UN’s role in passing knowledge is praiseworthy - Minister

The United Nations Organisation is taking pro-active steps to pass on the knowledge to professionals and undergraduates of the Sri Lankan Universities, Higher Education Minister Prof. Wiswa Warnapala said.

He was speaking at a meeting held at the Higher Education Ministry with Dr. Adil Khan, Chief of Socio Economic Governance and Management Branch United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs based in New York, USA.

As the world is moving towards creating knowledge based economies for rapid economic development, it is happy to note that the United Nations Organisation is taking pro-active steps to pass on the knowledge of the world experts and renowned professionals to the undergraduates of our universities to enhance their knowledge on world affairs, public governance, overseas development assistance and human rights, said the Higher Education Minister.

Dr. Adil Khan’s recent visit to Sri Lanka is of paramount importance to the higher educational sector, as he has been entrusted with organising and introducing South Asian Regional Courses on Global Governance and South Asian Development - The UN Perspective in our universities for our undergraduates. Welcoming this kind gesture of the United Nations Organisation.

Prof. Warnapala said “That the topics selected for these courses will certainly enhance the knowledge of the undergraduates and it is the duty of the universities to make full use of this opportunity to uplift the status and quality of the undergradates.”

In appreciating the sentiments and views expressed by Prof. Wiswa Warnapala, Dr. Adil Khan said he is very happy to launch these courses in Sri Lankan universities as he has a sentimental value for this, as he was functioning as a Senior Advisor to the UNDP in Colombo some time back.

Before joining the UN, he had been a senior Civil Servant in Bangladesh and a Professor of the University of Queensland, Brisbane - Australia.