Two schols for outstanding SLIIT students

Harshini PERERA

The new programs launched by the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) resulted in an increase in the intake of students this year, said the CEO/President of SLIIT, Prof. Lalith B.Gamage.

The SLIIT undergraduate and postgraduate specialization programs cater to a wide spectrum of students.

The SLIIT student intake has increased since 2007 and it was 2,000 this year.

The ICT agency survey conducted together with The Industry Association showed that there was a shortage of IT professionals in Sri Lanka in 2007. However, SLIIT has shown a tremendous growth of 50 percent this year, he said.

He said that half of the IT graduates and one-third of the workforce of the country are produced annually by SLIIT. Therefore, SLIIT hopes to invest on a SLIIT branch in Jaffna in the near future. The SLIIT expanded the facilities within the SLIIT premises at Malabe.

More lecture rooms, cafetarias, common area, a gynasium and many IT infrastructure facilities have also been developed at SLIIT. A laboratory was constructed to conduct lectures in Electronic Engineering. Compared to other institutes SLIIT has not been affected by the recession. The Cabinet has approved an IT park in the Campus in Malabe for which an Indian investor has shown interest, he said.

Exetel, one of the leading telecommunication service providers in Australia awarded two scholarships to outstanding SLIIT students. The scholarships are offered in B.Sc in Information Technology and B.Sc in Computer System and Networking.

The scholarships cover the total academic expenses of Rs. 560 000. Director, Chief Technology Officer, Steve Waddington said,"We wanted to gain access to students who are good in studies and provide many benefits.