mohammad Shahriar Khan. He said, “The current era is the era of technology. Students need to acquire not only general education but also technical skills. Those who learn new technologies will become pioneers in the future.” He further explained that acquiring technical skills along with the conventional curriculum is opening up a new horizon for students. By acquiring these skills, students will not only be successful in building their careers, but will also be able to play an important role in the country’s economic development and innovative thinking. According to him, parents, teachers and students need to work together so that technology-based skills are accepted as an integral part of the education system.
Other special guests present at the seminar were ICT Olympiad Bangladesh Senior Vice Chairman Abdur Rahman Nipu, Bangladesh Freelancing Development Society Chairman Dr Tanjiba Rahman, BUBT Assistant Professor Ashraful Islam and Dean of the Department of Engineering and Applied Science Professor Dr Munshi Mahbubur Rahman. Dr. Tanjiba Rahman said, “Through freelancing and technology-based careers, students can showcase their skills at the international level and contribute to the country’s economy.” Dean Professor Dr. Munshi Mahbubur Rahman emphasized, “University students must be proficient in technology, otherwise it will be difficult to survive in the job market in the future.” He urged his university students to participate in all future ICT Olympiad events.
Senior Vice Chairman Abdur Rahman Nipu discussed the Season 3 of ICT Olympiad Bangladesh and provided students with the necessary guidance to adapt themselves to the world of technology and build their careers. He explained why students should be involved in such platforms and announced that arrangements would be made to visit Science City, Malaysia with two champions from the university. Assistant Professor Ashraful Islam also said, “University students should be interested in technology and constantly strive to improve their skills. Without technology-based skills, it is almost impossible to survive in the current competitive job market.”
The seminar was moderated by Nishat Anjum Sara and Basis Student Forum of BUBT Chapter Club President Zubair Bin Ahmed, who delivered the closing remarks.
ICT Olympiad Bangladesh has announced that it will organize free workshops, mentorship programs and career-oriented training sessions at various universities to develop the skills of students.
It is worth noting that since 2021, ICT Olympiad Bangladesh has been working tirelessly to popularize IT education in Bangladesh and bridge the skill gap between academia and industry, so as to create an effective technology-based education system for students.
