Lecturer arrested for assault on doctor

• Written by  The Nation
• Saturday, 28 January 2012 19:27

A Colombo University Lecturer has been arrested by a Colombo Police for reportedly assaulting a woman doctor at the Piliyandala Base Hospital,Police said. Following this reported assault on the doctor, all medical and other staff withdrew from duties today. Police are conducting further investigations.

Facilitating tech-know…

• Written by  The Nation
• Saturday, 28 January 2012 12:40

Minister of Higher Education, S B Dissanayake seems to be explaining something to Dialog Axiata Plc, Group Chief Corporate Officer, Kavan Ratnayake whilst Dialog’s Group Chief Executive, Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya sees the lighter side of the conversation.  The minister was present on the occasion of Dialog last week awarding technology scholarships to 54 students, who scored top marks in the field of mathematics at the GCE A/L examinations held in 2009 and 2010. Under the scheme each scholarship recipient would be awarded a monthly stipend of Rs. 4,000 during their university undergraduate years                 (Pic by Ravindra Dharmathilake)

Pera back to normal

January 27, 2012, 9:38 pm , The Island.

The University of Peradeniya returned to normal yesterday (27) after weeks of unrest.  Students attended lectures.

1,500 schools on verge of closing due to lack of funds

Friday, 27 January 2012 20:16

While the authorities had taken steps to set up private educational institutions some 1,500 schools in the country on the verge of shutting down as they did not have the money for maintenance, the Maoist Ceylon Communist Party said.

Addressing a public lecture organised by the Inter-University Student Federation (IUSF) the party’s Secretary Surendra Rupasinghe said a large number of schools did not have basic facilities such as buildings, classroom furniture, computer laboratories, libraries and other resources necessary for education development.

He said the vast majority in the country would not be able to afford the expensive education services promoted by the authorities. “They are trying to politicise the education sector in the country. A transformation of the social order is needed to change the education structure,” he said.

Inter-Medical Faculty Students' Action Committee President Nilan Fernando alleged that the government attempted to create division among student communities to fulfil their own agendas. “We urge the authorities to protect the education system in the country and to refrain from setting up institutions that have no legitimacy. They have no legal right do it,” Fernando said.

Federation of University Teachers Associations (FUTA) President Nirmal Devasiri said the education system faced major challenges which was visible by the vast protests by student and academic communities and said that a change in policies was required to sustain the education in the country.

The public lecture was attended by a number of students, academics and individual from political groups. (Olindhi Jayasundere)

Carlo dares GMOA prove any wrongdoing on his part

January 27, 2012, 9:42 pm , The Island.


By Don Asoka Wijewardena

Prof. Carlo Fonseka yesterday challenged those who opposed his appointment as President of the Sri Lanka Medical Council to substantiate the allegations they were liberally levelling against him.

Prof. Fonseka in a brief interview with The Island said various government professional bodies such as the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA), the Sri Lanka Dental Surgeons’ Association, the Sri Lanka Paediatric Association, the Sri Lanka Dental Association and the Sri Lanka Medical Association were unhappy with his appointment.

He said those associations seemed to harbour an unfounded fear that he would politicise the decision-making processes of the SLMC. "They are also of the view that my decisions in the affairs of the SLMC would be political and not independent. I challenge them to produce evidence that my politics or decisions have affected any individual."

"This is a democratic country and people are entitled to their views political or otherwise," Prof. Fonseka said, adding that he had been branded as a politically biased controversial character by the GMOA. In a democratic country like Sri Lanka the GMOA had every right to criticize anyone, he said. "Have I taken political decisions in the affairs of the SLMC? I challenge them to produce evidence that my political affiliations have influenced SLMC administrative affairs," Prof. Fonseka said.

Teacher personality: How it affects Learning

January 27, 2012, 7:43 pm , The Island.


By Vijaya Jayasuriya

Rohana R. Wasala’s (RW) learned discussion (The Island 20.01.12) of how teacher’s pedagogic qualities determine the academic attainment of students indeed merits a dialogue among educationists at a time like this when every imaginable aspect of our life is adversely affected by those who fail to make a mark on schooling. While Mr. Wasala mainly concentrates on the positive aspect of learning I wish to focus my attention on the negative side of it – how bad qualities of teachers directly affect the post-scholastic lives of learners.

The dictionary explanation of ‘disposition’, the basis of RW’s theorization being "the natural qualities of person’s character", this particular human tendency is most probably part and parcel of the umbrella – term ‘personality’ which encompasses a wide range of other aspects of human behaviour as well – their physical appearance and other idiosyncrasies like the multiple ranges of reaction to crises etc which make a great deal of impact on anyone or anything they are dealing with. This is of particular interest in regard to education of children as childhood or even adolescence happen to be a period of any individual which is heavily marked by extreme tenderness and formative nature so that even the slightest variations in the behaviour of their teachers tend to ‘make a dent’ in their personality.

It is this very volatile nature of students that makes it imperative for teachers to be cautious in their dealings with their charges, and for the authorities and the trainers to mould the character of trainee teachers in such a way that they will develop fully-fledged personalities so that their students in turn are not misled in the process of classroom teaching as well as outside of it. Out of the three domains in the sphere of child development cognitive (mental or intellectual) psycho-motor (physical) and affective (to do with values), the first two areas appear to be receiving a lot of weightage in the present system of education, sadly to the detriment of the last, the character development of the student. The outcome is a society full of corruption what with bogus politicians, corrupt bureaucrats, mercenary doctors, masquerading social workers and even lethargic and bluffing teachers.

On a certain TV quiz programme the other day a student delivered a speech charged with unnecessary emotion and even went on to thump the table before him with his clenched fist as if he were speaking in a political meeting. It was an extremely unpleasant sight unbecoming of a student speaking before an audience of teachers and even high-ups in educational administration. It was, of course, not the fault of the student himself but that of an ignorant teacher who trained him. (Even the texts of the speeches in this programme are written by teachers and delivered sometimes casting glances at the text though they are ultimately tagged by the quiz-master as "students’ own ideas"!

It behoves the admin authorities to take such teacher(s) concerned to task substantially. But far from such punitive/reformatory action the director in charge of the region was seen greatly amused by the student’s behaviour. The saddest part of this episode was that this speaker was adjudged the winner of the competition!

Ethics and social values should be inculcated in students from their very formative years through the behaviour and example by teachers. As RW has mentioned, most of our own teachers who taught us more than a half century ago were real paragons of virtue worthy of emulation and thus they made us follow the footsteps.

As I have referred to in these columns sometime back , we had a fine model of a master named ‘Marshal Mahaththaya,’ who came to school clad in white coat and cloth.

He taught us Sinhala. His main activity was reading out to us books by the doyen of Sinhala literature Martin Wickramasinha. While holding the novel Rohini in his left hand he used to act out all the incidents appearing in the book which we enjoyed immensely and made us subsequently great lovers of literature almost devouring books in the little library at our temple from a very early age.

The remarkable characteristic of our master that made an indelible mark on was his extreme integrity and generosity. When he noticed anyone of us being unable to write (on slates) owing to the wasted writing stick (gal kuura) he promptly got a replacement sending an older boy to the nearby boutique with his own money.

He often used to advise us on humanitarian qualities and even went on to relate little episodes from his own life illustrating them. In one such story he was a teenager taking the lunch for two men working in his father’s worksite. While crossing a river on a bridge he fell off the bike in to the river with the meal basket still held fight in his hand. He was struggling to get off water while his clothes were all soaked in it, but he never wanted to let go of the basket and held it high with difficulty, ‘I took the meals to the site with my clothes still wet’ he concluded and advised us that we should never let down those depend on us in any situation.

Mr. Batapolahewa was our class master and the wood-work teacher at Karandeniya Central School. He was working hard like a real carpenter in his spacious workshop clad in a special kit except when he taught us in the class. One day when we had to stay over for an afternoon class, one of our mates had not brought his lunch and noticing his languishing mood our teacher asked him the reason for it. When we said he had not brought his lunch our master took out his own lunch pack and gave our friend half of the string-hoppers in it saying jokingly. "Don’t come without lunch again to attack my lunch pack!"

When our school bus did not arrive one day and the passenger buses on the route were packed to capacity, we nearly two hundred students walked back home trudging three to five miles. Our teachers who could have travelled by bus accompanied us in the walk singing with us all the way!

While we imbibed all these humanitarian values from our masters in the good old days, unfortunately the present day students rarely get such opportunity to emulate their teachers. I recently happened to come across a leading Ayurvedic physician who had retired as the Vice Principal of the very institution where he had learnt the profession and is currently running his own factory producing ayurvedic medicaments. He proudly claimed that he had a large number of students serving people all over the country. This is quite possible in medical profession as doctors’ practices only involve treating patients and not moulding characters. In teacher, however, this is indeed the other way round according to my own experience as most of my students who learnt the craft from me, running into thousands in number, have today proved to be frauds! Those who wrote to me after taking up their first appointment saying "Sir, you taught us not only teaching but how to lead a humanitarian life" have become shysters who do not want even to face me.

This is the outcome of the forces within the profession itself that exert a strong negative influence on novice teachers. This tendency exists not only at school level but in the Colleges of Education themselves where those who claim to be top professionals with high academic achievements are without principles.

When a lecturer arrives at a class ten minutes late and sometimes makes excuses to students to get ‘forty winks’ keeping her head on the table, that single ugly action represents a type of role that misuses its elevated position as a privilege to engage in other types of misbehaviour as well. When authorities give priority to least qualified individuals ignoring professionals in making appointments to top posts in such institutions, the trainees, too, take the cue from such scams and tend to follow suit anticipating a leisurely and yuppified life rather than becoming real professionals with little glitter in their private life.

Dr. Alice Roberts of Birmingham University has made an epoch-making declaration (The Island: World View: 23.01.12) that students taking science subjects, too, should have a foundation in arts and humanities in order to be more ‘rounded individuals’. In this sense, the elimination of Sinhala literature as a subject in our secondary school has already proved to be a disastrous step taken by authorities several decades ago. We as primary students in early fifties learnt to look critically at human behaviour through the reading of literature where as the present-day student has been sadly denied this opportunity.

To make teachers responsible professionals the high-ups in the education hierarchy, particularly the training institutions should be resource personnel with a high degree of integrity. Teacher training courses should be revamped in such a way as to lay additional emphasis on value education (as the Prof. Roberts has emphasized). The school curriculum has to be re-planned to include Sinhala literature as a main subject from junior secondary levels paving the way for students to make a thorough study of the work by our local authors. Verses from our traditional books like Loweda Sangarawa, Sirith Maldama, Subhashithaya and Lokopakaraya should be taught from primary level at school as was done during the early 1950s.


(Just as the sandal-wood well-known the world over for its scent sends out its fragrance if cut and pressed, great people with good qualities and intelligence never get frustrated even when ill-treated).

(Subhashithaya)

GCE A/L mess up ends up in Supreme Court

January 27, 2012, 9:28 pm , The Island.

By Chitra Weeraratne

A fundamental rights violation application was filed in the Supreme Court yesterday by 17 petitioners requesting the Court to declare null and void the results of 2011 GCE Advanced Level examination.

The petition said that the application of an erroneous and unjustifiable common formula to calculate the two Z scores of candidates who sat the examination under the new and old syllabuses had caused a gross distortion of the examination results.

The petitioners complained of arbitrary treatment by the Commissioner General of Examinations, the University Grants Commission, the Minister of Education and several other respondents.

The petition requested the Court to declare that the results so released on or around December 25, 2011 null and void.The petitioners further requested that the Z scores of the candidates be calculated according to the accepted statistical norms and principles with the new and syllabuses considered two distinct populations. The petitioners further requested the respondents to re-issue the results of all the candidates after the rectification of the errors.

Sanjeewa Kaluarachchi is the instructing attorney of this petition which is to be supported in Court shortly by Counsel J.C. Weliamunna. Among the petitioners are students and members of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union.

Former minister alleges East denied opp. to meet Kalam

January 27, 2012, 9:26 pm , The Island.


Former Minister A. R. Mansoor told The Island that the people of the Eastern Province were saddened by the failure of the Indian HC to arrange a visit to the EP by former President Dr. A. P. J. Kalam.

Munsoor said that University students and academics in the East had expected the Indian leader to visit the EP. "We were not given the opportunity afforded to University students and students in the Northern Province," Munsoor said. "I, on behalf of the academic staff and the students of the South Eastern University, extended an invitation to Indian High Commission requesting for a visit of Dr. Abdul Kalam to the Eastern Coast. The officer in the Indian High Commission gave me hope that he would endeavour to include a visit to the South Eastern University by asking me to sending an email containing my invitation. Accordingly, the Ministers in the Cabinet were also informed about the event. Alas, he is not visiting the Eastern Province at all!`

Subsequently, I learnt that a visit to the East was not possible. I consider it as a great tragedy because men of his calibre rarely visit our land. The young generation of this part of the country have missed the opportunity of seeing and meeting this great man."`

District ranking error Vs
Z score issue

January 26, 2012, 7:50 pm , The Island.

By Dhara Wijayatilake

Attorney-at-Law,

Secretary, Ministry of Technology and Research and Chairperson of the Committee Appointed by the President to Inquire into the District Ranking Error.

Much is being said about the Report of the five-member Committee appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to report on matters relating to the District ranking error that occurred in the 2011 G.C.E A/L results. Some allege that the report seeks to cover up a serious flaw in the Z score calculation that has been used. Some allege that it has not addressed a vital concern regarding the Z score.

It is unfortunate that too much is being said without even an attempt to appreciate what the Committee was directed to report on. Any Committee that is appointed is given a specific mandate. While constructive comments made after an understanding of that mandate are undoubtedly valuable, comments that are made without an understanding of that mandate must be dismissed as being irrelevant and unfortunate. Let me then make this humble attempt to clarify what I see as confusion.

District Rankings

The results of the GCE A/L examination released on December 25th, 2011 were found to contain errors with regard to the District rankings. The fact that there were errors in the district rankings was accepted and was not denied by anyone. There was no difference of opinion on that. The President desired to ascertain certain facts with regard to that error and appointed a Committee to look into it. The mandate given to the Committee was to ascertain the causes that contributed to the error with regard to the district rankings and who was responsible; to examine the computer systems used for processing and data analysis and ascertain whether these functions were carried out in compliance with acceptable standards; to ascertain whether there were any shortcomings in the technology used; and finally to recommend what steps should be taken to prevent a recurrence of such a situation. The Committee interviewed relevant persons and submitted its report which contained its findings and recommendations with regard to the matters that were referred to it. The recommendations have now been forwarded to the relevant authorities for implementation.

It is important to note that the Committee was required to ascertain the causes that contributed to the district ranking error. Clearly, the reference is to the error that was contained in the results that were first released by the Department of Examinations on 25th, December 2011. Of this there is no doubt. The Committee reported on all of the matters referred to it. The Committee obviously did not report on matters that were extraneous to its mandate.

The facts as ascertained by the Committee are as follows:

The Department of Examinations (DoE) is statutorily mandated with the power/responsibility of conducting the GCE A/L examination while the University Grants Commission (UGC) is statutorily mandated with the power of determining admission of students to institutes of higher learning. The UGC had used the Z score of candidates to determine admissions to the University since 2001 and there was no debate about the use of the Z score for this purpose. The physical activity of calculating the Z score based on whatever the UGC determined had always been carried out by the DoE which had a system in place to enter, amongst other things, the raw marks of candidates and proceed to process same to generate the Z scores.

In 2011, there were two categories of students who sat the GCE A/L – those who sat under the old syllabus and those who sat under the new syllabus. The DoE was planning on calculating the Z scores of the two categories of students as in previous years and to generate two separate lists – one with the Z scores and rankings of the old syllabus candidates and another with the Z scores and rankings of the new syllabus candidates. However, the UGC did not want two separate lists. They required the DoE to generate one list from which university admissions could be determined on merit. The UGC therefore appointed a five-member Panel of experts to obtain advice on how to produce one single list from which they could determine University admissions on merit.

The UGC obtained that advice from the Z score Expert Panel and passed the formula that the Panel proposed, to the DoE to do the calculations. The department proceeded to apply the formula given to them by the UGC and produced one list of results.

Expert Panel

As stated previously, when the GCE A/L results were released on 25th December 2011, it was found that an error had occurred in the district rankings. The DoE had, it was said, corrected that mistake and issued a new set of results with different district rankings. The President wanted an inquiry to be conducted. A Committee was appointed to inquire into it and was given the mandate previously referred to.

In pursuance of its mandate, the Committee identified how the district ranking error was caused (due to a processing error at the final stage), who was responsible for that error and after its own and independent investigations confirmed that, that error (i. e. the processing error that occurred at the final stage) had been corrected. The Committee also identified many areas that must of necessity be improved to enhance the quality of the examination process including the need for double checking and validation at every stage and made recommendations for improvement. The computer system was examined and recommendations were made with regard to improvements. It was also recommended that implementation be pursued in terms of a Plan of Action and time targets. The President has directed that the recommendations be implemented. I will not here refer to the details of the recommendations made. I am confident however that no one will call us bureaucratic lackeys or boot lickers after reading our report.

The finding of the Committee was that the error in the district rankings was caused due to a mistake that occurred at the data processing stage in the Department of Examinations. The formula adopted by the UGC to determine University admissions was not the cause of the district ranking error. Obviously, then the correctness or otherwise of the Z score formula however important it may be, (and I fully agree that it is very important) was a matter that was extraneous to the mandate of the Committee. The use of a wrong formula to calculate the Z score would have resulted not only in an error in the district rankings but also in the island rankings.

The fact that there are other issues that are also important does not give the Committee the right to step outside its given mandate and comment on such issues. The Committee had no right to assume that the appointing authority had any intention of expecting advice on those matters, from this Committee.

Clear Distinction

There is a clear distinction between an error (such as was caused in the district rankings) and a difference of opinion, such as is now raging with regard to the calculation of the Z score. There are two issues here and they are distinct and separate. The first is regarding the district rankings error and the other is regarding the formulae adopted to calculate the Z score. Please note there was no error in the island rankings in the results released on 25th December, 2011. (Prof. Gunawardane in his article in the Island of January 25th, 2011 states that there were errors in the island rankings as well, in the results issued. This is incorrect).

An error is an error – a mistake. If one needs to find out what went wrong, it’s necessary to inquire into it. On the other hand, the whole issue of the Z score and how it was calculated in the instant case of the 2011 G.C.E A/L to deal with 2 syllabi, stems from a difference of opinion. Should the Z scores have been calculated after pooling of the means and variances or should the Z score have been calculated separately? There are those who say the formula used is sound (the Z score expert Committee appointed by the UGC says so) and there are those who argue that it is not. The mere fact that there is a difference of opinion about this matter, does not, by itself, render the formula erroneous. Equally, no one who has an opinion different to the one that has now been adopted should be faulted for having that opinion. But it is absolutely important to get it right, in the end.

Obviously, the needs of decision makers in these two situations are different. While the former situation (error) requires a fact finding process to be put in place, the latter (Z score) requires expert advice.

Mr. Sumanasiri Liyanage – Island Jan 23rd, 2012, states "I strongly believe the members (of the Committee) would have carefully read the Terms of Reference (TOR) before setting about their task, asked themselves whether they could within the given mandate do justice to the issue? Had they done so, they would have realised that the investigation within the purview of the given ToR was not meaningful.’ Mr. Liyanage also hints that the investigative exercise of the Committee was destined not to produce reasonable results.

The Issue

What is this issue that’s referred to here by Mr. Liyanage? To whom is the investigation of the Committee not meaningful? The issue that the Committee was tasked to report on was the District ranking error issue. Was that not an issue? It was an issue to the many stakeholders who were as yet wondering whether even now, that error has in fact been corrected. And it was obviously an issue to the Head of State. Is it not important to ensure that such mistakes do not recur? Is it not important to ascertain whether that mistake has now been corrected as claimed by the DoE? Is it not meaningful to attempt to improve the process followed by the DoE in conducting one of the most important examinations that our students submit themselves to? Prof. R.P. Gunawardena (Island January 25th, 2012) rightly emphasises the importance of the G.C.E A/L examination. Is it then meaningless to ensure that all is right in the conduct of that examination? No, it is not. It is not only meaningful, but is also the serious responsibility of those in charge of education, to remedy what is wrong. If one is sincere about remedying what is wrong, you need to first find out what is wrong.

The mere fact that there is a difference of opinion about the Z score issue, however intrinsically connected that issue may be to the same examination (the 2011 GCE A/L), does not make the District ranking error and everything done to prevent a recurrence of such an error, meaningless.

Prof. Gunawardane in his article (Island January 25th, 2012) analyses the formula used to calculate the z scores in the 2011 examination and states that it is a fundamental error made by the expert Committee (i. e. the z score expert committee) and proceeds to suggest how it should have been done. These comments are indeed valuable. He also states that "Unfortunately, the Presidential Committee appointed to look into this matter has overlooked this important issue of using a wrong formula for the calculation of the z scores." (The Island editorial also cites this statement). No, Prof. Gunawardane, the Presidential Committee did not overlook that matter. As explained earlier, we were not appointed to look into that matter. Perhaps Prof. Gunawardane states so because of an incorrect assumption that there were island ranking errors in the results issued on 25th December, 2011 by the Department of Examinations? While the District ranking error was caused due to a processing error in the DoE, if the formula used to calculate the Z scores is not correct, it has an impact on district as well as island rankings. The question as to whether it is right or wrong or whether there is a better formula or not, are matters that must be concluded based on the best advice.

The Z score issue is one that deserves the highest consideration. What is required in that regard is not a fact finding inquiry but expert advice. The focus should be on the need to ensure that our students are treated justly and fairly and that merit alone is rewarded.

Unique You

January 26, 2012, 8:00 pm , The Island.


Former President of India,
Dr. Abdul Kalam’s Address at University of Moratuwa
Colombo
22 January 2012

Continued from yesterday

Friends, we live in an era of convergence; the future of innovation would lie at the interface of science and engineering. It is estimated that in the life of a scientist or an engineer, he or she will come across and work in at least seven new areas which are born out of convergence of multiple science and technologies. Such convergence has made the border between areas completely porous.

Let me discuss some examples.

Convergence of Technologies : bio-info-nano-eco ecology

The information technology and communication technology have already converged leading to Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Information Technology combined with bio-technology has led to bio-informatics. Similarly, Photonics is grown out from the labs to converge with classical Electronics and Microelectronics to bring in new high speed options in consumer products. Flexible and unbreakable displays using thin layer of film on transparent polymers have emerged as new symbols of entertainment and media tools. Now, Nano-technology has come in. It is the field of the future that will replace microelectronics and many fields with tremendous application potential in the areas of medicine, electronics and material science. When Nano technology and ICT meet, integrated silicon electronics, photonics are born and it can be said that material convergence will happen.

With material convergence and biotechnology linked, a new science called Intelligent Bioscience will be born which would lead to a disease free, happy and more intelligent human habitat with longevity and high human capabilities. Convergence of bio-nano-info technologies can lead to the development of nano robots. Nano robots when they are injected into a patient, my expert friends say, it will diagnose and deliver the treatment exclusively in the affected area and then the nano-robot gets digested as it is a DNA based product. I saw the product sample in one of the labs in South Korea where best of minds with multiple technology work with a target of finding out-of-the-box solution.

My experience in Harvard University: Convergence of science is reciprocating. Let me give an example. Recently, I was in the Harvard University where I visited laboratories of many eminent professors from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. I recall, how Professor Hongkun Park, showed me his invention of nano needles, which can pierce and deliver content into individual targeted cells. That’s how nano particle sciences is shaping the bio sciences. Then I met Professor Vinod Manoharan, who showed on the other hand bio sciences is in turn shaping nano material science as well. He is using DNA material to design self assembling particles. When particular type of DNA is applied on a particle at the atomic level, he is able to generate a prefixed behavior and automatic assembly from them. This could be our answer to self assembly of devices and colonies in deep space without human intervention as envisioned by Dr K Erik Drexler. Thus, within a single research building, I saw how two different sciences are shaping each other without any iron curtain between the technologists. This reciprocating contribution of sciences to one another is going to shape our future and industry needs to be ready for it. The curriculum designers of University of Moratuwa, may like to take this aspect into account while formulating new courses.

Now, a new trend is emerging. The aspect being introduced is that of Ecology. Globally, the demand is shifting towards development of sustainable systems which are technologically superior. This is the new dimension of the 21st century knowledge society, where science and environment will go together. Thus the new age model would be a four dimensional bio-nano-info-eco based.

21st century University Vision

Friends, I have in the last ten years met more than 10 Million youth and faculty from more than 150 universities in India and 37 universities in abroad. Based on these interactions, I wish to formulate a 21st university vision for your consideration.

* The universities have to prepare citizens of the future with a global outlook and be capable of serving his/her nation or nation of his/her choice.

* Science and technology and public policy are interrelated for mutual benefit and ushering in human kind’s development. This link has to be solidly built in the university education.

* Good teachers can be in any part of the world. The university has to bring in this resource through innovative content generation in virtual class rooms.

* Technological connectivities among universities have to be pursued vigorously using cost effective virtual class rooms.

* Cost effective continuing education possibilities are essential for citizens to be in tune with time.

* Can university education lead to sustainable development of the nation?

* With the world population increasing and resources dwindling, a mindset has to be developed for conserving and sharing the resources and look for new research for abundant resources. This calls for a "noble spirit" as well as a "research spirit"

In summary, the 21st century university education is about developing enlightened citizenship for a knowledge society for peace and prosperity of nations and the world. 21st century University has to be the incubator of world knowledge powerhouse.

Conclusion

Finally, I would like to ask you, what would you like to be remembered for? You have to evolve yourself and shape your life. You should write it on a page. That page may be a very important page in the book of human history. And you will be remembered for creating that one page in the history of the nation – whether that page is the page of invention, the page of innovation or the page of discovery or the page of creating societal change or a page of removing the poverty or the page of fighting injustice or a page of finding innovative cost-effective healthcare system both preventive and curative or a page of how you have facilitating establishment coastal PURA or Hill PURA in any part of Sri Lanka. I am sure, you would like to do something different – out of box missions. I will be very happy if you could write this page. And if you mail to me your dreams, I can correspond on your out of box ideas and thoughts. (apj@abdulkalam.com).

My best wishes to all of you for success in your mission of igniting the energy and ability of youth to achieve accelerated societal transformation in Sri Lanka and become an enlightened citizen of the world.

May God Bless you.

Oath for Students

1. Engineering, Technology, healthcare and Management is a life time mission. I will work, work and work and succeed.

2. Wherever I am, a thought will always come to my mind. That is what process or product I can innovate, invent or discover.

3. I will always remember that "Let not my winged days, be spent in vain".

4. I realize I have to set a great technological goal that will lead me to think high, work and persevere to realize the goal.

5. My greatest friends will be great scientific/technological minds, good teachers and good books.

6. I firmly believe that no problem can defeat me; I will become the captain of the problem, defeat the problem and succeed.

7. I will work and work for removing the problems faced by planet earth in the areas of water, energy, habitat, waste management and environment through the application of science and technology.

8. I will work and work for making Sri Lanka a granary of south-east Asia.

9. I will be a good member of my family, a good member of the society, a good member of the nation and a good member of the world.

Concluded