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Act legalising private universities to be passed in Parliament soon- SB
View(s):Quality Assurance, Accreditation & Qualification Framework Act drafted by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) to legalise non-State universities in the country, is to be passed in Parliament soon, its Minister S.B. Dissanayake said.
Minister Dissanayake addressing the SAARC workshop ‘Innovation in Higher Education for Knowledge Based Economies and Economic Growth in the SAARC Region’, which commenced at the Global Towers, Wellawatte on Friday (10), said that, currently, there are 54 institutes of this nature, which were introduced under the concept of ‘Non-State Higher Education’, to broaden freedom for Higher Education in the country.
The three-day workshop, which concludes on Sunday, was jointly organised by the SAARC Human Resource Development Centre (SHRDC) in Pakistan and MOHE, with the assistance of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
“Innovation in Higher Education is very much needed for all member countries in the SAARC region, and through those innovations, we should achieve our long-term goals and aspirations as individual nations as well as the whole region together,” the minister said.
He added that, the Government’s vision is to become the Miracle of Asia by 2020. Simultaneously, they also wish to become the Naval hub, Aviation hub, Energy hub, Commercial hub, Tourism hub and Knowledge hub of the region.
He explained that the ministry’s two tag lines to introduce world class universities and globally employable graduates, along with world market oriented entrepreneurs, would enable them to develop Sri Lanka’s Higher Education system. The introduction of ‘Employability Survey’ in 2012, to understand the national employability status at national and university levels, indicated that the employability of Arts, Management, Agriculture, Science and Medical graduates were 28%, 65%, 70%, 72% and 91% respectively.
“To improve the quality and employability of graduates, we have now introduced Outcome Based Education & Student Centered Learning as a remedial measure,” the Minister added.
He said that, “Now is the Asian Era, and all SAARC countries should get together to ‘synergize capabilities, expertise, experience and core competencies, to make a unique Higher Education region.”
Director of SAARC Human Recourse Development Centre (SHRDC) Dr Riffat Aysha Anis, Research Fellow of SHRDC Dr Javed Hamayun, Secretary of the MOHE Dr. Sunil Nawaratne, UGC Chairperson Prof. Shanika Hirimburegama and its Vice Chairman Prof Ranjit Senaratne were also present at the event along with Vice Chancellors, Professors and Lecturers of local universities.