Extracurricular activities have long been considered an essential part of student life in universities across the world, offering promises of upskilling. From leadership training and public speaking to networking and organising large-scale events, almost all private and public universities in the country focus on club activities to lead, collaborate, and hone soft skills outside academic learning.
But are these club activities genuinely preparing students for real-world challenges or are they overrated time sinks?
At most private and public universities, clubs operate through a structured leadership panel, formed for a six-month or one-year tenure, aiming to recognise committed members.
In reality, students spend time aligning with senior members, forming factions, or showing off their loyalty rather than actually developing skills such as communication, teamwork, and project planning.
Many students at Jahangirnagar University told Stream that the six-month tenure creates a toxic culture of competition, with students more focused on vying for club positions. As a result, by the time they reach the end of their undergraduate years, many students are still unable to write a proper email or resume.
"These platforms have increasingly been overshadowed by club politics, nepotism, and an unhealthy obsession with panel selection instead of focusing on real skill-building. Many students spend months applying for panel positions," says a student, requesting anonymity.
Tarek Khan, a former career counselor at the University of Asia Pacific, expresses concern over this trend, saying that most students cannot explain the responsibilities of the roles they held at clubs.
"Many of them are more focused on titles than tasks," he says.
Mohammed Tareque Aziz, dean of the Green Business School at Green University of Bangladesh, echoes those sentiments.
"We have seen graduates list multiple club positions on their CV, but they struggle during interviews," he says.
"A lack of structured mentorship within clubs trips up club members."
Tareque explains that club activities are often focused around events, such as seminars, celebrations, or competitions. As a result, they neglect training members in key workplace skills such as proposal writing, budgeting, conflict resolution, or digital communication, which are far more crucial.
Nepotism: A burning problem
Students from public and private universities often complain that panel members choose their successors based on personal bonds, department affiliation, or even hometown connections.
A student of a top-ranked private university, requesting anonymity, says, "I worked for my university's debate club for two years. However, when the panel changed, they picked candidates with no debating experience but with strong ties to the outgoing president.
"This discourages freshers and limits diversity within clubs, thereby reinforcing a sense of elitism where a few dominate while others lose interest."
What universities in other countries do
In contrast, in foreign universities, clubs are treated like learning incubators, with most treating ECAs as an integrated learning module, not as an optional or ceremonial activity.
For example, at Harvard University, the University of Toronto, and the National University of Singapore, club participation is closely linked with professional development.
Student societies in Canada often partner with local industries to provide real-world project experiences, giving students scope to enhance their practical knowledge. In the US, engineering clubs, debate clubs and other such student bodies have faculty mentors who provide training on leadership, conflict mediation, and time management.
In Germany, club panels are often selected through transparent voting processes, structured interviews, or proposal submissions, not by arbitrary seniority.
What measures can Bangladesh adopt?
Universities in Bangladesh need to rethink the structure and culture of student clubs to bring ECAs in Bangladesh closer to their original purpose, according to Aziz and Khan.
Clubs should implement scorecards or feedback systems that reward real contributions, and universities must ensure active mentorship from faculty members who can maintain transparency to guide students towards learning objectives.
Students must also participate in basic workshops in communication and leadership before applying for panel positions and universities should come forward to encourage diverse participation to avoid factionalism and open up leadership to all deserving members.
Without reforms to the current system, extracurricular activities may continue to reward title-seekers over skill-learners.
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