The Management Club (TMC) together with the Sri Lanka Branch of Chartered Management Institute (CMI) presented the first in a series of “An Evening For Future Leaders” with Entrepreneur and former President of NCCSL Mr Chandra Embuldeniya, founder Vice Chancellor of the Uva Wellassa University as their guest speaker, on Tuesday 21st February at the Park Street Mews Restaurant.
Explaining the concept of this new series of events Col Faiz-ur Rahman, Immediate Past President of CMI Sri Lanka and a founder member and past President of the Management Club, stated that this was an initiative where aspiring leaders of the future could share the rich and varied experience of host of specialists with proven capabilities in their respective fields, whilst enlightening themselves by clarifying any doubts on these topics during these discussion forums.
Mr Embuldeniya in his address summarised how he got about the task of setting up the Uva Wellassa University at a serene location at Badulla, having been invited to do so by the government in 2004. When the University was opened by HE the present President in 2008 a student who addressed the gathering had indicated to HE that the alumni of this university would be job creators rather than become a burden for the country as unemployed graduates.
He explained how he was able to develop a culture where everyone was expected to fit in and perform any role irrespective of their designated departments. As such no one was confined to to their own ‘silos’ of specialization but worked across every operational area in the university in a very holistic and harmonious manner.
Mr Embuldeniya described three pillars on which the University lecturers based their success (1) the constant interaction and contact with the students (2) need for research on value addition and (3) the social responsibility aspect of giving some value addition to the area where the university is located as well as the nation at large.
This University now provides students with a host of essential skills such as Language proficiency, Communication skills, Business studies, Law, History, Ethics and Moral studies etc while enriching them with the conceptual background knowledge and the necessary training for practical solutions in adding value to the agricultural and mineral resources of the country. The Uva Wellassa University is also known as the Centre of Excellence for Value addition to the National Resource Base.
By providing a thorough knowledge in Entrepreneurship in their degree programmes the Uva Wellassa University is making an impact by producing graduates with an entrepreneurial attitude rather than adding to the growing number that has to struggle in finding employment opportunities.
Mr Emuldeniya spoke with pride that the University Grants Commission had highly commended Uva Wellassa University’s excellent management of limited resources and maintaining student discipline by precluding the opportunity or need for external elements to operate within the university.
The first “Evening For Future Leaders” provided thought provoking ideas to those who were present and gave a rare opportunity to the audience to interact with this reputed scholar. TMC and CMI announced that this series will be a permanent fixture in its calendar of events for the rest of the year – the next session being scheduled for 20th March at the Park Street Mews in partnership with the Peoples Bank. |
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