Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has said the government is taking initiatives to bring major changes to the country’s education sector by aligning it with the demands of the job market.

He made the remarks on Friday (August 21) during a dialogue with vice-chancellors of various universities on higher education at the BRAC CDM Centre in Savar.

The minister said the government plans to make education more effective and employment-oriented by considering the changing needs of the job market. The initiative aims to better match students’ education and skills with employment opportunities.

He said the government is working with a GDP growth target of 5% for the current fiscal year. It also plans to allocate 5% of GDP to the education sector in line with the needs of the economy.

Regarding university rankings, Amir Khosru said research output alone should not determine a university’s rating. How and where universities spend their funds is also important, he noted.

The minister urged vice-chancellors to give the highest priority to education and stressed improving educational quality, strengthening research and ensuring greater alignment between higher education and labour-market demand.