Netaji Subhas Open University (NSOU), Kolkata, West Bengal in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), Vancouver, Canada, and the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), New Delhi, organized a three-day (20-22 March 2025) capacity building workshop on the “Development of Institutional Graduate Employability Framework in Open Universities of East and North-East States.” The objective of the workshop was to equip open universities with strategies to enhance the employability of their graduates. The inaugural session commenced on 20^th March 2025 with a warm welcome address by Professor Anirban Ghosh, Director, School of Vocational Studies, NSOU, setting the stage for the significant event. Professor Rajendra Prasad Das, Vice-Chancellor, Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour, emphasizing the critical role of open universities in fostering skilled graduates. The Chief Guest, CA Smarajit Mitra, Chairman, Council on HR & Skill Development, Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry, delivered an insightful address, highlighting the industry’s perspective on graduate employability and the need for aligning academic programs with market demands.

Dr. B. Shadrach, Director, CEMCA, delivered a compelling keynote address online, sharing his expertise on leveraging open and distance learning for enhanced employability. Professor Indrajit Lahiri, Vice-Chancellor, NSOU, presided over the session, underscoring NSOU’s commitment to empowering learners and contributing to the region’s workforce development. Faculties from Nalanda Open University, K.K. Handiqui State Open University, Jharkhand State Open University, and Netaji Subhas Open University actively participated in the workshop. The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Papiya Upadhyay, Workshop Coordinator, NSOU, expressing gratitude to all participants and collaborators. The workshop was highly engaging and interactive focusing on developing practical frameworks to improve graduate employability across the open universities in the East and North-East regions of India. The workshop ended with the valedictory address by Mr. Vinod Singh Yadav, Dy. Secretary, UGC.