Archives

by Manjula Fernando

Once Sri Lanka was known among investors for its cheap labour. The Garment industry thrived on our young blood who were both 'hard working' and 'underpaid'.

The picture is fast changing now. Our children have proved that they are second to none in terms of skills and talents; that they can conquer any challenge given the right education and guidance.

The question is whether the decision-makers are still ready to focus expenditure on a 'right' education, relevant to the future and to ensure correct guidance at the crucial stage.

Amidst fears of a 'brain drain', that entices the cream of our skilled human resource to giant nations, especially those in the fields of IT and Engineering, experts say that we must strive to produce more than the skilled HR the country actually needs.

Thus, the efforts being made towards developing the school IT sector are commendable. The Government has launched a major programme to initiate computer based learning of Mathematics and Science in schools while introducing IT as an optional subject for the GCE Ordinary Level. But, the opportunities in the state university sector on par with the huge demand by GCE A/L qualified students cannot be termed at all satisfying.

The only separate IT faculty in the entire state university system, which offers study courses leading to a degree in this discipline, is still lamenting that they have been poorly equipped for the major task. The IT Faculty of the Moratuwa university is still in a rented, cramped building at Borella, struggling like a common housewife to make ends meet.

Despite the fact that it commenced operations with a big dream and a mere 50 students three years ago, hoping to increase the intake to 500 in no time, their dreams have collapsed. "I don't think anyone will want this faculty to die," said the Dean of the IT Faculty Prof. P. D. C. Wijetunge.

Explaining why this IT faculty should be given priority he said not a single graduate produced by the Moratuwa university is unemployed. Many of its students get jobs even before the final results are released. It is the first option of over 95 per cent of GCE Advanced Level mathematics qualified students.

Their Engineering Faculty accounts for the highest percentage of first class honours from a single faculty. May be because, that they own the strongest engineering departments in Asia. The entire staff of the university consist of 100 foreign PhD holders, most of them engineering lecturers.

Despite this outstanding achievements, the Moratuwa university grumble that state funding for recurrent expenditure has been decreasing over the years and they are left with a critical question - how to maintain the quality of their degrees, which secures the graduates the best of employment, local as well as international.

It pioneered the first IT faculty in the state university system to produce hi-calibre IT graduates to cater to the demand in the industry.

He said the country needs about 2000 IT graduates a year but the current production, both private and state sector put together, is nowhere near this figure.

This is still the only non-fee levying faculty that specialises in this field. The university authorities say that the three faculties together receive less funding for recurrent expenditure now than what was given earlier, when there was only two.

Therefore, funding per student a year has come down to Rs. 65,000 from 72,000 in 2002 and 77,000 in 2001.

Prof.Wijetunge said as a whole the University Grants Commission (UGC) had been quite generous with regard to capital expenditure. Recently, its Electronic Department received Rs.21 million from the Treasury to purchase equipment. But the recurrent expenditure had become a serious problem.

The Moratuwa university is said to be in need of Rs.200 million to put up a new building for their IT faculty. At the moment the faculty operates in a rented building at Borella with average facilities, fighting to maintain a standard, 'over the average', which is their motto.

"Our major stumbling block is the infrastructure constraints. If this is overcome we are ready to double the current intake of 50 students immediately and then work towards our ultimate goal of 500 students. This could be achieved in four years if our minimum requirements are fulfilled," the Professor said.

The proposed building is to be built on a university land adjoining the other faculties at Katubedda. The land has already been identified and they seek funds only for the construction.

According to Prof.Wijetunge the IT faculty was set up in mid 2001 on a request of the then government to meet the increasing demand for high level IT professionals. The understanding was to allocate necessary funds from the next year's budget. At the outset, it was subsidised by the Faculties of Architecture and Engineering.

However, to the contrary, the budgetary allocations for the university next year was slashed compelling the university to continue subsidising the IT faculty. Due to the financial constraints they have also been forced not to increase their intake even after three years.

In their struggle to get the building project off the ground without delay, the possibility of using foreign direct donations were also explored.

"The donors are not interested in funding building projects now but we can get their support to acquire equipment. Therefore, a place of our own is needed to reach donors," the Dean explained. There had been hiccups along the way to obtaining Cabinet approval for the new building project.

The draft copy of the Cabinet paper was sent to the University Grants Commission in April this year. A second draft was submitted in July again as the first one was misplaced. Prof. Wijetunge said the UGC and the Ministry had been extremely supportive of the project so far. But the unfortunate delay in obtaining Cabinet approval has caused a lot of distress among students. Altogether three batches are following degree programmes there at present.

"Our university had been delivering. Unfortunately there is a belief that high performing universities do not need help. This attitude is totally wrong. We need to invest in places with a better output. Our country can gain a lot by funding sectors like Engineering and IT and it will be reflected in the overall economy," he said emphasising that the project will not be in vain.

He observed that the UGC has a better understanding of their needs. Therefore, it would have been better if the UGC is vested with more powers for funding university projects.

To overcome the hurdle of funding their university, the IT faculty is also in the process of introducing programmes in the post-graduate level and crash courses for already employed on the cost recovery basis.

"The first batch of our IT graduates will be passing out at the end of next year," the Professor said, adding with confidence that they expect a huge demand for these graduates in the market given the high regard for all their graduates in the industry both in the private and public sectors.

www.crescat.com

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries

Produced by Lake House
Copyright © 2003 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager