Ravi Daharmawardane Consultant Programme Director Informatics Institute of Technology post Graduate center |
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The Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT) since its commencement has been offering internal degree programmes originally with Manchester Metropolitan University and later through the University of Westminster. The institute primarily offered students two degree programmes in collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University, which included degrees in Information Systems and Business Studies. Presently IIT offers five undergraduate degree programmes and a Master of Science Programme in Advanced Software Engineering together with the University of Westminster.
Over the years IIT has produced over 1800 graduates, who all hold prestigious positions in the industry. IIT has also stood in the forefront with regards to academic quality and its efforts have been duly recognized and rewarded with numerous accolades which include winning the National Best Quality Software Awards in recent years. In addition to this the institute has been very active with regards to publishing research papers in both local as well as international forums. The Sunday Times spoke to Associate Professor Alfred Perera, Dean and Mr. Ravi Dharmawardane, Consulting Programme Director of IIT on what IIT has to offer students.
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"With regards to conducting internal degree programmes IIT has been in the forefront since the year 1991. Presently we are looking towards embarking on introducing more part time courses in order to open more opportunities of the undergraduate programmes to the part time students.
We conduct our courses every Friday evening and on Saturday, making it very easy for students who are employed within the industry to obtain their degrees. For students who already have a degree qualification we offer a Masters programme in Advanced Software Engineering during one evening and full day Saturday. In addition to this we have also embarked on a PhD programme with the University of Westminster, which is facilitated by IIT. Students who follow PhD programmes with IIT must also be full time staff members of our institution in addition to the other specified qualifications", says Professor Perera.
Keeping in line with the requirements of the government and the Ministry of Higher Education to offer more education opportunities to Sri Lankan students, IIT has also come on board the Distance Education Modernization Project (DEMP), which is funded by the Asian Development Bank. With this regards IIT has developed its own e-learning material, which is a Diploma in Computer Science which has been made available to students through the DEMP nodes, thus enabling them to follow the programme through their own locality. This programme also offers students the opportunity to follow face-to-face lectures once or twice a month as well as to ask questions and clarify any doubts they may have. Through its Diploma in Computer Studies, which is offered, online the institute has successfully emulated actual classroom type study environments for students, where they have the opportunity to chat and exchange ideas online whilst asking questions from the lecturers.
"IIT is also looking into the possibility of building a campus environment for its students, which will include playgrounds and offer many sports opportunities. Student life at IIT has not been limited to that of academic studies alone, we believe in providing students a well-rounded education. The pinnacle of the academic work of our final year students is highlighted in our Cutting Edge exhibition, which is held annually, where their best final year projects are showcased to the academia and the industry. IIT's Stage Craft is an event featuring song, dance and drama, which involves students participation and an event that is greatly looked forward to by students, alumni as well as the general public. IIT has in this regards organized many sports, music, drama and other events into the institutes curriculum with the intention of not only providing them with academic qualifications but also to impart social ethics and inter personal skills among the student communities", further stated Professor Perera.
The IIT Post Graduate Centre has teamed up with the University of Keele UK in order to offer an MSc in Information Technology and Management. This partnership has grown from strength to strength over the last seven years with over 250 Sri Lankan students successfully obtaining a Masters degree in Information Technology. The IIT Post Graduate Centre has a highly qualified faculty, which is committed towards imparting the best of their knowledge in addition to training students to meet the present industrial standards. The faculty comprises of senior lecturers that represent leading state universities as well as top tier technology leaders from the Sri Lankan corporate sector.
Commenting on the benefits offered to students through IIT's partnership with Keele, Mr. Dharmawardane said, "This course is quality controlled by Keele, and each year an external audit team from UK visit the IIT campus to carry out an audit. This degree programme prepares students to meet the present as well as future technological management challenges and is in par with any of the world's leading IT Masters programmes that are offered. We also plan on introducing new courses in the near future, which will include a MA in HRM and an MSc in Project Management. Additionally, we have decided to immediately commence a Diploma in Project Management aligned on Project Management Institute's (PMI) Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBoK).
IIT focuses on training and educating individuals to become competent and confident professionals who posses excellent technical, communication and management skills that are required to face the challenges brought on by the future technological changes. All this is done in a holistic educational environment using the best of infrastructure, outstanding technical and teaching proficiency and exemplary work culture. Presently IIT has built up a solid reputation as a world class technical and management education institute whose products have the technical excellence and best of breed values and who are in every aspect highly employable by both local and international industrial standards".
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