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ADVERTORIAL
‘Learn Earn and Serve Our Nation’ :
Aspirations 2010, a success
‘Aspirations 2010 International Education Exhibition’, with the
participation of an overwhelming 3,000 students and parents was a
mega-success. ‘Aspirations 2010’, this time under the theme Learn Earn
and Serve Our Nation - LESON was held for the fourth consecutive year at
Ceylon Continental Hotel, Colombo on July 3 and 4 and at Light House
Hotel, Galle on July 6. Students from diverse social, economic,
educational and geographical backgrounds lined up at over 40 stalls of
highly reputed universities and institutions, to explore the variety of
study opportunities available to them in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore,
India, UK, New Zealand and USA to discuss their educational aspirations
with the knowledgeable representatives of these renowned institutions.
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Ajith
Abeysekera addressing the gathering during the opening
ceremony |
Students and parents in attendance were very pleased with this well
organized exhibition and emphasized the value of an international
exhibition of this magnitude where students can obtain information from
the university representatives themselves without having to travel
abroad. For them, this experience, in terms of the quality, spontaneous
interactive assistance, offered far more than they could have hoped to
gain through an online surfing spree of foreign university websites.
Aspirations Education Chairman Ajith Abeysekera said that it is
through analysis of the student’s academic history and interests prior
to applying to a university which could make the difference between the
student getting accepted or rejected by a university; and a detailed,
yet comprehensive presentation of a student’s academic credentials and
financial wherewithal is of paramount importance to authenticate the
student’s profile in obtaining a student visa. Such careful attention to
detail is what makes Aspirations Education unique, both in its attitude
and approach to career guidance.
The meticulous attention given to each individual case is the secret
of success which is seen by the record number of visa approvals it has
obtained from the countries concerned, within a five year period.
Abeysekera said, ‘At this crucial juncture in our country, providing
genuine career guidance and counselling to students keeping their
interests and aspirations at heart, is all important in giving hope to a
new generation through a sound education and no amount of hard work such
as organizing ‘Aspirations 2010’ would be superfluous in carrying this
out. It is, in fact, the only way to chart a new beginning for Sri
Lanka.’
It is the first time that Galle witnessed an education exhibition of
this scale and feel. The South is renowned for producing intellectuals
of the highest calibre and has always produced excellent results in the
Sri Lankan O/L and A/L examinations. However, many students and parents
are not well informed of opportunities available to them in the case of
not meeting the entry requirements of the local Universities mainly due
to lack of placement capacity. It is in this light Aspirations Education
decided to take the second leg of the International Education Exhibition
to Galle.
At the exhibition they realized that students who can afford to look
for higher education options in universities and institutes abroad,
unfortunately, are greatly hampered or misinformed due to a lack of
proper channels to disseminate relevant and accurate information.
This would no doubt lead to frustration, despair and disillusionment
of both students and their parents. Further, some of these credulous
students become victims of unscrupulous elements who are on the lookout
to thrive at their expense.
Aspirations Education is extremely pleased with the turn out from the
South for the exhibition and the feedback they received from parents and
students thanking them for bringing the exhibition to Galle.
Opportunities by renowned personalities who have served Sri Lanka
Students were grateful to Aspirations for pioneering this lecture
series and voiced that they benefited from it because choosing a career
is one of the most difficult and stressful decisions they have to make
in life, a decision with consequences that will impact rest of their
lives, a decision that must be carefully analyzed, and not something
they should make in a hurry without proper guidance.
Aspirations Education, General Manager Deepamala Abeysekera said that
they have done everything in their power to always encourage students to
return to Sri Lanka after earning an internationally recognized academic
qualification to contribute to take the nation to the next dimension,
using their knowledge and exposure gathered through studying at reputed
universities.
Year five scholarship winners:
Commercial Bank gifts Rs 3.5 m
Three hundred and fifty students who hold Commercial Bank Arunalu
minors accounts were recently rewarded for achieving the first, second
and third best results in their schools at the Year 5 scholarship
examination of 2009. The bank paid out Rs 3.5 million in rewards of Rs.
10,000 each to students placed first, Rs 7,500 to second-placed students
and Rs 5,000 to students who came third in each school.
Eight of the 350 students, who obtained the highest marks in their
districts at this examination, were able to double their account
balances, up to a maximum of Rs. 50,000, under a feature introduced to
the Arunalu Scholarships Scheme in 2007.
Commercial Bank Chief Operating Officer Ravi Dias said: “By rewarding
the achievements of bright young children we hope to encourage them and
their peers to work hard and achieve even better results in their higher
education, and to encourage the savings habit.”
Singha Cement, a member of the Italcementi Group, one of the largest
private cement producers in the world, has sponsored the National
Construction Association of Sri Lanka (NCASL) Wayamba Branch AGM.
The Wayamba Branch which commands a very important position
geographically, being at the heart of both local industry as well as
agriculture, will hold their AGM on July 24 with the aid of Singha
Cement.
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Colin
Nelson and NCASL’s Wayamba Branch Chairman H.M.G. Herath |
Singha Cement (Pvt) Ltd, Managing Director Colin Nelson said they
were pleased to be associated with the NCASL who represented the
entirety of the local construction industry.
“We consider this to be an endorsement of our products. The fact that
we have been approached by such a prestigious body as the NCASL
underlines the fact that our product is trusted by members of the
Association,” said Nelson.
The AGM of the Wayamba branch will be attended by the directorship of
the main board of the NCASL as well as it’s members, in addition to
other invitees who include the country’s leading engineers and industry
dignitaries.
The company markets its own brand of cement, Singha available both in
bulk as well as in 50 kilo bags which conform to international and
national standards.
“We are the world’s fifth largest producer of cement with operations
in 22 countries and 63 cement plants worldwide,” said Nelson.
The Group had 14 Grinding Centres, 614 Concrete Units, 147 raw
material quarries and an annual production capacity of 70 million metric
tones, he said.
The organization is based in Italy and Switzerland and is one of
Italy’s 10 largest industrial companies. The Italcementi Group is also a
member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
and has signed the Cement Sustainability Initiative’s Agenda for Action.
Singha Cement currently operates and maintains a land based terminal
at Peliyagoda equipped with the necessary technology to receive it’s
stores and handle both bulk as well as bagged cement in the most
efficient manner.
A total of 109 employees and a strong dealer network complement the
company’s local operations.
TNT appointed official courier
Third Asian Junior Squash Championships:
TNT, one of the world’s largest air express companies was appointed
official courier for the third Asian Junior Individual Squash
Championships and the first Asian Masters Squash Championships, which
commenced on July 6 in Sri Lanka. This is a landmark event for the Sri
Lanka Squash Federation, as the tournament comprises over 170 players
from more than 11 countries from Asia.
In 2006, TNT was the official courier to the national Squash team
which participated in the South Asian Games which faced teams from
India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
TNT was the official courier for the multi-nation Rugby Asiad held in
Colombo in 2007.
This was a great opportunity for TNT to showcase their expertise as
they were contracted by the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union to carry
biological samples to Malaysia for dope-testing.
TNT’s desire to be part of national and international sports events
stems from the belief that sports instills characteristics in people
which TNT feels mirrors their own values - teamwork, agility,
determination and the ability to meet any challenge and triumph. TNT is
represented in Sri Lanka by Ace International Express (Pvt) Ltd, a
member of the Aitken Spence group of companies. |
