Graduate chemists and chemical technology diplomates to be conferred at first convocation

The last Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sri Lanka Chartered Chemist Professor P.P.G.L. Siriwardene will be the chief guest at the first ever convocation of the College of Chemical Sciences of the Institute of Chemistry to be held at Hotel Trans Asia on March Friday at 9.15 a.m.

Honourary Dean of the College of Chemical Sciences Professor J.N. Oleap Fernando, states in a news release that 28 Professionally qualified Graduate Chemists will receive graduate chemist medals at this convocation. The graduateship programme in chemistry of the College has gone from strength to strength over the past 26 years and has produced 393 recognized Graduate Chemists through 22 batches at an academic level equivalent to that of a special honours degree in Chemistry, it has also made the College of Chemical Sciences to become, since 1996, the largest single provident of such chemists in Sri Lanka.

These chemists have displayed such a high level of competence that they have been recognized by Universities throughout the world for registration for post-graduate studies leading to Masters and PhD degrees not only in the Chemical Sciences but also in other fields such as Management Marketing and Business Administration.

Seventeen other students who have followed and passed the Diploma in Technology in Chemistry Programme conducted at the middle level by the Institute of Chemistry from 1973 will also receive Diplomate medals at this Convocation. This is the only such programme at middle level available in any one of the basic sciences in Sri Lanka up to date. 591 such Technology Diplomates have been produced so far over the past 32 years.

The ability of a professional body such as the Institute of Chemistry to conduct recognized quality programmes of this nature at minimal cost without any financial support from the Government but relying on the services and assistance of the Chemistry community in the country is ample testimony to the constructive and productive manner in which non-profit making institutions outside the state sector can make towards national development in Sri Lanka.

What is most relevant to note is that the average cost to a student to become fully qualified Graduate Chemists in this manner is even today no more than Rs. 2,500 per month over a period of four years while the parallel cost to the Sri Lankan taxpayer for an equivalent product within the state financed non-fee levying University system is well over Rs. 10,000 per month.

The news release goes on to pinpoint that the importance of using the vast amount of resources and opportunities available within the non-conventional system to enhance tertiary educational opportunities even within scientific disciplines requiring experimental bench-work is self-evident.

Even a little amount of state assistance as Bursaries will clearly enable programmes of this nature to become even more accessible to needy students.