Petitions against Varsity Dept. Heads withdrawn 

Dailymirror 

Friday, 05 August 2011 02:03

By S.S.Selvanayagam
The Writ petitions seeking orders from the Court of Appeal restraining the Heads of Departments of Wayamba, Jayawardanapura, Ruhunu and Peradeniya Universities from ceasing to carry out their duties were yesterday (4) withdrawn by the Petitioner undergraduate students.
Counsel for the Petitioners moved to withdraw these petitions as there was a possibility of resolving the issue outside the court.
The Bench comprising Justices S.Sriskandarajah (President) and H.N.J.Perera allowed the move and dismissed the petitions pro forma.

Home / MAIN IMAGE / MIT’s first Asian initiative buds young Lankan entrepreneurs

MIT’s first Asian initiative buds young Lankan entrepreneurs

  Published : 12:19 am  August 4, 2011  |  No comments so far  |     

By Cassandra Mascarenhas
For the first time in Asia, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Accelerating Information Technology Innovation Initiative (MIT AITI) in collaboration with the University of Moratuwa (UOM) hosted Demo Day 2011 yesterday, the culmination of a unique start-up incubator during which six teams of young entrepreneurs from the UOM pitched six start-ups based on mobile technology before an audience of distinguished guests from industry, academia and government.

AITI is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) programme that promotes economic development in emerging regions by cultivating a new generation of young technology entrepreneurs. Since its launch in 2000, AITI has conducted 32 programmes in six African countries and in total over 1,800 students have participated in a variety of intensive courses, from web programming to mobile technology.
This year marks AITI’s inaugural programme in Sri Lanka and at the same time marked this programme’s entrance into Asia, in cooperation with the University of Moratuwa. Through a demanding six week programme, AITI has guided six teams of UOM students in building real mobile software start-ups. At the Demo Day, each team publicly pitched their start-ups with the goal of attracting a round of funding and ultimately launch a profitable and sustainable enterprise.
With a panel of judges consisting of representatives from the three largest mobile service providers in Sri Lanka – Dialog, Mobitel and Etisalat, who were also co-sponsors of the event, as well as two other entrepreneurs from WSO2 and Microimage respectively evaluating the six start-ups, 29 students divided into groups of six presented their innovative start-ups based on mobile technology.
“Six weeks ago, we embarked on a pretty audacious journey. We took a big risk and decided that within six weeks we would, with some of the best students in this country, build up six start ups in such a brief period of time, start-ups based on mobile technology and today, we are happy to announce that we have been absolutely successful and today six start-ups will be launched,” stated the lead entrepreneurship instructor with MIT AITI Samidh Chakrabarti.  “Our programme is meant not only to produce companies, but to increase both innovator and investor confidence in a market whose time has come and this event is intended to serve as a catalyst for technology entrepreneurship in the Sri Lankan market, which is rich in technical talent.”
The programme which commenced on 27 June saw the students put to the test by three MIT-affiliated instructors who have been coaching a select group of twenty-nine UOM students in how to build software start-ups. The teams have undergone rigorous training in both business and technology en route to developing mobile applications that provide innovative solutions to important problems.
Previous AITI courses in other nations have been incredibly successful with several start-ups achieving profitability and serving as job creators in their regions. Given the technical sophistication of UOM, AITI believes that its programmes in Sri Lanka can break new ground.

Arsenic theory not diminished rice consumption

Arsenic theory not diminished rice consumption

Daily News 04/08/2011

Chamikara Weersinghe

The allegations of Arsenic presence in rice and pesticides by a group of scientists at Rajarata University have not affected the rice consumption in Sri Lanka, said Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute Deputy Director Research Dr Rupasena Liyanapathirana.

There has been a sharp increase in rice consumption instead, said Dr Liyanapathirana. The rice consumption has increased from 1.9 million metric tons to 2.2million metric tons over the last five years, he said.

Asked if they had conducted any research on arsenic content in rice, Liyanapathirana said they are currently gathering information about the allegation concerned, but they were unable to find any established theory to support this allegation.

Meanwhile, Registrar of Pesticides office in Peradeniya blamed the scientists at Rajarata University for creating any unwarranted fear in throughout the country over pesticides in rice. Pesticide Registrar Dr Anura Wijesekara said the scientists at Rajarata are yet to establish the truth about their findings concerning Arsenic presence in rice and pesticides.

They are expected to establish whether it was Arsenic in pesticides that caused the death of many farmers in agricultural areas due to kidney disease.

They have leaked their allegations and assumptions before they have been verified and this should not have been the case, Wijesekeara explained. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Customs is holding up 15 truck loads of pesticides at the port.

They have been lying there for nearly two months for tests to be conducted for the presence of Arsenic and other hazardous chemicals. A Customs official said the consignments will be released after tests while importers have questioned about the delay in the release of their goods.

Moratuwa University to draw up conservation plan

Recently discovered Dutch bunker in Galle Fort

August 3, 2011, 10:04 pm

By Pabodha Hettige

The Archeological Department of Moratuwa University has been entrusted with the task of drawing up a conservation plan for the newly discovered Dutch bunker at the Galle Fort.

Project Planning officer of the Galle Heritage Foundation (GHF), Tharanga Liyanarachchi said that the bunker was discovered on August 1 under the clock tower of the Galle Fort. The GHF believes that the bunker had been built in the 1680’s and was used by the Dutch as a military chamber.

"Once the conservation proposal is finalized a team of archeologists from the Department of Archeology will carry out the conservation preserving all the Dutch archeological characters," Liyanarachchi said. Once conservation is comleted the GHF is planning to open the newly discovered bunker along with nine others, discovered previously, to the public in 2012. The new bunker, made out of clay plaster, limestone and coral is regarded as the biggest inside the Galle Fort and it had not been subjected to any kind of renovations during the British period, he said.

Parallel to the conservation, the GHF, along with the Road Development Authority, will be engaged in renovating 21 roads inside the Galle Dutch Fort, Liyanarachchi said.

He also said that already 40 per cent of renovation has been finished and the estimated cost for the whole project is nearly Rs. 200 million and it will be funded by the Ministry of Economic Development. "One the renovation project is completed and the archeological heritage opened to the public it will help to boost the tourism industry in Galle," Liyanarachchi said.

Dons to make decision following court ruling

Wednesday, 03 August 2011 19:08

The voluntary administrative positions of University teachers would depend on the outcome of the case in the Appeal Courts today, sources said.

FUTA President Dr. Ranjith Nirmal Dewasiri speaking to Daily Mirror today stated

that since the case in Appeal Courts and the prevalent issue between the academics and Vice Chancellors were linked, they would most likely take a decision concerning the situation following the outcome of the court case.

During early June, the Court of Appeals issued an interim order to the Department Heads in the Wayamba, Sri Jayawardenapura and Ruhunu universities, restraining them from accepting the resignations rendered by academics during end of May.

The interim orders were issued following the hearing of three writ applications filed by students in the three universities.

“We are attempting to come up with a practical solution to the current situation since we believe there is no need to further delay the restoration of normalcy in universities,” Dr. Dewasiri said adding that there were several urgent activities that needed to be carried out including the release of results for the final year students and resuming examinations that were disrupted due to the trade union actions.

“The VCs are still not ready to accept the resignations rendered by the academics in May. Our position concerning the current situation hasn’t changed - we are expecting the VCs to issue fresh appointment letters to the resigned academics. However we hope that we will be able to work up a permanent solution to the situation in an official level soon,” he added. 

Speaking further he said that although they haven’t arrived at an agreement with the VCs yet, certain practical arrangements have been made in certain universities informally to resume activities.

The university academics resigned from their voluntary administrative positions on May 3 as part of a series of trade union actions to urge the government to grant them an adequate salary increase. (By Lakna Paranamanna)

Kelaniya uni conducts inquiry

Dailymirror

Wednesday, 03 August 2011 20:42

Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) said today that the University of Kelaniya has begun a new disciplinary inquiry against the organization’s Executive Director, Keerthi Tennakoon.

CaFFE’s Director Legal, Harindra Banagala said that the new disciplinary inquiry was initiated to remove Tennakoon from his position and to intimidate civil society activists from the academia. He said the move to remove Tennakoon from his position came after he made statements to the effect that the recently concluded Northern elections were corrupt.

He said that the university’s Vice Chancellor, Sarath Amunugama had sent a letter to Tennakoon five days after the end of the Local Government Elections. According to him the letter stated “a new disciplinary inquiry will be held against Tennakoon for action conducted as the media coordinator for CaFFE.”

Tennakoon was stripped of his post at the university on October 2008 for exposing election law violations and other irregularities which occurred during the Eastern Provincial Council elections. Banagala said the first officer in charge of the disciplinary inquiry resigned on the day he was to conclude the inquiry. Tennakoon was released during the second inquiry. The university administration refused to accept this decision and has decided to begin a new inquiry 33 months after the CaFFE Director was stripped of his post, he said.

“Tennakoon’s case is not an isolated incident. Many reports, including the US State Department and several reports by human rights organizations state that academic freedom is rapidly being restricted in Sri Lanka,” Banagala said.

CaFFE published six separate reports on the recently held Local Government Elections which specifically focused on the intimidation, abuse of state resources, and the mass scale poll card snatching in Kilinochchi.

Poor response from foreign students

Dailymirror

Wednesday, 03 August 2011 02:05

By Kelum Bandara
Though the government had initially planned to admit around 1000 foreign students to local universities, only a few applications had been received so far, officials said yesterday.The Cabinet decided to permit university authorities to admit five per cent of foreign students to local universities, an increase against one per cent allocated for such students in the past.
For foreign students the annual course fee would be US $ 12,000 for Medical and Dental Sciences, US $ 10,000 for Para Medical Courses such as Nursing, Pharmacy, Radiography and US $ 8000 for Engineering Design and Architecture.
For Law, the course fee is US $ 5000 and US $ 4,000 for Management Studies and Commerce.
Higher Education Ministry Secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne, however, said only one or two applications had been received upto now.
“There is no deadline as such. We may receive more applications in the future,” he said.

Lecturer allegedly threatened by cops

Dailymirror Wednesday, 03 August 2011 01:52 By Ananda Weerasuriya The Mt. Lavinia Additional Magistrate Ruchira Weliwatta granted two suspected Police Constables attached to the Judges Security Division who had allegedly threatened a university lecturer at gun point after crashing their motorcycles onto his vehicle. The court enlarged the suspect PCs,  Ananda Kodikara and S Wickramasinghe on Rs 50,000 surety bail. The suspect police constables attached to the security unit of Appeal Court Judge Sarath Abrew on July 29 were riding on their motorcycles towards Ratmalana and at around 5.30 pm near the Bellanthara Junction, the two motor cycles had collided with a motor car. The two motorcyclists had fallen with the impact and a  pistol belong to one of them too had fallen. One of the suspects picking up the pistol had aimed it at the driver of the Motor Car who was later identified as Janaka Ranganath, a lecturer attached the University of Moratuwa. On a complaint made by the lecturer the police apprehended the suspected Police Constables and had produced them before courts.  Total Views: 81

Poor response from foreign students

Dailymirror   Wednesday, 03 August 2011 02:05 By Kelum Bandara Though the government had initially planned to admit around 1000 foreign students to local universities, only a few applications had been received so far, officials said yesterday.The Cabinet decided to permit university authorities to admit five per cent of foreign students to local universities, an increase against one per cent allocated for such students in the past. For foreign students the annual course fee would be US $ 12,000 for Medical and Dental Sciences, US $ 10,000 for Para Medical Courses such as Nursing, Pharmacy, Radiography and US $ 8000 for Engineering Design and Architecture. For Law, the course fee is US $ 5000 and US $ 4,000 for Management Studies and Commerce. Higher Education Ministry Secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne, however, said only one or two applications had been received upto now. “There is no deadline as such. We may receive more applications in the future,” he said. Total Views: 219

 

 

தென்கிழக்குப் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் புதிய துறை ஆரம்பம்

 தென்கிழக்குப் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் உள்ள துறைகளுடன் புவியியல் துறையும் அறிமுகம் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.

கடந்த 15வருடங்களுக்கு மேலாக இயங்கிவரும் தென்கிழக்குப் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தின் கலைப்பீடத்தில் ஒரு புதிய
துறையாக புவியியல் துறை அண்மையில் பல்கலைக்கழக மானியங்கள் ஆணைக்குழுவின் அங்கிகாரத்துடன்
ஆரம்பமாகியுள்ளது.

இப்புதிய துறையின்  உருவாக்கம் தென்கிழக்குப் பல்கலைக்கழகத்திற்கும் மற்றும் விசேட கலை கலாச்சார பீடத்தின் வளர்ச்சிக்கும் பிரதான ஒரு மைல் கல்லாகும் என பீடாதிபதி எஸ்.எம்.ஆலிப் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார். அவர் மேலும் தெரிவிக்கையில்  விரைவில் பொருளியல், புள்ளிவிபரவியல் துறை மற்றும் அரசியல் விஞ்ஞானத்துறைகள் உருவாகுவதற்கும் முயற்சிகள் எடுத்துள்ளதாகவும் குறிப்பிட்டார்.  இதுவரை காலமும் இரண்டு துறைகளுடன் இயங்கி வந்த கலைப்பீடமானது எதிர்வரும் காலங்களில் ஐந்துக்கும் மேற்பட்ட  துறைகளுடன் இயங்குவதற்கு தான் பல முயற்சிகள்  எடுத்தது வருவதாகவும் பீடாதிபதி தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

அத்துடன் பல துறைகளை  இயக்குவதன் மூலம் புதிய கற்கை நெறிகளை அறிமுகப்படுத்தியும் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில்
இருந்து வெளியேறும் பட்டதாரிகள் உடனடியாக வேலைவாய்ப்பினைப் பெற்றுக்கொள்ள முடியும் எனவும்
கலைப் பீடாதிபதி தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.