ESC and EMK Center organise People’s Debate: Episode One

Economics Study Center (ESC), University of Dhaka, in collaboration with EMK Center organised the first episode of People's Debate recently. This platform is dedicated towards the practice of freedom of speech and freedom of expression. The debate focused on one of the most burning concerns our society faces today – youth unemployment. The topic for the debate was 'The Unemployment Epidemic of University Graduates'.

The debate was moderated by Galib Ibn Anwarul Azim. He currently works with the UN Capital Development Fund, overseeing implementation of financial inclusion portfolio projects in the country. The panelists included Arif Shahriar, the Chief People & Business Performance Officer at Rahimafrooz Limited; Zafir Shafiee Chowdhury, Chairman and Co-founder of Singularity Limited and Director of Bondstein Technologies; Professor Dr M Abu Eusuf, Director of Centre of Budget and Policy and former Chairman of Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka; and Mr Asif Uddin Ahmed, Acting Director, EMK Center and Assistant Professor and MBA Program Director, School of Business, ULAB.

The panelists each reflected their views on the youth unemployment epidemic, pointing towards the existing skill gap between fresh graduates and available employment positions, as well as ill-designed recruitment processes as some of the main culprits responsible for the epidemic.

Economics Study Center plans to organise more debates in the future. ESC is a student-run organisation of the Department of Economics, University of Dhaka. The center works to promote social, economic and political thinking among the youth by organising workshops, seminars, policy debates and study circles. President of ESC, Tahmid Hasan said, "ESC has been facilitating debates regarding the socio-economic issues in our society. These debates aim to engage the youth with the policy makers of our country."