Grameenphone Academy marks three years of youth training

Grameenphone’s free online learning platform, Grameenphone Academy, has marked three years of operations with a celebration event in Dhaka, attended by more than 450 students, senior company officials and representatives of partner organisations, according to the organisers.

At the event, organisers highlighted that more than 237,000 students from over 167 institutions across Bangladesh have joined the platform, and that 100,000 learners have completed courses and received certificates over the past three years.

The programme also showcased results from Grameenphone Academy’s Freelancing Factory initiative. Organisers said 50 participants collectively earned $60,000 in one year, while two students went on to establish their own agencies.

Grameenphone Academy also reported progress on its “AI-Mission” initiative, launched earlier this year with a goal of training 10,000 students in artificial intelligence within six months. Organisers said more than 5,000 learners completed the course within the first three months.

Grameenphone Chief Executive Officer Yasir Azman said the students’ enthusiasm, creativity and energy had inspired him, adding that the programme made people more optimistic about Bangladesh’s digital future. 

He said skills development in technology was no longer only a demand of the times, but essential for national progress and personal advancement, and added that Grameenphone Academy aims to help develop a future-ready workforce for Bangladesh. 

The event included a session titled “CEO x CEO”, featuring a discussion between Yasir Azman and Neel Nafis, founder of MZ Media, on leadership and innovation from different generational perspectives. 

An interactive session followed with Grameenphone’s Chief Human Resources Officer Syeda Tahya Hossain and Chief Marketing Officer Farha Naz Zaman, who shared experiences from their corporate careers. 

As part of the celebration, organisers displayed a mathematical version of the Grameenphone Academy logo created by a student using 123 formula-based elements. The programme also recognised high-performing learners, including one student who completed 26 courses, and awarded a certificate to the winner of a totebag design competition.

Among those present were Grameenphone Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Tanveer Mohammad, Farhana Islam, Head of ESG, Farhana Hossain Shammu, Head of Grameenphone Academy, and writer and entrepreneur Munir Hasan, described as an assistant co-founder of the Bangladesh Open Source Network. 

The organisers said Shanto-Mariam University of Creative Technology staged a sustainability-themed “trashion show” focused on creative product reuse and environmental awareness, while singer Pritom Hasan performed at the closing segment of the event.