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 Phew!
what a pong!
Left out of best university survey
Peradeniya University may have its hiccups.
There's a lot of political activity and the Varapragash case and other
things to give an unsavoury tinge, but it's a great university and certainly
shouldn't be left out in the cold. Those who matter are rather peeved that
"Asiaweek", in its May listing of "The Best Universities
in Asia" seems to think that Sri Lanka is either too small to have
more than one University, or that Colombo is all that matters when it comes
to things Sri Lankan.
"Asiaweek" published its second annual survey of the region's
best schools, focusing on research and the ravages of the economic crisis,
stating that these are not the best times for Asia's Universities. And
if there are the hiccups, what of the assertive student protests in Indonesia,
the recent shoot-to-kill threat by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and
the postponement of final exams at the University of Dhaka? Short term
turbulence has always affected universities and the depreciation of Southeast
Asia's currencies has also had bad effects. So why wasn't the University
of Peradeniya contacted, given a questionnaire. "Asiaweek" has
even listed the Universities that did not respond, but, as Peradeniya dons
say, will it also list the Universities it did not contact?
Anyway, the University of Colombo - the only Sri Lanka institution -
has been ranked 54 out of 65 with the following details listed according
to the survey result: Overall score - 39.95 out of 100%; Academic reputation
- ranked 40 out of 65 with a score of 11.82 out of 20%; Student selectivity
- ranked 36 out of 65 with a score of 12.96 out of 25%; Faculty resources
- ranked 55 out of 65 with a score of 12.27 out of 25%; Research output
- ranked 48 out of 65 with a score of 2.28 out of 20%; Financial resources
- ranked 58 out of 65 with a score of 0.63 out of 10%; Average annual teacher
pay and benefits - ranked 52 out of 65 with a figure of US$1409 per year;
Students per teacher - ranked 32 out of 65 with a figure of 14; Articles
in International Journals per teacher - ranked 47 out of 65 with a figure
of 0.05; Student per Internet access point - ranked 55 out of 65 with a
figure of 173.
"Asiaweek" states that Academic reputation was arrived at
by asking each contacted University to rate its peers on a scale of I to
5 with the total score divided by the number of responses. Student selectivity
was derived from (a) the number of first year students accepted compared
with total applicants, (b) enrollers compared with accepted students, (c)
students who belonged to the top 20% of their colleges or who got a Grade
C or equivalent in a national entrance test, (d) median score of first
year students in the national entrance test and (e) average passing grade
of first year students in the national entrance test. Faculty resources
were derived from (a) teachers with graduate degrees, (b) median pay, (c)
per-teacher university spending, (d) non-monetary benefits such as free
housing, education and medical care, (e) class size, (f) student-teacher
ratio. Research output was derived from (a) published articles per teacher
in international academic journals, (b) published articles per teacher
in Asian academic journals, (c) research funding, (d) teachers with doctorates,
(e) graduate students, (f) number of research institutes, (g) projects
with other universities. Financial resources were derived from (a) total
spending, (b) total spending per student, (c) library books per student,
(d) access to the Internet and (e) access to E-mail.
You will be interested to know that first place has been given to the
University of Tokyo, and number 65, the last place, to the International
Islamic University of Malaysia. It may also be comforting to learn that
where academic reputation is concerned, the University of Colombo is placed
over the University of Dhaka, De La Salle University of the Philippines
and the Vietnam National University. The question is, how would our University
of Peradeniya have fared? Pretty well, I think, if only it had been contacted.
And this is not wishful thinking!
If you go down to the dumps today...
The Kandy Municipal Council is facing an
over-ripe situation with residents in the city complaining loud and long
about those roadside garbage dumps - large, open-headed concrete bins into
which residents are expected to deposit their gash. Naturally, one is expected
to ensure that all such garbage is first put into plastic bags, secured,
dumped. But the very design of each dump is far from sanitary. For one
thing, crows, rats, dogs and cats do the most unmentionable things to the
plastic bags, then scatter the muck around. Crows carry away choice bits
and pieces to deposit them hither and yon. Stray dogs and stray cats seem
to have a sort of Mardi Gras, and the stench of rotting this and that,
strewn all around, is making residents both sick and mad. Who wants a lot
of madly sick or sickly mad Kandyans? The plan now is to seal the dumps
on top, keep space on a side for dumping. Garbage disposal is not one of
the Municipality's finer arts anyway, for residents say that the garbage
trucks leave more muck scattered around after they have come and gone (and,
if you believe it, done their worst). Phew! What a pong!
Water supply scheme
Japan's Jaika is to lay the format for the
Greater Kandy Water Supply Scheme, which will provide areas outside the
Kandy Municipal limits with water on tap. The Japanese company will also
monitor and keep tabs on the operation up to the year 2020 - a quarter
century of commitment to the people of this Greater Kandy area. The Municipality
is now talking turkey with the Water Board. The scheme is estimated to
cost around Rs 80 million and, of course, Japan juntu!
Meanwhile it is also been confirmed that the ADB has approved Rs 43
million for the development of facilities for low-income groups in the
Kandy area. This, too, is now being planned in phases.
New Town Hall
The architect of the pictur esque Mahaweli
Reach Hotel, Ashley de Vos, is the man who has produced the Master Plan
for the new Town Hall that is to be built at the present Kandy Library
and Wales Theatre area. lt's going to be a strongly traditional building,
essentially Kandyan in character, and the UDA and Heritage Committee are
now giving it the final review. The present Municipality building will
be used to house the D.S. Senanayake Public Library. At least, when all
is said and done, the new Town Hall will be slap in the heart of the city
and a stone's throw away from the Public Central market complex. Might
make it easier to check on all the rot that goes on there and bring belligerent
stall-holders to heel!
Composting plant at Gohagoda
The Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Techn. Zusammenarbeit
(or GTZ as we all know it) seems to have made considerable reductions in
its financial commitment for Sri Lanka. One victim is the Solid Waste and
Water Quality Improvement Project which the Mahaweli Authority had hopes
of being implemented. This project was to tackle the solid waste issues
along the Pinga Oya, a Mahaweli tributary.
However, it is learnt that the German agency concerned will go ahead
with the putting up of a composting plant at Gohagoda, Kandy's Municipal
Dump, in co-operation with a private investor. Also, in co-operation with
the Vavuniya Water Supply and Sanitation Project, a handbook on compost
making is being prepared. So things have slowed down somewhat. So what?
Isn't this still Deiyannge Solid Waste Rata?
Keep a beauty on your desk
S. Mahesa sent me a 1999 Desk Calendar last week; a beautifully illustrated
calendar, full of the most spectacular photographs of this country's scenic
beauty. Naturally, Kandy played an important part in its concept and visuals,
for every enchanting photograph has been captured through the camera lens
of Dr. Robert Reithmuller who is Planning Advisor of Kandy's Regional Rural
Development Project. Mahesa, as you know, is Managing Director of Unigraphics,
and was one-time President of the Printers Association of Sri Lanka. He's
done a masterly job as always, and it is really admirable to know that
we are able to do such quality printing. Reithmuller has, as usual, supplied
the photographs at no cost for, as he tells me, he cannot make a business
out of this much-loved hobby. As he explains, "I want to celebrate
this country, for I have a short time left here.
"I have spent many happy years in Sri Lanka and I always look at
this country and at the beauty and warmth it exudes through a visitor's
eyes." It has been a happy combination indeed. Between printer and
photographer, this calendar is decidedly among the best in the market today.
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