Developing technological capabilities vital for economic prosperity - Prof. Ananda Jayawardena

BY RAMANI Kangaraarachchi

BUILDING our national technological capability is required urgently if we are to secure our position in the increasingly turbulent global knowledge based economy.

Incapacity to develop technological capabilities of our people is a major drawback in our education system, Dean of the Moratuwa University Prof. Ananda Jayawardena said.

Delivering the convocation address on the " Imperative of Technology Education" at the Sri Lanka Institute of Advanced Technological Education held at the BMICH recently, he said that the place occupied by technology in society would be evidenced from the fact that development and progress of nations today are measured primarily by means of technological literacy of their people.

"Therefore, it has become mandatory for us to accept it as a reality.

He pointed out that the country has a comprehensive set of national goals that it is expected to achieve through the educational system and one major aspect that represents the whole set of national goals relevant to technology education is the development of national technological capability.

'The ultimate and broader objective of developing national technological capability is to contribute positively to national socio-economic developments. These capabilities could span from simple tasks to sophisticated activities, he said.

Prof. Jayawardena said that developing the ability of students to appreciate the social shaping of technology is also important for the student to know, how technology could be developed and used in harmony with the society, environment, heritage and the sensitive aspects.

The long term focus should be to develop capacity building rather than a set of intellectuals whose performance would be limited to books, he said.

The giant irrigation systems we have had in the past and great innovative engineers like Wimalasurendra who is considered as the father of hydro power no longer exist as our education system has failed to take that knowledge through the succeeding generations and we have come to a stage where we should fulfill the vacuum created by a faulty education system, Jayawardena said.