Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Dodamgolla farm handed over to Peradeniya University

The Land and Land Development Ministry has after 43 years decided
to legally handover the Dodamgolla farm and research institute
to the Peradeniya University Agricultural Faculty for research
and educational purposes.  
At present this institution trains officials in agriculture under the
‘Divineguma’ project and provides knowledge in new agricultural
technology to university students and those involved in agriculture. NM

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Thieves remove laptop from VC’s office

By Krishan Jeewaka Jayaruk
Thieves entered the official residence of the Vice Chancellor of the
University of Ruhuna and took away a lap top worth around Rs.110,000.
Vice Chancellor Professor Susirith Mendis lodged a complaint with the
Matara police after discovering the loss.
The suspects had also eaten chocolates which were in the fridge,
the police said. A special team had been deployed into the area
to arrest the suspects who were believed to be residents of the area.
* Sri Lanka's Higher Education Ministry to upgrade six local universities to fit world standards
Thu, Sep 1, 2011, 11:07 am SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Sept 01, Colombo: The Higher Education Ministry of Sri Lanka is to upgrade six local universities in order to achieve top ranks in the world university rankings.
The infrastructure, curriculum and foreign student intake in the Colombo, Peradeniya, Moratuwa, Ruhuna, Kelaniya and Sri Jayawardenapura universities are to be upgraded within the next few years.
Higher Education Ministry Secretary, Dr. Sunil Navaratne has said the main objective of the programme is to receive ranks above 1,000 in the world renowned university ranking systems.
Local universities are currently ranked at 3,500-5,000 range in world rankings.
Dr. Navaratne has said that there are several criteria to be fulfilled in order to achieve a rank above 1,000.
The universities must have publications in world class peer-reviewed journals, foreign student intake, and foreign academic teaching. Also the university should produce globally employable graduates, he has noted.
There are reportedly three well known university rankings - Webometrics, QS World University Ranking and Times Higher Education ranking.
According to the Webometrics ranking, Peradeniya University is ranked at 2,220, Colombo at 2,240, Moratuwa at 2,573, Ruhuna at 3,514, Open University at 5,988, Jayawardenapura at 6,382 and Kelaniya at 6,594.

Docs strike tomorrow

Against Pvt. Medical College



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By Dilanthi Jayamanne

Doctors will stage a countrywide strike tomorrow (07) in protest against the gazette notification issued by Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake recognising Malabe Private Medical College as a degree awarding institute.

Assistant Secretary of the Government Medical Officers’ Association Dr. Sankalpa Marasinghe said yesterday that the Minister has legalised the Malabe PMC by issuing the Extraordinary Gazette Notification 1721-19 of Aug. 30, 2011.

He said It has been recognised as an institution which awards MBBS degrees similar to those issued by government medical faculties. The government has also provided six hundred million rupees to the Malabe PMC to build a teaching hospital.

He said that this was proof that it did not have a teaching hospital of its own, which is one of the GMOA’s bones of contention.

Minister Dissanayake had also violated section 70 of the University Act. The Minister has to appoint a special panel to assess whether a private medical institution was suitable to be awarded such a status. However information has it that three of the members of a seven-member panel had expressed their disapproval and made their recommendations against such a step, Dr. Marasinghe said.

He said that Castle Street Hospital for Women, De Soyza Maternity Home, Lady

Ridgeway Children’s Hospital and the Maharagama Cancer Institute would be exempted from the strike. They will also attend to all emergencies. However routine work would be disrupted.