My message to all those who will be going into the world to seek their fortunes and, to those who are expecting to do so in years to come, is to remind them that they cannot segregate themselves from the society around them. There is a sense, I suspect, amongst our private universities, that they have managed to create self-contained enclaves within our society, where they can exclusively educate their students to occupy selected niches in our private sector which may continue to prosper within the turmoil of the society around them. In an environment of deteriorating governance there is a belief that by privatizing our consciousness and aspirations, a small class of Bangladeshis can aspire to practice a form of social apartheid which effectively disconnects them from the world around them.

This, I would suggest, is a dangerous misconception of our social reality. If the crisis of governance, which is the source of the cancer within our institutions of public education, continues to spread it will infect all segments of society. The viability of our private sector, the security of our elite residential enclaves, and all such areas of refuge will come under threat. After all, we live in a society where close to half our population live below the poverty line, more than half the students who sit for the SSC fail the examination, and our system of law enforcement has become so commoditized and partisanized as to be virtually dysfunctional. Such ingredients in our societal melting pot provide a toxic brew from which no one can expect to enjoy permanent immunity.

In such a social milieu I would appeal to all to reignite their sense of public consciousness. All must remember that they are not just the children of their parents, responsible only to their families, but are also citizens of Bangladesh, a nation which was conceived through the protracted political struggles of an earlier generation which culminated in its birth through a bloody war of liberation. The members of the educated elite must awaken to the responsibilities which go with the privilege of higher education. They do not have to become politicians in order to become politically conscious citizens in a democratic society. It is up to them to demand better governance or they will end up getting the governance they deserve if they abdicate their civic responsibility. As responsible members of civil society, they must demand accountability from the state and public representatives. They must use their vote judiciously and ensure its integrity at all cost. Above all, they must ensure that some of the value added by their skills acquired at university can be contributed to improving the lives of their fellow citizens who live below the poverty line.

What can a private university as an institution of learning do to inculcate such a sense of civic consciousness into its students? I do not suggest that they politicize their campuses and educate their students in the skills of armed warfare. But what they can do is to encourage their students to be much more aware of the pressing socio-economic problems facing the country and the functioning of our institutions of democracy. Such a process of building civic and political awareness amongst their students should be made an integral feature of private university curricula, as indeed is the practice in the world renowned private universities such as Harvard, Columbia or Yale.

For example, students in Columbia University in New York work with schools in neighbouring Harlem, volunteer to clean up the parks next door to their campus, work in hospitals and public housing projects and perform other such acts of public service. In the same way, the private universities should explore how its students can expand their education beyond the class room and be directly exposed to the social realities around them. This may include their involvement, as part of their course requirements, in some form of public service through association with some civil society or human rights organizations, through a process of mandatory internship. The universities may organize their own volunteer programs for their students. Such public service involvements could include:

• Working with election monitoring bodies and voter education programs during the forthcoming elections for the Jatyo Sangshad.
• Working with organizations such as the Bangladesh Paribesh Andalon for protecting the environment.
• Working with Bisho Sahitya Kendro for promoting the reading habit across the country.
• Working with NGOs involved in non-formal education, adult literacy or health education programs.
• Working with neighbourhood groups to ensure that the garbage is properly collected and one's para is kept pollution free.
• Working with neighbourhood groups for maintenance of law and order in one's para.

Many more such opportunities for public service can be identified which will enhance the sense of civic responsibility of the students of private universities. This will educate them to enter the working world as socially responsible citizens inculcated with a sense of mission. If democracy in Bangladesh is to be recaptured from the growing tyranny of money, mastaans and terrorism, if our governance is to be made more accountable, then ordinary citizens and particularly those with higher education, will have to become more conscious of their rights and responsibilities and more engaged in the functioning of our democratic institutions. It is the responsibility of our universities, both public and private, to not just train a professional elite, but the citizens of tomorrow, imbued with a sense of justice and tolerance, which is essential to sustaining a democratic society.

Rehman Sobhan is Chairman, Centre for Policy Dialogue. This piece is part two of a two-part series based on the address he gave at East-West University's 2006 convocation.