If they could enrol again, which subject would six professionals study?
The HSC results were published a few days ago, and now it is time for university admission. Deciding where to study and which subject to choose is harder now than ever before, especially as artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the world of work. What do professionals who are already established in different careers and watching these changes up close think? If they got the chance to enrol at university again, which subject would they study? Here is what six professionals said.
An entrepreneur said that if he got the chance to enrol at university again, he would study BBA once more. It is not that he wanted to become an entrepreneur since childhood. His interest in entrepreneurship grew while he was studying BBA after getting into university, and that interest is even stronger now. So even with a fresh chance, he would choose the same subject.
In his view, a major advantage of BBA is the chance to learn about many sides of business. Accounting, finance, marketing, human resource management, strategic management — you learn something about all of them. There is an English saying, 'jack of all trades, master of none' — knowing a little about everything but being a specialist in nothing in particular. His situation is much like that.
BBA is not only about reading books. Case studies, presentations and different projects also teach you how to solve real business problems, which is very useful for an entrepreneur. Another major gain is the chance to meet people. While studying at university, you build connections with many kinds of people, and once in business he realised how important those connections are. For those who want to become entrepreneurs in future or build a career in the corporate world, he thinks BBA can be a good choice.
A professional who studied mass communication and journalism at the University of Dhaka said that if he got the chance to enrol again, he would choose a subject that gives special importance to human skills, or soft skills, alongside formal education — such as leadership, communication, logical thinking, problem-solving, understanding and controlling emotions, negotiation and strategic decision-making. BBA, international relations, development studies and many such subjects give importance to soft skills.
Why does he give these skills such importance? Because with the advancement of technology and artificial intelligence, many jobs can now be done automatically, and in future perhaps even more work will be possible with the help of technology. But there are some human qualities that technology cannot fully replace. Suppose a complex problem arises in an organisation. Technical knowledge alone will not solve it. You have to understand the situation, listen to colleagues, work with everyone, and sometimes take difficult decisions. For that, skills like leadership, communication and emotional intelligence are essential.
Negotiation and strategic thinking are also very important in business, diplomacy and social communication, as is the ability to adapt to rapidly changing situations. So his advice is that whatever subject you study at university, focus on building human skills. It is not only the degree — in the workplace of the future, these skills will set you apart from others.
A professional who studied management information systems at the University of Dhaka and has long been involved in teaching said that if he got the chance to enrol at university again, he would want to study journalism. From his undergraduate days he was involved in various clubs and co-curricular activities, and through them he met people from many professions. He enjoys meeting people, learning new things and keeping track of different subjects.
The challenges of journalism also attract him — writing on a new subject, finding news, or investigating a problem for a long time has its own joy. Alongside journalism, he would also have been interested in studying economics, health policy, politics or a research-based socio-economic subject. In his view, the opportunities to build a career in the world of research are now much wider. Earlier, research mostly meant the work of universities or educational institutions. Now there are work opportunities in corporate organisations, policy-making bodies, international institutions and research organisations too.
A professional who graduated in economics and religion from Middlebury College in the United States and worked in various financial institutions said that after passing HSC, not everyone needs to go to university; rather, most students should focus on gaining technical and practical skills. In 2018 he joined Pathao as chief financial officer. In his view, special importance should be given to learning by doing. There are many jobs for which real training is more useful than a traditional university degree.
And if you do study at university, it is essential to properly master the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics — although these skills should be acquired before HSC. When this foundation is strong, the ability to think logically and analyse a subject deeply also develops. Today the opportunities for technical and practical education are very wide. In fields like information technology, digital marketing and graphic design you can learn by doing, and those skills can be used directly at work. Traditional education often gives more importance to theoretical knowledge, but to work in the real workplace, practical skills are also needed. So rather than spending years at university only to obtain a degree, it is more important to think about which skill will let you step into a career. Technical education can help a young person start work quickly, create a path to income, or become an entrepreneur.
A professional who studied electrical and electronic engineering at United International University said that if he got the chance to enrol at university again, the first thing he would look at is which university has a big playground! If he could study afresh, his first choice would have been sports science. But opportunities to study that subject in the country are very limited, so as an alternative he would have chosen law. A major reason for his interest in law is 'communication skills'. In his view, studying this subject improves the ability to talk to people, present one's views with reasoning and analyse complex issues.
He also finds this profession quite challenging, as you constantly have to think about new problems. It is not only about conducting cases in court — there are many other areas where legal knowledge can be used. There are work opportunities for law graduates in banks, financial institutions, multinational companies, government and private organisations and international institutions. Another important aspect is that studying law gives you the chance to learn about the country's constitution, the judicial system and citizens' rights. It can also play a role in removing various inconsistencies in society, establishing justice and protecting people's rights. He advises those who are about to enrol at university to consider studying law, especially those who love to speak with reasoning, take on new challenges and are keen to work with people.
A professional who graduated in business administration from the University of Tennessee in the United States and completed a master's in marketing and accounting from Macquarie University in Australia, returning to the country in 2021 to join a telecommunications company, said that if he got the chance to enrol at university again, out of personal interest he would want to study literature. But considering career realities, economics, psychology or behavioural science would also be on his list of preferences. We are in a time when technology is not only changing the nature of work but also redefining many professions. Much of the work that today needs a specific degree may be possible with artificial intelligence in the next ten years.
So he tells young people not to decide only by looking at which subject is in demand now, but to think about which skills will be useful in the long term. Considering careers, he encourages studying subjects like computer science, artificial intelligence, data science, cyber security and business analytics. The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 also forecasts major changes in workplace skills in future. But knowing technology alone will not be enough. As technology advances, understanding human behaviour, needs and decision-making processes will become more important. That is why he considers subjects like psychology, economics and behavioural science important. In his long corporate experience he has seen that what matters more than a degree is how much of the knowledge gained can be applied to solving real problems. University education should be such that it prepares a young person not only for the first job, but for a career that keeps changing again and again.
