Business Education

Rules softened for chemical students to enter Nothumbria

Hathoon Sheriffdeen

College of Chemical sciences has signed an agreement with the University of Northumbria, based in Newcastle, United Kingdom recently at Institute of Chemistry Ceylon. This agreement facilitates the chemistry students of Institute of Chemistry Ceylon to direct entry to the final year of the degree programme in Applied Chemistry at Northumbria University.

Nothumbria University gave admission for sixty to seventy five students during the last September. This is solely through our Sri Lankan representative, Institute of Business Management Studies.

We are expecting that this amount will increase to another 30 to 35 students for January admission.

 International Project Manager, Nothumbria University, Rosalind Martin said.

The agreement says, that the students of advance degree programme in chemistry at the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon are eligible, to progress on to the BSc Hons in Applied Chemistry (Level 06) of Northumbria University of London. The students are expected to apply for the university on soft terms. They should have to score minimum 6.5 in IELTS or should have experienced two or more years of teaching in English.

“United Kingdom government have introduced a scheme called International graduate scheme, which allow the graduates qualified in UK universities and colleges to extend their stay in UK for further 12 months time intending to train themselves. These graduates should find suitable jobs during this period to obtain experience on their own,” Rosalind said.

We have a good rapport with various organisations in UK, and its possible for us to provide the training after the completion of their graduation programmes. I should say that Sri Lankan students are the majority students we hold, in comparison to the number of international students in Northumbria University” She said.

The cost of studying at Northumbria is not very expensive and it marginal compared to other universities in UK. Masters programmes can be expensive to a certain extent but the qualifications from Northumbria are highly recognized. Students can mange cost by living in Newcastle, where the living cost is much lower than the most of the parts of UK. Rosalind said.

NEXT School of Business to commence CIM classes

The newest business school for marketing studies, NEXT School of Business, opened in Colombo recently. NEXT aims to take marketing education to the next level with a different approach by getting leading marketing professionals to coach students for Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) UK examinations.

The proven lecture panel for CIM in Sri Lanka consisting of Bertram Paul, Dusty Alahakoon and Ravi Jayawardena joined NEXT last week. Each of them posses over ten years of CIM lecturing experience and have produced CIM world prize winners and many Sri Lanka prize winners over the years. All lectures have been trained by CIM UK at various training sessions held in the UK.

They possess practical experience in different sectors both locally and internationally with leading multinational companies. Combined with excellent academic knowledge, this experience helps to impart marketing knowledge more effectively to students pursuing CIM studies.

General Manager, NEXT School of Business, Kumudu Abeywardene said ‘we are very fortunate to attract the best lecture panel for CIM who has a proven tract record of producing excellent pass rates in CIM exams. Marketing is a subject that has be taught by people who practice marketing in real life.

We are getting many inquiries for the next session both from individual students and cooperates seeking partnerships with NEXT. The next intake for June 2008 exams is currently in progress.”

NEXT business school is conveniently located at 327 Havelock Road Colombo 6 with parking facilities and easy access by public transport. The modern lecture halls are equipped with state of the art facilities to provide students a true international learning experience. NEXT is hoping to expand its courses to other postgraduate qualifications in the coming months.

Introduction to IIT and University of Westminster

The Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT) is a pioneer in private sector tertiary education, and the first to offer British Information Technology Degrees in Sri Lanka, Commencing 1990, IIT in collaboration with the Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, has turned out over 1400 graduates, all of whom are in high positions in the industry both here and abroad.

Since 2005, IIT has its validating partner, the University of Westminster, London (UoW), which is ranked among the top 60 British Universities. Five undergraduate programs and one postgraduate program are on offer from UoW, namely:

BSc (Hons) Computing; BSc (Hons) Information Systems; BSc (Hons) Information Systems with Business Management; BSc (Hons) Internet Computing; BSc (Hons) Software Engineering; and the MSc in Advanced Software Engineering.

University of Westminster’s graduates continue the traditions established during the last 165 years - of innovation and applied learning - and they play valuable roles in the development of a global knowledge society. IIT in Sri Lanka shares a common ethos with UoW, centered on the commitment to develop students in the knowledge and skills which employers seek.

A survey conducted by the SL ICT agency forecasts that in 2005 alone 5,724 IT qualified personnel are required of which 75 per cent are graduates. The supply is only 3,607. In 2006 the projected requirement is 5,034. It is also important that these graduates are proficient in English and Interpersonal Skills, which the industry requires to make them readily employable.

Our mission is to develop professionals who are creative and highly skilled possessing an international outlook.

This is proven by the fact that many of the 1400 or more graduates who have passed out since inception are employed in USA, UK, Australia, Europe in very high positions. In Sri Lanka too they occupy the highest positions in leading IT companies. Many have ventured on their own.

ISB and IIT- Madras sign up for joint research

The Indian School of Business (ISB) and the Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras signed up for promoting academic research at the masters and doctoral level.

Professors and academicians from both institutions will also collaborate on joint research projects and publish their research in internationally reputed academic journals.

“This is a momentous occasion for us,” said Dean Rammohan Rao. “I am

proud that ISB and IIT Madras, two leading academic institutions of the country, are joining forces to encourage research activities. With the best minds working together on issues that industries face today, I am sure we will be able to produce cutting edge research that will make India proud.”

Director of IIT Madras Professor M. S. Ananth said,” IIT Madras has a strong tradition of research and we have been involved in management research and education for many years now. I am very glad that we have developed this synergy with ISB’s outstanding faculty. I hope that scholars from both our institutions will contribute to advancing the frontiers of management education across the world.”

Dean Rao and Professor Ananth signed the MoU at a ceremony at the IIT Madras premises. Academicians and senior staff members from both institutions attended the ceremony.

The MoU allows Academic Associates from the ISB to enroll for a PhD programme in IIT Madras.

They will be able to attend full courses or lectures in both the institutions The ISB and IIT Madras will provide adequate academic exposure and facilitate interactions with expert faculty for the Associates. The MoU also allows for research scholars from IIT-Madras to attend ISB courses, academic conferences, seminars etc.

The Indian School of Business is a research-oriented independent management institution that grooms future leaders for India and the world. Its association with the Kellogg School of Management, the Wharton School, and London Business School make it one of its kind in Asia.

The School offers a one-year Post Graduate Programme; short-duration, high-powered Executive Education programmes for CEOs and senior executives; and a two-year Research Fellowship Programme.