Brac University (BU) joined the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Foundation Bangladesh. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the two on Tuesday (28 January, 2020). BU Vice-Chancellor Professor Vincent Chang and the foundation’s National Director Brigadier General (retd) Kaiser Ahmed signed the MoU on the BU premises. Rizwan Bin Farouq, Chairman, Executive Committee, joined the discussions with Prof. Chang and the teams. The programme will be a crucial part of the student experience and the University’s international approach.
This collaboration will be highly beneficial for students who want to improve their extracurricular skills. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a non-competitive programme. It was established in the UK in 1956 by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. The award recognizes young adults for completing a series of self-improvement exercises, like learning how to play an instrument, doing volunteer work, fitness and so on. After completing the programme each student will be awarded a certificate that demonstrates the individual’s work. The students will improve their interpersonal skills and they will be equipped to find their place in society after graduation. They will also gain qualities that will help them find scholarships to pursue higher education.
The Foundation’s philosophy is in alignment with Prof. Chang’s vision of Brac University 2.0. “We are happy to run the Duke of Edinburgh Foundation Award at Brac University. We share the same beliefs in an international higher education and equipping students with skills that expand beyond the classroom,” said Professor Chang.
The award is internationally recognized. Including Bangladesh, 144 countries are part of this award programme. It has come about in Bangladesh since 2008 and with Brac University, 94 prominent educational institutions across the country are running it.