MoU signed between Parliament and UGC
View(s):The MoU was signed this week to develop a ten-year repository for university research projects
Policy makers will now have access to state university research findings following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Parliament and the University Grants Commission (UGC) this week.
The MoU on research and data mobilisation will lead to the development of a repository of state university research findings, for a ten year period which began with the signing of this MoU. This repository will be accessible to those in Parliament.
It will also enable the UGC to present the latest findings to the Parliament every six months and table it as public information.
The Parliament Research Unit (PRU) will act as the leading entity that will seek academic guidance from an identified pool of academic resources, based on the requirements of the Parliament.
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri, Parliament Secretary General Dhammika Dassanayake and UGC Chairman Prof. Sampath Amaratunge signed the MoU at the Parliament premises this week.
Addressing the gathering, Speaker Jayasuriya said establishing this programme with the UGC is a great achievement and will lead the people to elect qualified people to Parliament.
During his tenure they were able to reduce bribery and corruption by introducing the Right to Information Act (RTI) and giving access to media to cover committee meetings such as CoPE, he said. Prof. Sampath Amaratunge said all state universities will share their researches with the Parliament.
Parliament Secretary General Dhammika Dassanayake said it is a significant day in the history of Parliament, and future policy makers will be able to refer this information easily for the country’s improvement.
Parliament Deputy Secretary General Neil Iddawela, Parliament Assistant Secretary General (Administrative Services) Kushani Rohanadheera and Parliament Assistant Secretary General (Legislative Services) Tikiri Jayathilake were also present at the event. - NF