Where labours are created

What’s the use of your MBA if you are sitting in the customer care unit of a Telco, pacing up and down the whole day providing your company’s valued-loyal-trustworthy-devoted customers with priceless information about how to activate GPRS service or may be answering how to send an MMS? Again, all those efforts of yours in FBS, DU – where are you using them now? Did you actually take any course relating to customer care service in your BBA? I bet, you didn’t take one even in your MBA. So, why do you sit as a customer care executive and say, “I am really proud to be a member of a winning team!” I find no words afterwards.

I went to a leading Telco’s customer care office, where I found that guy who seems very happy working in an MNC. I can’t think, what’s the use of my BBA from here? Am I heading forward to be in those chairs I have never wanted? I can’t see where the tunnel, I am passing through, ends; I don’t even have any knowledge what’s waiting for me at the end of it? I am in a total despair. If I tell how much blood I shed to get admitted here you won’t possibly believe. But am I striving to be someone like him? Why am I thinking so much? Why my friend from IBA smirk whenever he sees me and say, “. . . too close, still so far . . .” [I apprehend, he is may be saying, your building is too close to us, but your career is still so far from ours.]

However, I have also encountered people from our faculty with some dynamic designations. But one thing is very common in them. They either have a 3.80/4.00 CGPA in BBA/MBA or they had some unusual ways to ticket through the HR depts. of the companies. I admit, I have none of these two. I find it almost evident that I won’t be bossing around in future. I don’t really understand those debits and credits, so my profit & loss account after the exams get serious health hazards!

Being obsessed, I talked to some friends from private universities to find if they are getting benefited or not. But before I move on let me state that, when I took the admission test at the NSU, I passed getting the opportunity to select any subject I’d prefer to study. At the time I went to start my course, I was advised to do some preliminary courses before starting my regular studies just to brush up recently lost memories of English and maths at a cost of around Tk. 36K! With due respect I told my advisor that, ”Sir, since I’ve passed the admission test, and I passed it well, I’d better like to start my regular studies. Besides, I’m really good, very very good at English and maths, so I would like to take an exemption from them.” But I was not exempted. By chance I managed to escape the loss of my valuable money getting admitted at the FBS, DU.

As I was saying. My friends, in NSU, are very much satisfied with the environment they stay in. World class faculties, state-of-the-art features, alluring study mates, tones of exams, and so on. But when applying for a job, “either find a jack-ass or get lost, baby”, says some of the NSUers. Those who are in BracUni are doing well either with similar problems when placements are being made. Some of the AIUB-dudes told me of very unfamiliar circumstances they’ve confronted. One of my mates studying business at Stamford, not the Stanford of the US, told me of unsatisfactory business education system. You won’t believe, just a few days ago I’ve met a guy passed MBA from the AsianUni, and working at a MNC, was trying to get admitted into a Diploma course (!) at an Australian University. Pathetic, isn’t it?

I wish I were the Boss

If I were the boss controlling the educational system in Bangladesh, I would bring all reputed business personnel, business educators, employers in a table to develop a unique business course that’d certainly mean business. May be then, an IBA would not grin at a Bishwa Bishwa-Biddalaya of BD [World-Uni-of-BD, I meant] anymore. What do you say? Hmm?

Disclaimer:
Please note that all names appearing in this article are completely imaginary. If, by any means, a name match up with a real one, that’d be a co-incident only. This article is only for general use. Please do not make any decision based on this work. The author is not liable for any loss occurred by making decisions based on this work.

Where are the Brave Hearts?

I have been reading these comments on this Indian Educationist's experience at AIUB....one of the leading private university of this country.We all know how he was treated there during his teaching tenure through his letter to the former Prime-Minister of our country. We will not be knowing ever whether he got back his money and receive justice but i'm sure if he would have read this blog he would been happy to know that people finally started raising their voice against the misdeeds of the AIUB's top management.I also feel that the chances of his reading this blog is very less as the treatment he got from AIUB is unforgetable.

The motive behind writing this is to wake up those faculties who also have received similar treatment from AIUB.Do we want to make suffer more and more people like Dr. Sudhi Dey?Do we wish to give a high designation(the VC belongs to Philippines) to one foreigner who dn't deserve to be there at all and treat badly another foreigner(Dr.sudhi Dey)?Are we so poor at representing our country in the global arena of education?

So my dear friends who were associated with AIUB as a faculty or student please join this battlefield as its the high time to demand for your RIGHT! Unless there is demand,there won't be any supply.....i reckon!

The growing importance of introducing CSR education in Bangladesh

Very good read from FE

CORPORATE social responsibility (CSR) is still in its early stages in Bangladesh. Whilst only a few (mostly multinational enterprises) practise CSR, the larger corporate houses and SMEs - essentially the critical mass of the economy - remain unaware about both tangible and intangible benefits of CSR. Businesses in Bangladesh are yet to realize how these practices could give them the competitive edge - both in the domestic and international markets - and make them more efficient in the long run by improving their reputation and image in the eyes of all stakeholders.Most businesses in Bangladesh, large, medium or small, currently perceive CSR as charity or philanthropy, or an investment that shows no return at least in the foreseeable future.

The social or community activities that companies undertake are driven by philanthropy and often involve "writing cheques" or "donating land" to help the local community to build mosques, schools or hospitals to address social needs. These charitable ventures, mistaken as CSR, are generally not linked with the core business processes, and play no strategic role in the businesses that undertake them.This misperception can be minimised, among other ways, by integrating courses in CSR in the business schools in Bangladesh. Although corporate social responsibility is currently one of the most frequently used buzzwords in the corporate world and among business students, the lack of a proper CSR module or course in the curricula of business schools in Bangladesh contributes towards this misperceptions about CSR.

This article attempts to shed light on the potential roles that leading public and private business schools can play in making CSR a reality in Bangladesh, and eventually, create a platform for a win-win situation for all stakeholders of a company and the company itself.Leading business schools, such as, the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), North South University (NSU), East West University (EWU), BRAC University (BU), American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB), Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) have already contributed to our corporate world by producing some of the country's brilliant business graduates. In addition, the private universities have fostered a healthy competition among business institutions and students alike by providing them with the opportunity and access to alternative business institutions besides the public ones.It is essential that business school students of today, who will be leading the corporate world tomorrow are aware and knowledgeable about how CSR can ensure sustainable benefit for both business and consumers. As such, business schools can play a pivotal role in promoting CSR education in the country.

To prepare business students, who are envisioned to become the future corporate leaders, and to ensure greater CSR adoption in Bangladesh, five leading business schools in Bangladesh - NSU, IUB, EWU, AIUB and BU - have already undertaken an initiative to integrate CSR education in their curricula.These business schools will work together to advance the agenda of incorporating CSR modules in business curricula at the tertiary level through synergy and cooperation, and encourage other business schools to follow. As a proponent and champion of corporate social responsibility, the CSR Centre at the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) will facilitate the promotion of CSR through business schools. This would be done either by developing new CSR courses or by redesigning existing courses to ensure a better understanding of CSR concepts and practices among the students.The responsibilities of businesses towards society and environment generally occupy an important spot in business courses, such as, business ethics, but these issues are usually not included as mainstream business subjects, such as, finance, strategic management, marketing and accounting. As these concepts seldom appear in the core business courses, which a business student is required to take to receive the degree, most business graduates remain unaware about the growing importance of CSR in the strategic intent of a business.

Most European and North American business schools have already started revisiting their curriculum to assess how best they could accommodate the issues and concepts of corporate social responsibility. They are either incorporating these in the core courses to start with or redesigning them to highlight and emphasise the importance of CSR for businesses receives due attention. Globalization and the recent wave of public and private corporate scandals resulted in an increasing demand for improved and enhanced knowledge on CSR in order to comprehend the complexities of the current global economic environment, and the challenges businesses and executives face to integrate into it while maintaining a cutting and competitive edge.In the United Kingdom (UK), University of Birmingham offers a Masters programme on Corporate Governance and Corporate social Responsibility and University of London in Corporate Governance and Ethics. The University of Nottingham offers Masters, MBA and PhD in Corporate Social Responsibility through its International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility. Harvard Business School and other Ivy League schools, University of Notre Dame and the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College are among those institutions that are spearheading CSR education in the United States of America (USA).While it is up to the business schools to incorporate CSR in the core business curricula, the corporate world should also come forward and create a demand for such skills in executives. Business graduates are not only an integral part of the workforce, but also constitute other stakeholders, including those in the company's supply chain, consumers and investors.

To prepare future managers and leaders for the realities of a more complex business environment, it is essential to combine CSR knowledge with core business skills through education. This knowledge could empower and equip them with a powerful understanding of the value addition of CSR, and social, environmental and economic perspectives required for operating in an interdependent world and in a competitive and evolving global economy. Farooq Sobhan is President, Bangladesh Enterprise Institute and Sherina Tabassum is Communications Coordinator, Bangladesh Enterprise Institute

Private Games People Play in Private Universities

A classic case of principal-agent clash is going on in private universities in Bangladesh. The founders/directors of universities are tightening their grip on teachers whom they hire with high salaries. Someone mentioned that IUB requires new teachers to sign bonds as long as 3 years, so that recruited teachers can't switch to better paid offers. Management in AIUB gives more importance to its Administration than to its teachers and they are also coming up with innovative ways to keep students second, teachers last. Word is in the air that North-South University is also a hotbed for teacher-admin bureaucracy. Its common knowledge now days that private universities are there to make more money for its owners and directors at the cost of students' money. So if you are planning to teach in private universities, plan beforehand when you want to jump and surprise your controllers.

Awful Experience of an Indian at AIUB, Dhaka

February 22, 2006

Begum Khaleda Zia

Honorable Prime Minister of

The Peoples Republic of Bangladesh

Bangladesh

Respected Madam,

This is to introduce myself as an internationally respected Academician and Academic administrator and to draw your kind attention towards my awful experience in Bangladesh as a fellow Bengali and a citizen of neighboring India with a hope receiving your kind attention and justice. Since early - 2004, I was offered to take up a Professorship at American International University - Bangladesh (AIUB), a private university in Dhaka, Bangladesh which I finally accepted in May, 2005.

As per the understanding, American International University - Bangladesh (AIUB) was suppose to pay me a monthly salary that is equivalent to US$ 2,000.00 plus a fully furnished independent apartment, car and two (2) return air tickets to Kolkata/ year. However, I was asked to sign two (2) different employment contracts one stating a monthly salary of Bangladeshi Taka 80,000 and another 118,000. The first contract was submitted at the Deputy High Commission for the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Calcutta in June, 2004 with my visa application and the other was submitted to the Board of Investment, Dhaka in July, 2005 with my work permit application. During my tenure at American International University - Bangladesh (AIUB), Dhaka, Bangladesh from 25th May, 2005 to 29th December, 2005, I was neither paid a monthly salary of US$ 2,000 nor I was offered with a fully furnished independent apartment, car and two (2) return air tickets, as promised. Furthermore, every month, I was paid different amounts between Bangladeshi Taka 72,000 and 118,000 with strange and unknown deductions towards leave, income tax, etc. The academic and administrative job responsibilities that were stated in the contract were never given to me while I was highly frustrated to see less educated, inexperienced and incompetent foreign nationals from academically and intellectually inferior countries were spoiling the standards of education which is already far below the Indian or global standards.

Since I was teaching a large number of senior MBA students at American International University - Bangladesh (AIUB), was popular as the best Professor among them and they were extremely dependent on my teaching for their final grades, I could not leave them and the university earlier and got exploited for over 7 months just for the sake of the Bangladeshi students. I left the Directorship of one of the India’s leading B-schools to join American International University - Bangladesh (AIUB) for being a Bengali and to contribute towards the benefits of Bangladeshi students. I was neither given the due professional respect at AIUB nor the financial commitments were kept by them ! I was handed over with my final settlements on 29th December, 2005 less than two (2) hours before my return flight to India and I discovered that nearly Bangladeshi Taka 83,000 less were paid to me. This amount is consisting of the earlier leave salary deductions and cost of return air tickets which is still unpaid. It is surprising to note that organizations like American International University - Bangladesh (AIUB) and its management are enjoying the status of “respected people” among the Bangladeshi society while they mislead and cheat foreign Academicians like me and the Bangladeshi labor law does not have a provision to protect a large number of foreign professionals ! In past 25 years, I have lived and worked in 16 countries across 3 continents but my experience of Bangladeshi education & teaching standards, governance of an academic institution and finally the exploitation of highly educated and accomplished foreign nationals like me was a real eye opener.

Although I am Indian by birth but being a Bengali always felt proud of the name “Bangladesh” but today after my awful experience in Bangladesh and its one of the best known private university “American International University - Bangladesh (AIUB) “, I will certainly carry a very unpleasant memory and poor image of the nation like people from rest of the world. After following up my unpaid dues at AIUB, Dhaka, yesterday (21.02.2006), I have received a legal notice from their legal consultant with false and baseless allegations in which they also tried to point finger at my family life and personal character ! Last night, I have received a "life threat" call on my cell no from an unknown person threatening me to forget about my dues at AIUB, Dhaka and to keep quiet, otherwise, I will get killed ! This has already been reported to the Kolkata Police and an FIR has been lodged. Being an academician, I will also talk about my terrible experience at American International University - Bangladesh (AIUB) in various academic meets and international conferences. Furthermore, I will be writing to a large number of respectable personalities, ministries and media in Bangladesh, India and to various American and western universities, UNESCO and other international development bodies from other nations which will surely not add to Bangladesh's image ! If educated and well accomplished academicians like me can get exploited in Bangladesh and can be the victim of framed charges to escape from making payments for unpaid dues of foreign nationals then the all human rights bodies can well imagine the situation of the local uneducated and poor class. It’s the time for all who are concerned about the exploitations in 3rd world countries to come forward to support my efforts to fight against the exploitation and injustice. Madam, if you are really concerned about the image of your own nation and truly looking ahead to a better Bangladesh, I hope you will take a strong action against the management of American International University - Bangladesh (AIUB) for their unethical, unprofessional and unfair actions. I also hope that you will instruct University Grants Commission of Bangladesh to take necessary actions. However, Bangladesh and its public administration system is being globally known for mammoth corruptions, I have my own doubts of any action. Looking forward to a favorable response from you.

Kind regards,

Dr. Sudhi Ranjan Dey