President invites Lankan expat intellectuals to work for the country

President Maithripala Sirisena said that it is time to utilize the knowledge and technical knowhow of Sri Lankan intellectuals who work abroad, to develop knowledge of the people and enhance the research activities in the country. The President was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of two days workshop for university students on the theme ‘New Tendencies of Higher Education’ today (Nov. 13) at Blue Water Hotel in Wadduwa. President Sirisena pointed out that university students have an important role to play in political and social reforms for good governance. “They can perform a large role for the betterment of the people in the country with the knowledge they gain within the buildings in universities”, the President said. He also invited the intellectuals of the universities to be committed employ their knowledge, wisdom and experience for the betterment of the country by engaging with the government. “To go forward as a country, citizens of that country must be equipped with relevant knowledge and technology,” the President said, adding that it is important to be vigilant by the scholars and intellectuals of that country regarding the way how people use that freedom when using knowledge and technology together. The President expressed his regret over some websites for the way they handle social media using defamatory statements even on late Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero and said that there should be a broad dialogue within the country regarding the use of freedom and technology for better purposes and as it is often used for bad purposes. The President emphasized that special attention should be paid on how far the people’s representatives use their knowledge and understanding to provide a positive message to the public within the allocated time for the live coverage of parliamentary proceedings. This workshop will continue until tomorrow. More than 300 university lectures, participated in this workshop. Minister of University Education – Mohan Lal Grero and other dignitaries participated in the event.