The proposed project will help the government improve and expand computer science and engineering and information technology (CSE/IT) programs in four selected universities to nurture graduates equipped with advanced knowledge and skills and entrepreneurial spirit. The project will provide cutting-edge education, research and start-up support facilities, quality curriculum design, and academic staffing aligned with international standards and industry requirements. It will introduce a competitive grant scheme to promote industry-relevant and interdisciplinary research and development (R&D) initiatives. The grant scheme will help the universities and industry partners develop new digital technology solutions for economic and social issues.
| Project Name | Improving Computer and Software Engineering Tertiary Education Project | ||||
| Project Number | 50140-002 | ||||
| Country | Bangladesh |
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| Project Status | Proposed | ||||
| Project Type / Modality of Assistance | Loan |
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| Source of Funding / Amount |
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| Strategic Agendas | Environmentally sustainable growth Inclusive economic growth |
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| Drivers of Change | Gender Equity and Mainstreaming Governance and capacity development Partnerships Private sector development |
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| Sector / Subsector | Education / Tertiary |
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| Gender Equity and Mainstreaming | Gender equity | ||||
| Description | The proposed project will help the government improve and expand computer science and engineering and information technology (CSE/IT) programs in four selected universities to nurture graduates equipped with advanced knowledge and skills and entrepreneurial spirit. The project will provide cutting-edge education, research and start-up support facilities, quality curriculum design, and academic staffing aligned with international standards and industry requirements. It will introduce a competitive grant scheme to promote industry-relevant and interdisciplinary research and development (R&D) initiatives. The grant scheme will help the universities and industry partners develop new digital technology solutions for economic and social issues. | ||||
| Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy | Bangladesh has achieved more than 6.0% annual economic growth since 2011 and recorded 7.9% economic growth in FY2018. The stable economic growth has been driven by ready-made garment sector export, strong consumption, and public investment. Sustaining economic growth requires diversifying the economic base and creating new sources of growth. _Digital Bangladesh_ has been an integral part of the national development strategy since 2010, and the government expects the information technology (IT) industry to make a significant contribution to the economy. IT sector development will generate new growth opportunities, creating a large number of jobs, increase economy-wide productivity, and improve service delivery through e-government initiatives. Bangladesh's IT industry is nascent, with two-thirds of firms established since 2000. Most of the firms are small about 88% have less than 100 personnel and are mostly engaged in the lower end of the value chain. The industry faces several challenges, the most critical of which is the lack of skilled human resources. With the increasing push for cost-competitiveness and the advent of the Industrial Revolution 4.0, the IT industry is facing enormous opportunities and challenges globally. Companies across the world are increasing their focus on R&D, the speed of execution, product quality, and services. The search for new age skills such as machine learning engineers, application development analysts, back-end developers, and data scientists, as well as up-skilling and re-skilling existing personnel, are the industry's top priorities. The IT industry hires about 15,000 people per year, of whom one-third are CSE/IT degree holders. Many universities offer CSE/IT degree programs, producing about 12,000 graduates per year, but more than 80% of job seekers fail written tests on basic coding skills, mathematics, and English. For mid-level skills such as testing, business analysis, and project management, the industry cannot find domestic talent and hires from neighboring countries at higher wages. This undermines business profitability and limits the domestic talent pool for existing and new business opportunities. |
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| Impact | A highly skilled labor force equipped with technical and professional expertise developed (Seventh Five Year Plan) | ||||
| Outcome | Industry responsiveness of tertiary level CSE/IT education improved | ||||
| Outputs | Modern learning, research, and start-up facilities established Quality and industry relevance of CSE/IT programs enhanced Research and development and technology entrepreneur-ship strengthened Tertiary education project design and management capacity strengthened |
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| Geographical Location | Nation-wide | ||||
| Safeguard Categories | |
|---|---|
| Environment | B |
| Involuntary Resettlement | C |
| Indigenous Peoples | C |
| Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects | |
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| Environmental Aspects | |
| Involuntary Resettlement | |
| Indigenous Peoples | |
| Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation | |
| During Project Design | |
| During Project Implementation | |
| Business Opportunities | |
|---|---|
| Consulting Services | Individual consultant selection 657 person-months $6,743,431 Consultant qualification selection 110 person-months $570,000 Quality- and cost-based selection 250 person-months $1,190,000 |
| Procurement | The procurement capacity assessment concluded that the UGC and the four universities have adequate capacity to carry out the project successfully, subject to familiarizing responsible staff with ADB rules and procedures and enforcing fiduciary controls. PMU and PIU staff will be trained in overall procurement management, focusing on weaknesses in the current system and practices, especially in complying with ADB guidelines. As a private university, EWU does not have access to the electronic government procurement system, so the UGC will be responsible for larger procurement packages, while EWU will be responsible for technical specifications and will participate in the bid evaluations as a member. All procurement of works, goods, and services will follow the ADB Procurement Policy (2017, as amended from time to time) and Procurement Regulations for ADB Borrowers (2017, as amended from time to time). |
| Responsible ADB Officer | Song, Gi Soon |
| Responsible ADB Department | South Asia Department |
| Responsible ADB Division | Human and Social Development Division, SARD |
| Timetable | |
|---|---|
| Concept Clearance | 18 Jun 2019 |
| Fact Finding | 27 Jun 2019 to 30 Jun 2019 |
| MRM | 26 Aug 2019 |
| Approval | - |
| Last Review Mission | - |
| Last PDS Update | 18 Jun 2019 |
Project Data Sheets (PDS) contain summary information on the project or program. Because the PDS is a work in progress, some information may not be included in its initial version but will be added as it becomes available. Information about proposed projects is tentative and indicative.
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| Title | Document Type | Document Date |
|---|---|---|
| Improving Computer and Software Engineering Tertiary Education Project: Initial Poverty and Social Analysis | Initial Poverty and Social Analysis | Jun 2019 |
| Information Technology Parks for Employment and Innovation Project: Initial Poverty and Social Analysis | Initial Poverty and Social Analysis | Aug 2016 |
Safeguard Documents See also: Safeguards
Safeguard documents provided at the time of project/facility approval may also be found in the list of linked documents provided with the Report and Recommendation of the President.
Evaluation Documents See also: Independent Evaluation
None currently available.
Related Publications
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Tenders
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Contracts Awarded
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Procurement Plan
None currently available.