Education

William Angliss Institute, Australia launched in Sri Lanka

The Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management (CAHM), at the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), announced the launch of the first ever internationally recognised school for hospitality management in Sri Lanka. CAHM will collaborate with the prestigious William Angliss Institute of Australia, and is developing a 22,000 square foot, purpose-built training facility at SLIIT's Malabe Campus, with an investment of over LKR 320 million.

William Angliss Institute is the number one institute for hospitality management in Australia and is a globally recognized leader in specialist training and education in tourism, hospitality and the culinary arts. CAHM will offer a complete education and training curricula specifically designed by William Angliss Institute. The programme will be delivered by lecturers from William Angliss Institute's global training network as well as top lecturers based in Sri Lanka. These co-branded courses will include degree, diploma and certificate programmes and will give students a superior edge through the institute's focus on high quality education, industry-based training, international affiliations and close links with industry.

William Angliss is the leading hospitality provider in the region and a globally recognized specialist, placing a key focus on industry-driven training. WAI boasts a graduate employment rate of over 95% across its international campuses. The Institute currently has four joint venture campuses in China, as well as programmes in Thailand and Malaysia. William Angliss, has recently established a fully-fledged campus in Singapore and is the Singapore Government's preferred training provider for Tourism education.

"There is a huge need for highly qualified, talented and trained hospitality industry staff to cater to the booming tourist industry in post-war Sri Lanka" explains Errol Weerasinghe, Chairman, Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management. "As more international hotel chains seek to expand to the region, the industry needs skilled and confident talent to compete in this fast-evolving, global industry. CAHM students will be enrolled in world class courses at a state-of-the-art facility in a campus environment, and this is a first for the country. We have closely collaborated with industry to address their needs, providing not just theoretical training, but real-world industry experiences, which means that CAHM students will be more employable than any of their peers."

"SLIIT and CAHM are indeed pleased to contribute towards the growth of the hospitality industry through this collaboration with William Angliss" states Professor Lalith Gamage, President and CEO of SLIIT. "By leveraging SLIIT's decade-long experience in providing excellent higher education, CAHM students will have access to all the facilities and resources of a full-scale higher education institution and all the benefits of a campus environment.

Through this individual and mutual experience, we feel that students will be introduced to exciting career opportunities through William Angliss' expert, comprehensive training for hospitality industry professionals. Our goal is to be the premier provider of hospitality and hotel industry training in Sri Lanka, serving both the local and international markets".

Students will gain practical experience and professional development through globally recognized academic programmes, with opportunities to continue learning at CAHM throughout their career.

The institute will also provide pathways for students to benefit through internships, employment and scholarship opportunities both locally and globally. CAHM expects to continue its island-wide expansion, serving industry from coast-to-coast with world class hospitality industry education.

The January 2013 intake, CAHM will co-locate on the premises of SLIIT's Malabe campus and share the institute's infrastructure and services.

A 22,000 square foot five star facility will be developed in line with international standards, housing a multi-use training kitchen, a full-scale banqueting facility, training restaurant, model bedrooms, an IT training centre and team rooms for students' practical training, while classroom lectures will be predominantly conducted at the lecture halls of SLIIT's Business School.

Plymouth top performing UK 'green' university

Plymouth University has been named as one of UK's top performing 'green' universities.

The annual People and Planet University Green League ranked Plymouth University, second out of 145 universities. The University retains the accolade of being the national UK league's top overall performer since it began.

Building on its Fairtrade and ISO14000:1 status, the University is now entering into new territory with its winning 'three way' approach as it recogniz,es that sustainability is not just about the environment, but also financial and social responsibility.

Plymouth University, President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Wendy Purcell, who recently gave a keynote on sustainability to an international UNESCO audience said; "We have a strong culture of partnership working, it is about students, staff and community working together across operations, research and the curriculum.

We are turning our ambitions into actions and now have the opportunity to share our learning with others across the Higher Education sector globally."

Sustainability synergies have been created across the University with cutting edge research enriching operational strategies whether it is carbon management, food, travel or water. In turn, this is inspiring experiential learning opportunities with students playing a key role in conducting research.

The University has also launched a new sustainability research institute which will focus on 'real world' challenges including sustainable transport, international development, climate change and low carbon development, British Climate Change Minister, Greg Barker said would cement Plymouth's position as a leading centre for innovation and research.'

Plymouth is also looking at Sri Lankan operation.