Royal Institute of Colombo: The true providers of the art of learning
View(s):Learning has become an integral part and inseparable process in all developed nations. Like that of any other epoch, even at the contemporary context learning has been the foremost concept in all societies. This has got a novel dimension since globalization has established economies where knowledge workers enjoy a prominent place in the environments of societies. Sri Lanka’s vision of becoming the knowledge hub in the region and the globe has given a new impetus to the Sri Lankan youth who seek challenging opportunities in challenging environments.
Senior Lecturer in SociologyDegree / Diploma ProgrammeRoyal Institute of Colombo”]Senior Lecturer in Sociology Degree / Diploma Programme Royal Institute of Colombo “]
Royal Institute of Colombo (RIC) has been offering the Diploma and Degree programmes of the prestigious University of London in Sri Lanka since 1990s. At present, it is the only institution to have awarded the honourable status of ‘Affiliate centre’ of the University of London International programmes in Sri Lanka. It offers programmes that suit the numerous needs and wants of the candidates who are interested in perusing their tertiary educational qualifications at their own pace. Based on the age, academic credentials, interests, time constraints and employment patterns, the candidates could select a degree from a large number of programmes available at Royal Institute of Colombo. Since2012 RIC counter parted with Deakin University Australia to offer their bachelor degrees in Engineering, Information Technology, Science and Biomedical Science providing a unique pathway to Sri Lankan students to commence their studies in Sri Lanka and to complete it in Australia.
As a practitioner of tertiary education for nearly three decades, I value the relentless services rendered by the RIC to the nation due to various reasons which would never be equalled or paralleled by any other tertiary educational institute in the island. It has been the source of inspiration for many generations, many families and individuals. The compilation of the success story of RIC could never have overlooked the cumulative effort extended by Mr. G. T. Bandara, Chairman/ Managing Director, the administrative staff, the permanent and visiting academics, the parents, the students and all well-wishers.
Teaching has been among the many positives to the success of RIC. It draws a panel of highly experienced and well qualified lecturers from each and every specific field to deliver the goods in maintaining its high quality academic standards. The unmatched pass rate, the securing of world prizes have been the result of the enthusiasm shown by the lecturers and the students in pursuing a common goal. If any novice who needs to get the basics of his desired field inculcated, the first and the only choice for tertiary education in Sri Lanka would be RIC where he receives the services of the vibrant academics who secure both local and foreign academic and professional qualifications and experiences.
The innovative teaching methodologies at RIC are coupled with traditional wisdom that of modern technological sophistication. Other than the formal lectures and tutorial sessions, the students are gifted with individual assignments, group work, presentations, debates and written exercises. The unit end evaluations, monthly tests, answering activities in the study guides and year end mock exams make the lecturers, students and the parents aware the progress that each student makes. The collaborative nature among the RIC and the University of London and the Deakin University in future would prove that the learners have always been under sequential scrutiny of their regular progress in academic standards.
The learners do not only enjoy the benefits of a truly academic environment during their tenure of life at RIC. There are so many curricular and co-curricular activities that help shape their personalities. RIC has really understood the balance between the theory and practice; thus, experts from the industry are invited to deliver Guest lectures to demonstrate the application of the theories learnt in the classroom. It does not want to produce academics or future professionals sans humanity. All what it aims at are producing a future generation that is extremely sound in their respective fields when they are in the world of work while being an excellent human being who have nurtured the best qualities to live in a harmonious way. Therefore, at RIC activities related to aesthetics, sports and many other intellectual enterprises like debating are organized throughout the year with the support of the Students’ Council. So the students at RIC has ample opportunities to enliven their academic life and unleash the hidden potentials that go to present themselves to the world of work as they complete their dream at RIC under the auspices of either University of London or Deakin University, Australia.
Apart from the homely environment the truly intellectuals can utilize the facilities extended them to enrich their academic standards. RIC has the best library that any Sri Lankan private tertiary educational institute can offer to its beneficiaries. It contains all the updated textbooks recommended and the essential and further reading materials. Further, exam past papers from the last 20 years and model answers done by the respective examiners in all disciplines too are made available to students at the reference section). The library can accommodate a large number of users and concessionary extra time slots are granted to the students by keeping it open during the times they needed it most. The reference and lending sections have all the required number of copies to cater to the demand of the students at all times. Simultaneously the students are provided with air conditioned study rooms for individual and group studies.
With the timely changes taking place in the world due to the development of ICT RIC too has updated its computer lab with all the required facilities. The computer lab fosters the e-learning needs of the students with up-to-date equipment. The University of London has introduced a series of learner friendly technological facilities so that the learners can access the global knowledge within seconds. Study guides, examiner reports, reputed journal articles, quizzes, videos and online discussion groups are some of the innovations that it has introduced and the RIC lab facilitates its users to get in touch with the Virtual Learning Environment [VLE]. So the parents and the students should be extremely proud that in Sri Lanka this kind of pure and applied intellectual immersion and simulation is only offered at RIC.
Further, I would like to draw the attention of the reader to the final outcome of all these academic endeavours. Even though different students join RIC with different objectives and follow their respective programmes, all of them receive well-remunerated occupations mainly at the private sector and their services and the high quality of their characters at meeting challenges and solving problems are commended. Those who had jobs have been able to perform better and draw a better recognition from their superiors and clients alike. One of the recurrent, marked features at the final year has been that even before the results are released the undergraduates join their respective workplaces on pending results. Thus the time spent and the money invested on these world class degrees have always been duly rewarded to all those who have been a part of it. If education is considered to be an investment in the present terms at Royal Institute of Colombo the parents and the students generate their maximum profits till their last breath.
Royal Institute has been maintaining an exceptional pass rate whereas even the ‘seemingly competitive institutions’ have not been able to make the majority of their candidates get through at least all the first year subjects. The tragedy of it is that when the students fail they have to spend additionally on continuation registration fees and examination fees to the university and the ‘meagre scholarships’ granted by such institutions at the initial stage to almost all the students is of no avail. The parents and students are gifted with great news for the coming academic year; as a part of recognizing the future talents of the country RIC has decided to offer up to 100% scholarships only for the high achievers of London and local GCE A/L.
| The success story of RIC
The unmatched pass rate, the securing of world prizes have been the result of the enthusiasm shown by the lecturers and the students in pursuing a common goal. Royal Institute has been maintaining an exceptional pass rate whereas even the ‘seemingly competitive institutions’ have not been able to make the majority of their candidates get through at least all the first year subjects in one sitting. The tragedy of it is that when the students fail they have to spend additionally on continuation registration fees and examination fees to the university and the ‘meagre scholarships’ granted by such institutions at the initial stage to almost all the students is of no avail. The compilation of the success story of RIC could never have overlooked the cumulative effort extended by Mr. G. T. Bandara, Chairman/ Managing Director, the administrative staff, the permanent and visiting academics, the parents, the students and all well-wishers. |
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