Standing in front of a bustling exhibition hall in Osaka, Japan, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj emphasized that technological innovation driven by strong STEAM education is essential for achieving Bangladesh's economic sovereignty. He stressed that nations relying solely on imported technology remain dependent on others.
"A country that only purchases and uses technology will always remain dependent. True economic sovereignty comes when a nation develops the human capital to innovate and adapt technology to its own needs," Hajjaj said during his speech as the chief guest at the 'Artec General Exhibition 2026'.
Hajjaj highlighted Bangladesh's commitment to building a workforce capable of understanding, adapting, and creating technology through STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education from the primary level. He cited Japan's development as a model Bangladesh seeks to emulate, noting the importance of nurturing curiosity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and practical learning over rote memorization.
With a workforce of more than seven crore, Hajjaj noted that early investment in STEAM education is vital for building a diversified, knowledge-based, and high-value economy. He drew lessons from Japan's post-war reconstruction and the Meiji Restoration, highlighting how sustained investments in education, technology, discipline, and innovation transformed Japan into a global economic leader.
Hajjaj also emphasized that effective STEAM education does not require expensive technology. Simple activities such as planting trees, testing local water quality, measuring rainfall, building paper bridges, and designing simple engineering solutions to local problems can provide meaningful hands-on learning experiences. He announced plans to gradually expand mathematics laboratories, science clubs, and basic robotics education while equipping teachers with the necessary training.
The state minister praised the educational tools and teaching methods showcased at the Artec General Exhibition, describing them as simple, modular, practical, and affordable. He believed such innovations could be effectively adapted to Bangladesh's education system. Hajjaj further stressed that education should empower students to identify problems, analyze challenges, and develop practical solutions, particularly in the face of global issues such as climate change, river erosion, rapid urbanization, food security, automation, and artificial intelligence.
