Implementing engineering diplomacy in education

Professor Shafiqul Islam of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering explored challenges in developing Bangladesh’s workforce during a recent keynote lecture at the Chittagong University alumni association convention. In “Sustainable Quality Education: Building an Equitable Future for All,” Islam applied his engineering diplomacy framework to problems facing the educational sector in Bangladesh. His speech examined how improvements in education could result in a more capable workforce for the country.

Grounded in principled pragmatism, Islam focused on two key issues facing education in Bangladesh. First, he pointed to a mismatch between education and market needs. According to Islam, the current curriculum does not adequately prepare students for the job market and lacks instruction in transferrable skills and critical thinking. The second challenge was unequal access to usable education. Islam pointed out the divide between educational quality in rural and urban areas as well as gender and socioeconomic disparities in education access. Creating a more level playing field and incorporating career-focused skills into the curriculum could result in more graduating students who are workforce ready.

Acknowledging multiple perspectives on the same issue is a central tenet of Islam’s work. Throughout his lecture, Islam offered a series of brain teasers and riddles to highlight the importance of different creative problem-solving approaches. Ultimately, he advocated for stakeholders to remain problem-focused, process-aware, and solution-oriented when working on improving the education system in Bangladesh.

Islam is currently a Harvard Radcliffe Fellow, where he is further developing his engineering diplomacy framework. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with a wide network of national and international partners to conduct interdisciplinary research for a wide range of problems including water, health, and climate. He has also acted as a consultant to the World Bank, United States Geological Survey, Proctor & Gamble, and several other governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Hosted in Boston, the 2025 Chittagong University alumni convention endeavored to further academic growth and educational development, foster collaboration, and celebrate the achievements of the university's alumni. Attendees enjoyed two days of thought-provoking keynote addresses, seminars, panel discussions, interactive workshops, and networking sessions.