It is now 35+ years since the inception of private universities in Bangladesh. It is high time we collectively take a hard look at the purpose of a university and whether we are on the right track. For example, a hard question that can be asked is: Are universities succeeding in producing competent individuals?

To find possible answers, one place would be to ask the HR managers of the companies who employ graduates. As many graduates are found to be unemployable, at a Job Fair, 35 employers were asked, what skill-gaps do you find during interviews? The thematic analysis of the answers may come as a surprise to many. A graph of the answers on skill gaps is given below.

Figure 1: Skill gaps identified by hiring companies present at the SEU Job-Fair, 2026

Importantly, it therefore seems that universities do not provide opportunities and the space to their students to think about their careers, i.e., what they wish to do with their lives, nor inculcate the awareness of what a job is and the need for personal development and professionalism. Further, the thematic analysis also highlights the fact that theories taught in class are not linked to practical work and problem solving. To support career awareness, the industry representatives agreed that career opportunities and talks on job expectations should be delivered by them at the university.

So, what do employers expect from graduates? The thematic analysis next leads to expectations of employers while hiring as shown in Figure 2. The findings on the employer expectations corroborates the skills gap shown in Figure 1. The required graduate profile shows that industries seek graduates who demonstrate strong communication skills, professional behavior, a positive attitude, continuous learning mindset, technical competence, confidence, and career awareness. Overall, in today’s job market, employers value candidates who can adapt to organizational culture, use digital and AI-enabled tools responsibly, communicate effectively, and contribute with initiative from the beginning of their professional journey.

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Figure 2: The graduate-nature that hiring companies expect (n = responses)

As universities race to climb the QS and THE global rankings, one must therefore ask the question, how much are rankings actually contributing to the university’s ability to produce professionally successful graduates?

To encourage universities to examine their own employability status, the Education Ministry and the University Grants Commission (UGC) must play a proactive role. Universities should be required to report how many of their graduates secure employment and how many become entrepreneurs. The government and the UGC should establish minimum performance benchmarks for graduate employability and entrepreneurship to encourage universities to take greater responsibility for preparing students for the job market and creating future entrepreneurs.

The government currently collects taxes on surplus from private universities. Instead of imposing taxes on private universities, the government could provide incentives to help them nurture entrepreneurs. Investment should also be made in investing to develop faculty and administration with appropriate incentives who are the main resource for developing students. Such investments would yield greater economic and social returns by fostering new businesses, creating jobs, and reducing unemployment – ultimately benefiting both the economy and society.