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Chandra EmbuldeniyaSRI LANKA'S 14th State University will be built at a cost of one billion rupees in Badulla shortly. Named Uva-Wellassa, the university aims at creating a whole new set of graduates who are highly competent and knowledgeable, to take the country's economy forward.
The Government has already allocated Rs. 350 million for the first phase of the project and Rs. 650 million for the second phase. This money is coming from a Rs.one billion allocation set apart for Uva-Wellassa development in the last budget. An extent of 60-acres on Passara Road, Badulla has been set apart for this purpose.
There was a clamour to set up a university in Uva since 1970. A presidential committee was first appointed in this regard in the 1990s and in 2002 the Government showed some interest in the project. However, it was the present Government which decided to finally set up the university with the blessings of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.
Uva-Wellassa will be different from a traditional university. Firstly, it will be a research and learning university which specialises in studies related to agriculture and mineral sciences.
"Our aim is to create a different university culture with emphasis on educational, social and economic values," said Management Consultant, Chandra Embuldeniya who is the coordinator of the committee appointed to set up the Uva-Wellassa University.
At present the committee is in the process of acquiring land and organising other work, such as recruiting of academic staff.
Referring to the recruitment process, Embuldeniya said there will be major changes in placing them in various positions.
Like other universities, the head of the University will be the Vice Chancellor. The next person in line will be the Dean (There will be only one Dean for the whole university). At the outset some of the usual university designations will be differently named; instead of Heads of Department, there would be course directors; instead of faculties there would be divisions.
Registrar would be named Chief Operating Officer (COO), Bursar as Finance Manager (In this instance the FM will be a qualified Chartered Accountant), clerks and peons will be Operation Officers and Operation Assistants. There will be 109 persons on the academic staff.
In addition to usual duties, the Dean will be responsible for the development of human skills of the academic staff and allocation of foreign scholarships and further training of the staff. At the same time the future of the Operations Officers and Operations Assistants would also be secured with a lot of new openings for them to develop their careers.
Embuldeniya said that the designation changes were meant to improve the dignity of their respective professions.
At the beginning there would be five degree courses: Science and Technology, Management Science, Computer Science/Technology, Animal Science, Export Agriculture and Assisted Self Learning (Which is the external degree course) and Post Graduate Studies, with qualifications such as post graduate diplomas, MSc, MPhil and Phd.
There will also be courses for the employed and there will be a multiple entry system for the students too.
Referring to the diverse study courses of this
university, Embuldeniya said the courses are aimed at creating value
addition in the agri and mineral sectors in the country.
"We need to breed a new generation of graduates who have the knowledge and the enthusiasm to efficiently develop our natural resources and the agriculture sector. We have much potential to create a huge economic impact by scientifically developing these sectors. This potential has not been tapped in the past, while the foreigners make much use of our resources to produce expensive products," he said explaining the rationale behind this concept.
"If you take the agriculture sector, for example, our tea goes to the international market as a raw product - for centuries. But other countries which purchase our product have already launched value added industries in the tea sector.
Many countries have beauty and therapy products and cosmetics made by tea. And they also have ready to drink tea products with various other tastes and earn profits up to 100%.
Why do we have to export our tea as a raw material, he asked. Likewise Sri Lanka has coconut, rubber and sugar cane and ayurveda plants which have a lot of potential, but nothing has been done to promote them as value added products.
"In the agriculture sector, we also need to bring in new knowledge to make the country self-sufficient in milk. The country at present imports milk powder to the value of billions of rupees. "Again we have the potential and so much of land to develop the cattle farming industry. We need to produce more value added products in this sector such as cheese, butter and other creamy products.
Then coconuts and cocoa - we have not thought about putting cocoa and coconut together and produce coconut chocolates while other countries purchase coconut and cocoa from Sri Lanka to produce value added chocolate products.
What about local Kottan - it's almond - we import almond at a high price while our Kottan is wasted under the trees and much of local money is spent on imports.
Sugar cane can be used as biogas. In Sri Lanka sugar cane is used to make sugar and alcohol. The potential to produce energy - biogas and fuel - had not been tried out in a commercial way.
These would be some of the future projects that could be researched and put into practice by the students of the Uva-Wellassa University.
Then comes the mineral sector. There are marvellous opportunities in this sector as well. "We have to train the required human resources to better manage Eppawala phosphate deposit and other mineral sectors such as graphite and mineral sands," Embuldeniya said.
What about the maintenance of discipline? We queried referring to students' unrest that prevails in Sri Lankan Universities.
"No one can predict the behaviour of the students now itself. But we ensure to provide everything for the students to carry out their education without any hassle. In traditional universities - I have listened to the students' grievances as I work with the Jayawardenapura University. They have various problems.
"Therefore, I believe that if the students' issues are addressed, and we continue to listen to their problems, there won't be any diffuculty to maintain discipline within the university. We need to apply a non-bureaucratic strategy and this would be the same with the academic staff," he said.
In setting up the University, the Institute of Fundamental Studies (IFS) is assisting the coordination committee.
The Coordinating Committee consists of Management Consultant - Chandra Embuldeniya (Coordinator), Prof. Nimal de Silva, Prof of Architecture (University of Moratuwa), Nalaka Lankasena (Systems Analyst), R A U Ranaweera (Senior Asst. Accountant UGC) and Vishaka Wanasinghe (Legal Officer UGC).
In the first batch to be admitted in 2006 will have 140 students and will increase to 250 to reach 1,000 in 2012.
The post graduate studies are expected to start with five students in 2007 to reach 90 at 2012. Embuldeniya paid a tribute to Education Ministry Secretary Dr. Tara de Mel, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, Deputy Minister Dilan Perera, Provincial Council Chief Minister Wijithamuni Soysa, GA and AGA Badulla and all other officers involved in this project for their support and encouragement.
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