Biomedical Science at BMS
Science students, who are unable to gain admission to a local state university, have many pathways to pursue a university education. Biomedical science is one such stream which the science students apparently prefer today, as also is evidenced by the popularity of this programme conducted by BMS. Biomedical science combines the fields of biology and medicine in order to focus on how diseases should be treated and overall health should be promoted. This is a rapidly evolving subject which is highly relevant to investigating and understanding the current controversies, concerns and dilemmas of modern life as far as they are related to treatment of patients.
The scope for biomedical science in the country would enhance only if there is development in the related and supporting industries such as pharmaceuticals and advanced medical testing. Need not say, foreign investors would prefer to invest in such industry sectors, only if there is adequate educated human capital in the respective fields.
Why is the US at the helm as a developed nation? As one economist quoted, it is not because of its natural resource endowments or for that matter the availability of financial resources. It is because of the quality of education and the highly advanced University 
Education system in the US. Multinational giants such as General Motors, Microsoft and Boeing have offered immense financial support to the US university system because of the research and human capital needs of these industries. Admittedly, this is where we are lacking. There is a big gap in the human capital requirements in the needed industry sectors where our young graduates could harbor their hopes. Biomedical science programme of BMS, with its popularity among the science students, would fill this gap in time to come. With more biomedical science graduates in the country, in few years, there would be the impetus to foreign investors to make investments in the related industry sectors. This is not a difficult task. As you know, education is an ingredient of the well-being of a country and its quality of life. A good measure of the ‘desire for education’ by a nation is the ‘Education index’ as compiled by UN.
We are occupying the 107th position among some 190 nations. Unbelievably, Cuba, a small country with a command economy and less resource endowments has been able to secure the 9th position. How? It is because of the people’s desire for education in that country and the support received by them from all corners of the Cuban economy. The success of biomedical programme at BMS demonstrates the eagerness of our students to become scientists and its contribution for advancing of human resources for sustainable economic development in Sri Lanka. Let us all work hard to make science as a major player in our country’s future and to become a significant global player in science.
- Dr Rohan Perera, Director Institute
of Human Resource Advancement,
University of Colombo
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