ESOFT, the fully Sri Lankan, premier Information Communication Technology (ICT) education institution, recently announced entering into an agreement with the organizers of EDEX - 2009, the country's most reputed exhibition related to post secondary education leading to careers, in order to patronize the event as its Gold Sponsor.

The exchange of the sponsorship documents between ESOFT officials and the organizers of EDEX - 2009, took place at a simple ceremony at the EDEX Secretariat, in the Royal College Union (RCU) office complex recently.

"ESOFT sees the importance of guiding and moulding Sri Lanka's youth through education, to be entrusted with the nation's future. It is our belief that they should be armed with the necessary skills to be competitive in a global arena as well. The organizers of EDEX, which is undoubtedly the country's largest and most prominent career oriented education & skills related forum, too believes in a similar ideology, which is "empowering Sri Lankan youth to be globally competitive". Thus, ESOFT and EDEX share many common interests. This was the key reason behind undertaking the EDEX - 2009 Gold Sponsorship", the Head of ESOFT, Dr. Dayan Rajapakse stated.

"During an era in which sustainable living, recycling and conservation is not an option but an absolute necessity, the initiative by the organizers of EDEX to adopt the futuristic 'Go Green' concept and promote 'Green Collar' employment is commendable. We believe the encouragement of this concept through a forum like EDEX, which attracts a large number of individuals from all walks of life, will be an eye opener to the general public and policymakers of the country to make simple, responsible behavior shifts as well as implement the required policy alternatives towards energy conservation and recycling, before it is too late", he added.

"As a responsible corporate entity, through extending our patronage to EDEX - 2009, which provides Sri Lankan youth with many choices and options to further their education and reach greater heights in their careers while being armed with the skills and competencies required for competing in a global arena, we expect to fulfill our responsibilities towards the youth of Sri Lanka too", Dr. Rajapakse further elaborated.

Commenting on ESOFT's intended presence at the EDEX - 2009, Dr. Rajapakse said that they expect to launch a wide range of new international educational products at the exhibition.
"Visitors to our stall could find the most competitively priced ICT courses and education options. We will also showcase our most economical Degree options that have been specially tailored for the Sri Lankan market. As is our normal practice, visitors will also be walking away with an array of gifts and complementary items" he added.

Chairman of EDEX 2009, Mr.Kamal Abeysinghe acknowledging the sponsorship said that it was gratifying for the organizing committee, as a catalyst promoting choices, options and opportunities in post secondary education and skills development, to observe the significant contribution made by ESOFT during the past several years. ' As a continuous participant of EDEX EXPO from its inception and a Silver sponsor in 2008,progress made by ESOFT in adding layers of value in the field of enhancing ICT literacy at affordable cost is commendable' Abeysinghe further stated.

ESOFT initiated operations in the year 2000, by offering professional courses at a grass-root level. Today, it is a leader in preparing students for British Computer Society (BCS) professional examinations and the Bachelor of Information Technology (BIT) External Degree examinations conducted by the University of Colombo.

ESOFT is also one of the very few educational institutions accredited by the University of Moratuwa to conduct classes for their BIT External Degree. ESOFT's head, Dr. Dayan Rajapakse, who is a veteran in the IT industry, has over 15 years of experience in IT education. He is a medical doctor by profession as well. The distinguished lecturers at ESOFT too are well qualified and experienced in their respective arenas.

Having a wide array of courses at the most economical rates which suit the budgets of most individuals, courses being conducted at flexible hours to suit the requirements of those studying while being employed and the convenience of being able to select an ESOFT center located in Kandy, Kurunegala, Matara, Battaramulla, Kotahena, Anuradhapura, Piliyandala, or Negombo are a few advantages ESOFT students could experience apart from gaining education which is on par with international standards, from a top notch panel of lecturers.