Reaffirming the Prestige and Global Standing of the Country’s University System- President
President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized that the standards of the Sri Lankan universities were high on the list of Asian universities. The standard and reputation of the universities should be restored and improved once again in the country’s university system to attract students overseas. This would also help to improve the development of the country’s economy.
The president stressed that he is satisfied with the education received during his era compared to the present day. For many of the people during his time, the United Kingdom was a second choice, if not the first, after the University of Ceylon. However, when asked by the young generation today about the satisfaction of today’s education system, the answer would be negative. Even if they are selected for a university, they are trying to go abroad.
The President highlighted the need for fixing the issues with the educational system in this nation and added that conditions should be put in place so that everyone can complete their education at the appropriate age and move on.
President Wickremesinghe stressed the importance of being attentive to the South Asian population. In 2050, India will have about another 3–400 million, rising to 1.7 billion. The poverty level will decrease, while the better income number will increase. He anticipated that this change may occur in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar, and the East African nations.
They alone can’t be building universities. India will have nothing else to do if they are going to provide education for all of them, so they will either use other techniques. Therefore, Sri Lanka must be vigilant in these areas. If Sri Lanka has a sufficient number of universities, it would help to cater to some of them from those areas.
These remarks were revealed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe while addressing the “CVCD Excellence Awards” held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo on Friday (9).
President Ranil Wickremesinghe attended the “CVCD Excellence Awards” ceremony as the Chief Guest and was welcomed by the Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Directors Sri Lanka (CVCD), Professor Sujeeva Amarasena, the Vice Chancellor of Ruhunu University.
Prof. Nilanthi De Silva, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, introduced the award ceremony in detail.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe was appreciated by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Directors (CVCD), Sri Lanka, for his excellent leadership and commitment in establishing an innovative research culture within the university system.
Organized biennially by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Directors Sri Lanka (CVCD), the “CVCD Excellence Awards” recognize and honor outstanding contributions and achievements in research, innovation, and invention by scholars in the Sri Lankan university system.
The awards are presented in three categories: Most Outstanding Senior Researcher, Most Outstanding Young Researcher, and Most Outstanding Inventor.
In this year’s awards ceremony, the Most Outstanding Senior Researcher and Most Outstanding Young Researcher Awards for the year 2022, Allied Health Sciences and Indigenous Medicine, Engineering, Architecture, and Technology, Humanities, Life Sciences, Management Studies, Medicine, and Dentistry, were awarded for eight fields of study: natural sciences, social sciences, and legal studies.
Dr. M. B. Kavinda Chandimal Dayasiri (University of Kelaniya) received the Most Outstanding Young Researcher Award.
