Strengthening Vocational and Technical Education: The Need of the Hour

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May 27, 2023

In today’s rapidly evolving world, where industries are constantly advancing and technology is transforming various sectors, the need for a skilled and adaptable workforce has become more critical than ever. In this context, vocational and technical education emerges as the need of the hour. Strengthening vocational and technical education is essential to bridge the gap between education and industry, providing individuals with practical skills and knowledge that align with the demands of the job market. By equipping students with industry-relevant skills and preparing them for real-world challenges, we can empower them to thrive in their careers and contribute to the overall socio-economic growth of the nation. A panel of experts discussed this topic at the 25th Elets World Education Summit in Dubai. Edited excerpts:

Vrushali Mhatre, Program Director of Studies, Heriot-Watt University, Dubai, UAE shared, “There exists a gap between education and the industry. How can we bridge this gap and make our education system produce graduates who are more industry-ready? This challenge is significant because relying solely on theoretical and bookish knowledge is no longer effective. Employers nowadays expect graduates to be ready to contribute from day one, without requiring extensive training. I believe both academia and the industry share the responsibility to address this issue.”

“We need a collaborative approach where academia and the industry work hand in hand. The industry should actively participate by offering internships, organizing field visits, providing guest lectures, conducting workshops, and even serving as jurors to evaluate student work and offer advice. This connection between academia and the industry is crucial, as we are training graduates who will eventually become their industry colleagues. Therefore, we should invite industry partners to join us as advisors, guiding us on incorporating relevant curriculum content and teaching methods that will equip students to enter the workforce seamlessly. It is essential for academia and the industry to establish a strong partnership to ensure the preparedness of graduates for real-world employment”, she added further.

Peter Mugambi, Senior Lecturer, University of Bolton City, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE shared, “It is intriguing to contemplate the notion of enhancing the appeal of vocational qualifications. Even individuals who possess the necessary qualifications to pursue vocational education often choose not to due to the prevailing stigma. Consequently, significant efforts must be made to ensure that vocational education regains its rightful place as a valuable custodian of the factors of production. Furthermore, the economic impact of vocational education cannot be ignored, as it permeates various aspects of the economy. Therefore, it is imperative to address the current lack of allure associated with vocational education.”

“Academic institutions play a pivotal role in this endeavor by updating and aligning their content to make vocational qualifications more inclusive and appealing. Academic education, being a dynamic sector, should actively engage in bridging the gap and fostering a sense of belonging for individuals with vocational qualifications. It is essential for academia to share responsibility and collaborate with vocational education to mitigate the negative effects caused by the push towards internships and new skills that were previously non-existent. This broad topic requires thoughtful consideration and collaborative efforts from both vocational and academic education sectors”, she further added.

Wiktor Patena, Acting Executive Dean, Higher Colleges of Technology, Abu Dhabi, UAE shared, “The recent trend in education is focused on making it more practical and utilitarian, with a strong emphasis on establishing close ties with the industry and ensuring students’ employability. This objective is currently the primary target for educational institutions. Like many business schools, we have traditionally involved industry advisory committees to endorse our programs and recommend changes in the curriculum. We also organize professional development activities where industry experts are invited to share their knowledge and experiences.”

“To stay updated with the latest trends and industry demands, we have implemented a new project called IDC (Industry-Driven Curriculum). Under this initiative, faculty members collaborate with industry groups to develop and update specific courses. We select five courses per year to ensure they remain relevant and aligned with industry needs. Additionally, we are currently placing significant emphasis on apprenticeships, which is a topic of intense discussion within our institution”

“Our goal is to integrate apprenticeships into the curriculum, replacing the current eight-week internships with a one-year apprenticeship program. This change is significant because apprenticeships offer numerous benefits. Students are paid during their apprenticeship and gain invaluable on-the-job experience while being mentored by industry professionals. They become immersed in the work environment, establishing strong connections with the industry.”

“While we are actively promoting vocational education and practical skills, it is important to play the devil’s advocate and consider a broader perspective. Statistically, individuals tend to change careers multiple times in their lifetime, with the average expected to increase from seven to nine changes. Moreover, 35% of people between the ages of 25 and 45 plan to switch careers, not just jobs. Therefore, solely focusing on vocational education may be myopic and short-sighted”, he added.

“We need to acknowledge the importance of core skills, often referred to as “soft skills.” These include creative thinking, problem-solving, communication, and teamwork, which are essential for adapting to career changes. Technical skills alone may not suffice when transitioning to a new field. While we support early employment opportunities for students, we should not overlook the development of core skills, ensuring individuals are prepared for future changes. The next generation is likely to change not only jobs but careers numerous times throughout their lives”, he concluded.

Dr. Amita Mahor, Director, Oriental College of Technology, Bhopal, India shared, “When considering the Indian scenario and the term “vocational education” itself, it is self-explanatory. However, within Indian society, this term has been perceived differently. The regular education system in India follows a sequence starting from primary education, followed by secondary education, higher secondary education, and then graduation and post-graduation levels. Within this system, vocational education is often overlooked and not given much importance.”

“In the past five years, regulatory bodies, especially in technical education such as AICTE, have given due attention to vocational education. Consequently, the perception of society has also shifted towards recognizing the importance of vocational education. Slowly, vocational education is being integrated into the regular education system. One notable initiative by the AICTE is the KARMAS scheme, which aims to incorporate vocational education into engineering programs.”

“Everyone understands the significance of vocational education in developing an effective skill force. Previously, vocational training and regular education were considered separate entities. However, due to changing societal perspectives, vocational education is now being integrated into the regular education system. Despite this progress, the lack of qualified faculty remains a challenge. Finding faculty members with the necessary skill sets, especially globally competent faculty, has become an issue for colleges”, he added.

“In my opinion, vocational education should be an integral part of technical education in order to bridge the gap between education and industry. By making vocational education an integral component of our general education system, we can effectively bridge the divide between industry and academia. This integration is crucial for addressing the gap and ensuring that students are equipped with the necessary skills demanded by the industry. The integration of vocational education into our general education system is the key to bridging the gap between industry and academia”, she concluded.

DU Academic Council to introduce new course for teachers’ education

Higher Education

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May 27, 2023

The introduction of an Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP), a “dual-degree major holistic Bachelors’ degree,” in “pilot mode” is on the agenda of the University of Delhi’s Academic Council.

All 8 colleges that provide the BElEd programme will implement ITEP, according to the agenda. It does not, however, imply that the decision to implement ITEP has the support of the relevant college governing bodies, the Committee of Courses (professional), and the Faculty of Education in accordance with the University’s statutory procedure for 3 colleges from the academic year 2023–2024 and for all 8 colleges from the academic year 2024–25.

A four-year professional degree programme called the BElEd trains educators to teach in primary schools. Contrarily, the ITEP curriculum offers just one year of professional training after three years of general education (BA/BSc/BCom), which is believed to be insufficient to give instructors the skills and knowledge they need to instruct students at various grade levels and in a variety of classroom settings.

Teachers also emphasised that BElEd is a well-respected programme with alumni who excel in teaching positions at prestigious private and public schools, like Kendriya Vidyalayas. High Courts have also affirmed their qualification for Trained Graduate and Post Graduate Teacher jobs.

A parent discipline relevant to the foundation discipline and/or a school topic, as well as a post-graduate degree in education, are the current requirements for faculty teaching the BElEd and BEd. A post-graduate degree in liberal arts and a bachelor’s degree in education (BEd) are the prerequisites for the majority of the ITEP faculty, while a post-graduate degree in education (MEd) is required to teach courses in the Foundations of Education, which covers sociology, psychology, and philosophy of education without a PG in the relevant discipline.

Global collaboration is the need of the hour to identify common learning gaps: Padma Jyothi, Delhi Public School

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May 26, 2023

There is collaboration in all aspects and education is no exception. Global collaboration is the need of the hour to identify the common learning gaps, streamline the MLLs across the levels and to arrive at quick remediation measures to bridge the gaps, shared Padma Jyothi, Principal, Delhi Public School, Nadergul, Telangana in an exclusive conversation with Sheeba Chauhan of Elets News Network. Edited excerpts:

How do you see global collaboration in education? Do you think, it can help the foundational stages?

The entire world in the 21st century is one ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’- in short one world and one family. There is collaboration in all aspects and education is no exception. The education segment post covid has seen challenges which are common all over the world. The learning gaps observed have all been with what students lost during the pandemic. A general statement that most teachers all over the world agree with these days is that digitalisation can aid learning but can never replace the teacher in the classroom. Global collaboration is the need of the hour to identify the common learning gaps, streamline the MLLs across the levels and to arrive at quick remediation measures to bridge the gaps.

How do you think global summits like World Education Summit Dubai can bring innovation and development to the landscape of education in India?

It is always an educator’s duty to be on par with world-class teaching pedagogies and summits like these render exposure to the facilitators to the recent trends in the field of education, and teaching strategies. It is an open platform for international collaborations, student exchange and also gives an opportunity to elevate education to global standards.

Some two-thirds of the world’s school-aged children do not have an internet connection in their homes. Do you think the digital divide can be a major drawback of the digitisation of education?

Absolutely true. With India still grappling with the digitisation of villages and towns, the education sector will be affected by this new trend. However, the rapid changes and advancements in technology should help reduce this divide soon. I have known many schools which have come up with various innovative measures to help students receive the digital aspect of education. I would also like to propose that each established school should take up one rural school as part of its mentor-mentee system. Though idealistic, this idea will help maintain standards across places, will help the not so settled schools to receive equal opportunities and will help the established schools to extend a helping hand to the others.

Holistic development was one of the major pushes of the New Education Policy. How do you implement the same at your school?

Delhi Public School Nadergul believes and practices the adage of all-around development of the child in the school. An example of this is our report card which runs several pages. The first page is an Appreciation Chart which identifies the ten best parameters in each child. The Appreciation chart is one step towards the holistic growth of each student. The school is the only one that gives each child an individual sports report card and a performing arts report card both aimed at identifying the best of talents in them. A holistic approach is a 360-degree involvement of the parents and the teachers. As early as the first week, we invite the parents to write their expectations, the child to give his/her goals, and the teachers to set combined expectations. This helps the teacher and the student to arrive at meaningful goal setting. The school takes up one value a month and ensures that the value is percolated. Appreciation badges to those students who display the value are another idea that the school practices for a more holistic growth of the child.

DPS Nadergul establishes itself as an innovative center of learning. Let us know about the various innovations performed at your school.

Delhi Public School Nadergul has two supporting arms to it. The Green motto and the service before self motto. These two ideas are coupled with the various creative initiatives that the school adopts. All these ideas aim at holistic growth for each and every child.

Some of these are to inculcate vocabulary-building exercises like the Password pouch, The Spell bees, the GEO bees, the GK bees and the Math bees conducted at the end of every month. The science department has its own inquiry model with What and Why questions given every month. The digital maps in social, help the students memorize the map pointing easily. The values depicted through sand art stand tall on the ground floor. The math lab and the art room lend the necessary experiential learning required. The school has been the recipient of several awards both on the academic front and the performing art departments. The school caters to specific sports coaching which has resulted in several students reaching the national, international and district-level sports.

244 million children and youth are out of school globally, of which 118.5 million are girls. Apart from the several other concern, this is the major concern seen in school-going students. Your comments on the same.

A true fact. A reflection on the sorry state of affairs in this country even in the 21st century. My personal comment is that it’s time the Government and the local agencies put their efforts together to solve this. As said earlier the private established schools can adopt the less privileged ones and bring in measures to arrest this divide. Schools should be responsible to help alleviate these concerns and ensure a learning environment for all students.

Is hybrid learning the new era in education and training?

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May 25, 2023

Post-pandemic, Hybrid learning has grown to become a way of life for most students. Those looking at entering skill-first industries are usually known to opt for this kind of learning situation since it enhances their knowledge and skill set without major obstacles which come along with regular learning. With edtech platforms welcoming a new era of education and training, students can benefit from myriad benefits which come with remote learning mixed with physical learning. The challenge here is to pick the most suited courses to their career paths, which will help them learn and put their skills into practice.

Utilise E-Learning perks

Edtech platforms use e-learning time for sharing key e-resources and setting up webinars and lectures with eminent industry faculty and personalities both national and international. These hours of remote learning prove to be as important as in-person classes, which enhances the quality of training a student has access to.

Provide options to upskill and re-skill

Edtech platforms use hybrid learning by giving an opportunity to study remotely from time to time, which gives a student more chances to explore their skill-set and sharpen them by not losing precious years of their career. The remote learning phases of the class can be utilized by those looking to upskill or re-skill in particular professions like aviation or hospitality, to give them an edge over other prospective candidates for a lucrative promotion or job offer.

Networking and learning opportunities

Hybrid learning can capitalise on various kinds of engagement to train students instead of relying on solely traditional methods. In today’s era, one kind of learning often can leave training one-sided only. This stunts a course, and in-turn may stunt a student’s training experience. The kind of educational and training tools available to us thanks to the evolution in tech need to be utilised and done full justice to. During In-person training, students get a chance to develop interpersonal relationships and networks which they would not have had a chance to if they were only focussing on remote learning. In-person hours also give them the necessary experience needed for simulation and on-ground training which plays an integral role in on-field careers like Mass Media, Hospitality, Hotel Management and Aviation. This can be clubbed with learning using various tools for training available in the remote learning arena. The trainer can choose which specific module requires what kind of training, and accordingly
impart that to students. By doing this, students have the best of all worlds and are truly ready to deal with on-the-job challenges in a real-life scenario.

Hybrid learning makes individuals truly understand themselves, their strengths and their weaknesses. This helps them work alongside their trainers to develop their strong points and overcome challenges. Hybrid learning also provides opportunities to study international courses, learn from international personalities and access global resources. This provides the much-needed edge with which a candidate can stand out in the job market clutter.

Views expressed by Piyalee Chatterjee Ghosh, Founder and Director, Myfledge Group of Institutes

Edtech Startup Ulipsu raises $3.2 Mn in Pre-Series A funding

Corporate Updates

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May 25, 2023

Ulipsu, an edtech startup has raised $3.2 million in a pre-Series A investment round that was extended and valued at $50 million. This brings the platform’s round of investment to a close with total funding of $5.7 Mn.

Existing investors as well as high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) from Canada and the Middle East participated in the round. The business further asserts that its seed investors participated in a secondary sale of $225K.

Ulipsu will use the funds to boost its domestic operations and broaden its reach internationally. By expanding its product line and introducing new ones, the firm will use the financing to fuel expansion. To promote growth in the upcoming year, a portion of the cash will also be used to increase hiring.

“Ulipsu offers curricula and material of international standards for more than 15 skills, along with examinations, projects, and skill reports. Schools are valuing Ulipsu greatly since NEP promotes the value of skill development, and we see a huge market opportunity both in India and beyond, according to Sumanth Prabhu, Co-Founder and CEO, Ulipsu.

Srajan Shetty who is an investor shared his reaction and said that “Ulipsu’s planned product development, healthy tractions, strong unit economics, and the likelihood that it will become one of the major players in the K-12 space in the next 2-3 years have enabled the brand to raise a new round of investments this season.”

Ulipsu, an educational technology company founded in 2022 by Prabhu and Nikhil Bhaskar, provides organised skill-based learning programmes for kids between the ages of 6 and 16. Additionally, it offers schools a plug-and-play learning infrastructure that enables them to integrate a variety of courses into their curricula, including those in entrepreneurship, finance, AI, and communication.

Technological innovations geared towards accessibility, convenience and engagement: Dr. Ankur Jain, Vanasthali Public School

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May 24, 2023

Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and the Internet of things are still not a part of mainstream education, despite massive strides in the field nonetheless shared Dr. Ankur Jain, Director, Vanasthali Public School, Ghaziabad in an exclusive conversation with Sheeba Chauhan of Elets News Network. Edited excerpts:

Equitable access to learning opportunities and improved skills development in primary education ensures a better future. Do you think catering to primary education mindfully can transform the education ecosystem?

Our world today is making history every minute, every hour and every day. It will change many things for us, equity in education being one of them. For many years now our education system has been trying hard to ensure equitable access to every child in the school.

It is very important to ensure that primary education is inclusive of every child particularly the most marginalised, including those with different kinds of disabilities or even if they belong to a minority group.

It can transform the education system completely because in order to ensure equity education the school must improve the measurement of learning outcomes. Teachers must be trained to deliver inclusive education and the schools can also improve the quality of the learning environment. Initially catering to primary education only can initiate big change at the later levels.

If we take care of small things, big things automatically fall into the right place.

244 million children and youth are out of school globally, of which 118.5 million are girls. Apart from the several other concern, this is the major concern seen in school-going students. Your comments on the same.

The major cause of the declining number of educated women is the lack of proper infrastructure and facilities for women. The increase in female literacy rate was 3.15% more as compared to the male literacy rate as per the census of 2011. The girls at an early age are engaged in domestic chores. As many parts of our country still have gender bias i.e., either due to social discrimination or economic exploitation. This is also one of the causes of the low retention rate and high dropout of female child unless part of the country still people believe in the system of early marriage. A complete reformation of the education system is required to bring alarming changes to accelerate the graph of girl education.

World Education Summit 2023 in Dubai aims to unlock fresh strategies and foster new approaches to build a future-ready education ecosystem. How do you think such conferences help to uplift education standards at a global level?

A learning ecosystem is a system of people, content, technology, culture, and strategy, existing both within and outside of an organization, all of which have an impact on both the formal and informal learning that goes on in that organization.

Waves of technological innovations geared towards accessibility, convenience and engagement are driving important everyday choices for students that translate to how they absorb new information and integrate it with existing repertoire.

Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and the Internet of things are still not a part of mainstream education, despite massive strides in the field nonetheless.

Conferences held at the global level will surely uplift the education system because such Conferences held at a global level are an exciting biennial gathering of experts in the scientific, technical, and socio-economic dimensions of restoring damaged and degraded ecosystems. In fact, conference attendees are passionate about discussing and debating big-picture issues and broad trends, as well as specific tools, techniques, research, and policies for restoration.

“The age of all things connected: the age of instant generation.”

What is your take on international collaborations for early childhood education?

International student collaboration at an early age helps to promote and revitalise local communities. It is a turning point for the student as it increases interaction between two universities and leads to the improvement in the quality of children.

Children get exposure and opportunities to group problems from multiple perspectives. It also promotes Science and technology development and helps to create global leaders the primary stage of collaboration provides evidence through advocacy and communication on enhancement.

According to UNICEF, over 600 million children and adolescents worldwide are unable to attain minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics. What do you consider the issue in developing foundational skills in literacy and numeracy?

Many researchers have proved that the main barrier to understanding mathematics relates to language and the inability to visualise the world problems due to lack of vocabulary leads to an inability to solve the problems. People who have difficulty in sounding out written word struggle to match letters to their proper sounds and will also struggle in comprehending the content of mathematics too. Reading in issues also affects students understanding of symbols and similar words.

A lot of intricate detail and in-depth knowledge is required to relate literacy and numeracy in order to deliver effective education.

Indo-US collaborative working group on education and skill development launched

Government News

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May 23, 2023

The India-US Working Group on Education and Skill Development was established by the Indian Ministry of Education and the US Department of State with the goal of enhancing bilateral collaboration in the field. The Working Groups from India and the US were co-chaired by Neeta Prasad, Joint Secretary for International Cooperation, Ministry of Education, and Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, US Department of State.

On the margins of the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between India and the US that was conducted in Washington, DC in April of last year, the leaders announced the formation of the India-US Working Group on Education and Skill Development.

Themes that were covered between the two parties included matchmaking between US and Indian higher educational institutions working with the commercial sector, certification and recognition, and skill-building and vocational education.

“Both sides agreed on the value of vocational training and education in today’s industry-focused society. Both parties agreed to promote cooperation between educational institutions, industry stakeholders, and relevant government agencies in order to connect skills training programmes with industry requirements. According to a senior MoE official, this agreement intends to close skills gaps, improve employability, and foster entrepreneurship in both countries.

“The delegates resolved to support and facilitate such alliances in order to promote intellectual and cultural interchange, raise the standard of instruction, and develop innovation and knowledge-sharing. Both parties concurred that stronger connections between educational institutions should be encouraged. The Indian side suggested that the possibility of creating joint, dual, and twinning courses in areas of shared interest be investigated, the official said.

The two parties recognised the value of working with the private sector to align the needs of the education sector with those of the job market, according to MoE officials.

“Both sides agreed to explore avenues to promote public-private partnerships in education and skill development initiatives,” the official stated.

The Indian side emphasised the necessity for swift visa issuance and reiterated their ongoing work on this issue, noting that student and faculty exchanges are at the core of the knowledge collaboration between both nations.

MoE and PARAKH organises workshop to discuss curriculum standards

Government News

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May 23, 2023

The first session to discuss school assessments, examination practices, and equivalence of boards across the nation was organised by the Union Ministry of Education (MoE) and the national assessment body PARAKH.

There are now 60 school examination boards operating in various Indian states and Union Territories. According to Sanjay Kumar, School Education Secretary, “the goal is to create a single framework that permits smooth transitions for children switching between various boards or areas.”

“This includes aligning curriculum standards, grading systems, and evaluation methodologies to enhance the credibility, recognition, and results of certificates and grades obtained across boards,” he continued.

The National Education Policy’s PARAKH reform will establish assessment norms for all boards to assist eliminate score inconsistencies among students registered with various state boards.

All accredited school boards will be required to follow the norms, criteria, and guidelines specified by the Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH).

The National Council for Education Research has picked Education Testing Service to establish the regulatory platform. Education Testing Service administers important exams including the TOEFL and GRE.

“The workshop’s main topic was equivalency between educational boards. Several stakeholders were made aware of PARAKH’s conception. The conversation focused on the requirement to reevaluate the prevalent culture of rote assessment in our educational system. There is a growing understanding that comprehensive evaluations, which consider many aspects of a student’s abilities and potential, are equally significant, according to a top official in the Ministry of Education.

“Further, the discussion underlined the necessity for well-designed, standardised test questions to ensure fairness and uniformity across schools and boards. There is also a demand to balance formative and summative tests in order to lessen the strain of high-stakes exams while still accurately gauging a student’s progress. He said, “An analysis of the intermediate and higher secondary boards’ examination results was also presented.

AI tools unlikely to make editors obsolete: Gunjan Pandita Khashu, Accuracy

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May 23, 2023

While the advent of AI tools may change the nature of some editing jobs, it is unlikely to make editors obsolete. There will still be a need for human judgment, quality assurance, personal attention, specialized expertise, and creativity in the editing process. These tools can support the editing process but definitely cannot replace human editors shared, Gunjan Pandita Khashu, COO, Accuracy in an exclusive conversation with Sheeba Chauhan of Elets News Network. Edited excerpts:

Accuracy is acing the language solutions in the most simplified ways. Explain to our readers about your varied services.

At Accuracy, we provide three primary services depending on the client’s end goal and the level of intervention required in the document:

Proofreading: This involves checking for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting errors.
Copyediting: This involves reviewing the text for errors in grammar, syntax, and sentence structure. The editor may also suggest revisions for clarity and concision.
Premium editing: This involves a more in-depth review of the text to ensure that the content is well organized, logically presented, and easy to follow. The editor may also suggest revisions to improve the style, tone, and voice of the writing.

With the enlarged AI market and applications like ChatGPT, do you think it can affect the services like yours in the market?

Though academic editing services and AI tools both have their unique advantages and limitations, here is why I feel these services win over AI:

AI tools often lack the contextual understanding and expertise that human editors have, accounting for the specific field of study, academic standards, and authorial voice.
AI tools lack the human touch and personal attention that editors can provide. They can work with authors to understand their unique writing style and goals, and provide feedback and suggestions that are tailored to their needs.
Though AI tools can detect errors and suggest corrections, they often lack the ability to recognize more subtle writing issues, such as coherence, tone, and clarity. Academic editors can provide a more comprehensive review of a document that goes beyond simple grammar and spelling errors.
Academic editing services involve a team of trained professionals who can provide quality assurance and ensure that the final product meets high academic standards. This includes reviewing citations, formatting, and adherence to style guidelines.
With academic editing services, there is a level of accountability that is often lacking with AI tools. Academic editors can be held accountable for the quality of their work.

World Education Summit 2023 in Dubai aims to unlock fresh strategies and foster new approaches to build a future-ready education ecosystem. How do you think such conferences help to uplift education standards at a global level?

Such conferences can help bring together stakeholders from different backgrounds and regions to share knowledge, collaborate on solutions, and promote policies and practices that can improve education outcomes at a global level. Through this event, we look forward to having a unified platform to convey our message to our target audience.

We appraise your 100% accurate work in editing but today a lot of experienced editing professionals are fearing job loss due to the advent of AI tools. Your comments.

In line with my response above, while the advent of AI tools may change the nature of some editing jobs, it is unlikely to make editors obsolete. There will still be a need for human judgment, quality assurance, personal attention, specialized expertise, and creativity in the editing process. These tools can support the editing process but definitely cannot replace human editors.

Accuracy promises that your documents will be edited and polished to the highest quality standards. How do you manage such high standards of quality? Do you use any specific tools to maintain so?

You can have the best AI tool in the world, but it can still lead to a dissatisfied client. In contrast, we follow some key practices to ensure that we deliver nothing but the best:

We have a very stringent process of hiring only experienced and qualified editors, who have relevant academic and professional qualifications, as well as extensive experience in editing.
We have developed clear guidelines and processes for our editors to follow, including standards for grammar, syntax, style, formatting, and citation, and ensure that these are communicated effectively to them.
We provide ongoing training and support to our editors to ensure that they stay up-to-date with the latest trends, techniques, and tools in academic editing.
We continually monitor the performance of our editors to ensure that each document meets the highest quality standards. This can include having a second editor review or performing regular quality checks.
We communicate effectively with our clients to understand their needs, provide clear feedback and suggestions, and ensure that their expectations are met.
We continuously evaluate and improve our editing processes based on feedback from clients and editors, as well as changes in the industry. Besides editing, one of our major strengths is technology. We are working on innovative solutions that can provide a smooth research cycle to the authors.

AIUB’s Journey of 28 Years in Higher Education: Ishtiaque Abedin, American International University- Bangladesh

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May 22, 2023

American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB), a government-approved private university in Dhaka, Bangladesh, has completed its 28 years journey. In this long journey, over 32,000 domestic and international students have been enrolled in its Undergraduate and Graduate Programs. All of them have achieved recognition in various fields, which include jobs, business ventures, sports, etc., both in Bangladesh and abroad.

In 1994, Dr. Anwarul Abedin founded AIUB under the “Bangladesh Private University Act, 1992”. The permanent campus of AIUB is situated in Kuril area, Dhaka, Bangladesh. AIUB has four academic faculties, namely the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Science & Information Technology, the Faculty of Business Administration, and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Each of these faculties consists of various departments offering several Undergraduate and Graduate Programs. AIUB also conducts short courses on language learning, enterprise networking, system administration, graphic designing, animation, programming, web development, and emerging technologies.

AIUB has efficaciously organised 21 convocation ceremonies to date, which include Chancellor’s Award, Vice Chancellor’s Award, Dr. Anwarul Abedin Leadership Award, and numerous different several other academic awards. Moreover, various scholarships such as merit-based scholarships, need based scholarships, freedom fighter category scholarships, and international student scholarships are offered to the students enrolled in the university.

AIUB has academic partnerships with renowned universities in countries all over the world, including USA, UK, Canada, Japan, Australia, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Taiwan, Philippines, South Africa, and India. Higher education international exchange programs feature regularly in almost every semester and are participated in by faculties, officers, and students. AIUB has many collaborative partners, including Cisco Networking Academy, Oracle Academy, Microsoft Imagine Academy, Bangladesh Cricket Board, Bangladesh Football Federation, etc.

For its fervent contribution to higher education, AIUB has been ranked among the World’s Universities with Real Impact 2022 Rankings. Furthermore, AIUB has been featured in QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Scimago Institutions Rankings. AIUB has been recognized by many organizations, such as ISO 9001: 2008 domestically and internationally, for its steadfast contributions to the quality of higher education.

Since its establishment, AIUB has been regularly publishing international standard journals titled AIUB Journal of Business and Economics and AIUB Journal of Science and Engineering. AIUB is also involved in research work functioning through its Center for Sustainable Energy Research, Center for Nanotechnology Research, Center for Biomedical Research, Center for Robotics & Automation and Business Incubation Center. International conferences and seminars are organized by AIUB every year. These conferences are mainly concentrated in the subject areas of business and management, computing advancement, sustainable development, robotics, and electrical and signal processing techniques.

AIUB enjoys an eco-friendly campus with modern classrooms and an ultramodern library with an accommodation capacity of over five hundred students at a time. The library has about 44,000 books, 69,000 online journals, millions of e-books, and other educational materials. In addition, there are computer labs, language labs, engineering labs, physics labs, chemistry labs, 3-D animation labs, IP labs, moot court, architecture studios & media studios, and daycare facilities.

AIUB is proud to offer modern multipurpose halls, auditoriums, cafeterias, food courts, a world-class medical center, and an ultramodern gymnasium. AIUB has separate prayer rooms for people of various religious beliefs available to everyone on campus for freely practicing their faith.

AIUB facilitates 24-hour free Wi-Fi internet services. AIUB students enjoy ultramodern sports facilities, including football cricket ground, basketball court, tennis court, volleyball court, badminton court, and indoor games venue. There are a total of 16 clubs at AIUB premises for co-curricular activities, and each club registers eager new participants each semester.

Several prominent sports athletes of Bangladesh have enrolled as students at AIUB. Litton Kumer Das, Taskin Ahmed, Sabbir Rahman, Mominul Haque, Afif Hossain, Abu Hider Roni, Anamul Haque Bijoy, and Akbar Ali are all remarkable players who regularly feature in Bangladesh national cricket. On top of that, Sanjida Akhtar, Monika Chakma, Krishna Rani Sarkar, Mishrat Jahan Moushumi are all proud AIUB alumni who are members of the Bangladesh women’s football team.

Renowned alumni of AIUB Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah Riyad are all skilled players of the Bangladesh national cricket team, while Zahid Parvez, Faisal Mahmud are serving the Bangladesh national football team. The first Bangladeshi to become the Principal Engineer of Google, Zaheed Sabur is also a former student of AIUB. Ex-students of this university are currently occupying prominent positions like in various enterprises in Bangladesh and beyond.

AIUB is committed to imparting the highest quality technology-based higher education meeting the 21st Century market demands.

It is unequivocally certain that AIUB will be a practical hub for higher education, fulfilling the dreams of parents and students of international students. So, what are you waiting for? Come, join AIUB, and be a force to be reckoned with!

Views expressed by Ishtiaque Abedin, Founder Member and Chairman, Board of Trustees, American International University- Bangladesh(AIUB).

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