Mobitel, Edinburgh Napier University launch MBA programme

September 12, 2011, 12:00 pm
The Island



SLT Chairman Nimal Welgama (left) and Prof George Stonehouse, Dean Edinburgh Napier University, shake hands on the deal. Pic by Sajith Jayasekera.

By Hiran H. Senewiratne

Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel entered into a partnership with a UK-based university which would allow MBA students follow courses via the telco’s mLearning platform.

The MBA programme for aspiring Sri Lankan executives has been launched by Scotland’s Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) and Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel.

In a global first, the new MBA programme will be delivered via Mobitel learning platform, allowing students to follow lectures in an interactive virtual classroom environment, a joint statement said.

"Students enrolled in the course will be able to interact with lecturers on a face-to-face level through the learning platform, and will graduate with a UK qualification.

"The online degree programme is on par with other Edinburgh Napier University MBA degrees and has been designed to fit the busy working life of Executives and to be as flexible as possible.

Students also have the option to add further value to their studies by spending a semester at the Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland," the statement said.

Sri Lanka has immense potential to emerge as a prominent knowledge hub in the region, because we are one of the best performing countries in the regions where the education sector is concerned, Chairman Sri Lanka Telecom Nimal Welgama said.

"We are now in an even better position to further capitalize on the fast development infrastructure and make higher education more accessible to our people with the end of the conflict," Welgama said at the launch

He said that following the success of this partnership the next step was to facilitate students to follow courses with international patronage, which resulted in their partnering with a reputed university such as the Edinburgh Napier.

"This type of arrangement would enable students to pursue higher education at their own convenience by bridging the gap between time and accessibility via mLearning," he said.