Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen met with Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon and State Minister Bobby Hajjaj today (24 February), announcing plans to train 10,000 Bangladeshi students in Chinese language and technical skills.

This initiative is expected to create employment opportunities in nearly 1,000 Chinese companies operating in Bangladesh and in at least 17 countries worldwide, according to a press release.

Several higher education institutions have already begun offering Chinese language courses, including the University of Dhaka, North South University, and BRAC University, through a joint initiative with the University Grants Commission.

There are also plans to introduce Chinese language education at the University of Chittagong within this year, according to the release.

To promote language education, officials proposed establishing 300 smart classrooms initially, with two classrooms per school across 150 institutions. Discussions also covered nine broadcasting centres and modern laboratory software and hardware. 

Minister Milon highlighted the focus on technical and polytechnic education.

“Bangladesh and China will jointly visit polytechnic institutes to modernise curricula, enhance technological capacity, and improve demand-driven education systems aligned with industry needs,” he said. 

“Courses and training frameworks will be reorganised according to industry requirements,” he added.

According to the release, similar language and technical education programs have been successfully implemented in South Africa, Cambodia, and Laos.

The Bangladeshi delegation has been invited to China for a study tour to gain first-hand experience by visiting technical and technology institutions, the release added.

At the same time, Chinese universities and experts have been invited to visit Bangladesh and provide recommendations for modernising technical education institutions.

Ambassador Yao also expressed interest in supporting the construction of a modern dormitory hall for female students at the University of Dhaka.

Scholarships for polytechnic students were discussed, with the Chinese side assuring joint cooperation once formal proposals are received. The Bangladesh government will provide the necessary proposals and requirement documents within the coming week.

The education minister expressed optimism that the cooperation would strengthen education and technological ties and help the country’s youth acquire internationally competitive skills.

“In line with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s education manifesto, Bangladesh’s education system will embark on a new journey,” he said.