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UGC to submit report on priority projects to Minister

by Manjula Fernando

The University Grants Commission will submit a report detailing projects needing top priority and urgent implementation within the university sector to the Tertiary Education and Training Minister Kabeer Hashim shortly. The proposals will be given emphasis in line with the 100 days development program of the Government.

Minister Hashim who is also the minister in charge of higher education directed the officials to submit this report soon during his first visit to the UGC last Thursday.

The Minister said that he intends to keep a constant dialogue with the private sector and different trade organisations to identify the changing market demands so as to modify and update degree programs to produce employable graduates out of our universities.

He said tertiary education must be given equal attention as university education as this sector is responsible for good part of the private sector employees. He said that it was encouraging to see both the sectors under a single ministry and he hopes to make the best out of this opportunity to develop the two areas.

He was interested to learn about the current situation of the English and IT education in universities and expressed that more emphasis should be put on these two areas apart from the usual curriculum.

The Minister expressed that he was keen to shift the career guidance from 'at the end of the degree program' to the 'start of the university education' so as to provide a better chance for the graduates to choose their future employment.

The UGC Chairman Prof. Ranjith Mendis, Tertiary and Training Ministry Secretary Saman Ediriweera and Vice Chairman Prof. Lakshman Ratnayake were also present at the occasion.

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