Home ›› 06 Jan 2023 ›› Back
A first ever full-fledged university in Virginia of America is owned by a Bangladeshi Eng. Abubokor Hanip. After he has taken over the ownership of the university a good number of students from Bangladesh have so far been admitted into the university. Hanip also managed to arrange jobs for those Bangladeshi students. About one thousand students from 121 countries are now studying in some important majors including ICT and Cyber Security. Of them, 500 are Bangladeshi students. Over the past 17 years he has helped develop skills along with higher education in seven thousand Bangladeshis and has made them able to get jobs in mainstream American organizations. Those people are now earning one lakh dollar a year on average. Once, the same people used to earn only $40,000 a year. After receiving higher education and required skills from his university those people have been able to double their monthly income. Abubokor Hanip has said this in a recent exclusive interview with The Business Post’s Shahin Howlader in Washington DC
How did you come across the idea of establishing a university in the USA?
I presumed that learners in America had to borrow $60,000-$1, 00000 to complete their Bachelor and Master’s Degree. At present the total amount of loan taken by the learners in America is $2 trillion. Of them, the amount of private loan is $300 billion while the government loan is $1.7 trillion.
With such a burden of loan when they complete their education they even cannot manage to get an entry level job. I then thought about including this skill development programme in the education curriculum.
On the other hand, every year the American government hires at least 85,000 skilled people from different countries of the world. I thought if we could initiate to address this skill deficiency within the classrooms it might yield a good result.
We took the initiative through the ‘Creative the Replica of Work Environment into the Classroom Settings’. As a result, learners will begin to get jobs from entry-level to mid-level along with their obtaining degree certificates providing a solution to the social problem. With this aim I have taken over the university.
What was the story behind such initiative in the USA?
I have had success stories in many fields of my works after the university education but the story behind such initiative was not at all that easy. I came to America after obtaining my degree from Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET). I had to work for a meager $5 an hour due to lack of skill even with a certificate from CUET, one of the highest seats of learning.
I had a GPA 4.05 in Computer Science but I couldn’t manage any job immediately after my arrival in America. Then I had to take training on skill development at various institutions. When I could enter a mid-level job I came to realize that skill development was really something important.
I then invited Bangladeshis to another institution of mine and trained them up under my supervision. After providing training to about 300 Bangladeshis I arranged jobs for them at various organizations.
Tell something about your university
IGlobal University was established in Washington DC in 2008. Later I bought the university for Tk100 crore in 2021 and named it ‘Washington University of Science and Technology’. When I started the journey with the university its number of student was only 300. In a span of two years the number of students surpassed the mark of one thousand. Of them, more than 500 students were Bangladeshis.
Our retention rate is 100 percent meaning no students drop out of our university. We teach every student based on real life situation and through entertainment so that they can earn corporate knowledge from here. And if they go back to Bangladesh they will be able to lead the large organizations and companies in the country. On the other hand, if they even would like to stay back in America they can also hold on to the leadership of big companies here.
Please, talk about the learners of the university.
About 1,000 students from 121 countries are now studying at my university. Of them, the number of Bangladeshis is more. The reason for having more Bangladeshi students is I have been giving them stipends soon after I bought the institution as I want the students from my country to contribute both at home and abroad.
What would a student have to do to get admitted into your university?
At our university we have courses like BBA, MBA, BSIT, MSIT, Masters and Cyber Securities and Bachelor in Cyber Securities. Students from any background can come to our university for MBA Programme.
American MBA Degree is very important for everything here. You have to have IELTS, Duolingo any other English proficiency certificates before a MBA course. IELTS score will not be less than 5.5 and as for Duolingo one has to score 90.
After completing all those courses we send an offer letter from the university. After that a student has to face the US Embassy before he comes to America.
How is the success rate of getting visa through your institution?
The highest number of Bangladeshi students before January 2020 was 10. But after the month of January 2021 the number rose to more than 500. So, you see, visas are being given.
How is the expenditure on education here?
Our tuition fee is very much reasonable. For a two-year Master’s Degree it requires $22600 here. If stipend is given then it requires $15, 000. We have also another institution ‘People and Tec Institute’ to develop skill where we produce skilled manpower for $5000. However, this course is free of cost for our university students so that they can gather corporate experience through OPT. It means a student has to spend $10, 000 for a Master’s Degree. On the other hand, if someone comes for a Bachelor Degree he has to spend $56, 000 in four years. And if he is given stipend then he has to spend a total of $44, 000 in four years. As for those who come for a Bachelor in Business Administration Programme they are directly given 50 percent stipend meaning one has to spend $28, 000 in four years.
How is the prospect of part-time job for students?
A student can work for 20 hours a week along with his study. We can offer them 20-hour on-campus job. As they are learning skill-based education they have to basically focus on their education as there is tremendous return of investment. He receives the Optional Practical Training (OPT) under STEM category. Within 90 days after obtaining OPT one has to join a job. If one fails to get a job either he has to go back to his country or do another Master’s Programme. But in reality after I began to run this institution about 90 percent students from this university have managed to get jobs within the stipulated time.
How much is your university curriculum conducive?
The curriculum module of my university will help all the universities of the world. On the other hand, traditional universities are only providing degrees. After Degree Programme, students look for entry-level jobs. But through my procedure nobody has to look for an entry-level job. We are helping him get mid or senior-level jobs.
The experience one gathers in six months or one year at an entry-level job we are teaching them the same thing through classroom setting. This is a completely new model – Creating the Replica and Work Environment into the Classroom Settings’.
Notice that students cultivate knowledge and take degree from a university. But you need skill if you want to work in an industry and must have idea about corporate environment and confidence. We have combined all of them in our university settings.
What contribution can Bangladeshis make to the progress of their country after receiving degrees from your university?
Among the Bangladeshis who used to earn $50, 000 a year they are now earning $150, 000. If I take it for granted that I have arranged jobs for 7, 000 Bangladeshis so far and on average if each of them earns $100, 000 then they are now earning $700 million a year. And if only 20 percent of their income goes to Bangladesh the total remittance stands at Tk1400 a year.
Can your module be applied to the universities of Bangladesh?
We can also apply this module in Bangladesh that has a total of 163 universities. Of them, eight are public universities while 55 are private universities. Are the students who come out of those universities are getting jobs?
Education in Bangladesh doesn’t go well with the works they have after education. For example, everyone now wants to sit for the BCS examination. An MBBS doctor becomes a police super after BCS examination. As a result, I think, the subsidy the government is giving for higher education in a special branch of knowledge is being wasted away.
But if students are taught skill development then nobody will remain unemployed.
