DEH Alumni Talk on Impactful Youth Leadership
On August 17, 2023, the Department of English and Humanities at ULAB organized a talk by DEH alumnus Md. Talebur Islam (Rupom) who shared his experiences of being a youth leader and how it opened up numerous opportunities for him in higher studies. Mr. Islam is simultaneously a researcher, columnist, commentator, development and communications professional, and advocate for international development, international relations, politics, economics, and foreign policies.
Mr. Islam began his talk by expressing his gratitude to his institution. He stated that he believes it is his responsibility to give back to ULAB as it has given to him by sharing his experiences. He gave his insight into the opportunities he took advantage of while he was at ULAB. He then talked about how he was unsure of a lot of things while he was a student. However, what intrigued him the most was the GED courses because they provided him with so many options for study. As he became involved with club activities, he started to develop his hard and soft skills.
During his third year at ULAB, Mr. Islam participated in a conference in Nepal. Within the next couple of months, he attended another conference in India. Gradually, over time, he came to represent Bangladesh more than forty times on international platforms. Building on his experiences, he then provided the insight that the more an individual accesses global opportunities, the more their experience will be enriched. Mr. Islam highlighted the importance of staying committed and moving forward when coming across such opportunities. Through this, he wanted the audience to know that anyone can make the most out of available resources found at universities. He also focused on the importance of networking to create more opportunities.
Mr. Islam strongly encouraged students to always explore things beyond their comfort zone because that is when they will be able to unleash their true potential. Among a variety of opportunities, it is important that students always choose the right option, and there is always help around. Since these decisions leave a track mark, figuring out what one really wants to do is important.
The session ended successfully as students took the opportunity to ask questions to Mr. Islam who responded enthusiastically. He also welcomed the session participants to keep in touch with him if they had further questions or needed more information.
Written by Amina (193013022)
