Waiting till the cows come home

Idioms beautifying language IV

March 16, 2012, 6:50 pm , The Island.


By Vijaya Jayasuriya

Idioms change over time. They undergo differences in their meaning and form from time to time and are accordingly recorded in contemporary dictionaries so that learners have no reason to worry about these changes. However they would do well to have a knowledge of these differences as they are bound to come across original forms of these idioms in early writings like novels and plays, for example books by Shakespeare and Dickens.

A good example is ‘com to’ whose meaning in the Oxford dictionary (1964 edition) includes ‘inherit; return to one’s senses from a fainting fit’ while Collins too defines it as ‘re-cover from a fainting fit and return to one’s normal sensible attitude.’

Meantime Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (ALD) 1974 edition changes this to ‘come to one’s senses/oneself ‘meaning’ become conscious after fainting’ while the 2010 edition equalizes it to ‘come around or come round’ with the meaning ‘to become conscious again’ eg: His mother hasn’t yet come round from the anesthetic.’

‘Hoe come’ is also a popular expression meaning ;how something can happen’ expecting an explanation from the interlocutor. ALD (1974) puts it down as a slang use meaning ‘How does/ did that happen’ : eg: How come (that) you just sat there doing nothing?’

A beautiful idiom ‘when the cows come home’ (Collins) the new ALD presents as "Till the cows come home while ‘;come down to earth’ is expanded to include ‘bring down to earth’ as well. Other idioms that have undergone slight changes either in their form or meaning will be recorded accordingly. Even Collins reports of these changes thus. It is typical of the continual change that language is undergoing’ (Page 67)

Learning should never be postponed – the earlier the better. An idiom related to this idea is ‘To wait till the cows come home’ meaning ‘to wait for a long time or even for ever’. To this Collins gives the meaning ‘never’ and describes it as getting delayed also: ‘Cows when the time comes for them to be milked, they meander extremely slowly to the milking shed’. An interesting way of using this idiom is: ‘She is not going to marry till the cows come home’ (to mean ‘for along time’ or even ‘never’)’

‘It’s time for you to come down to earth shedding those highfalutin ideas’ – ‘come back /down to earth’ (with a bang) or ‘bring someone back/down to earth’ is to return or make him return to a normal way of thinking or behaving after a time of being excited or impractical. It also means ‘stop day-dreaming, and return to practical realities.’

‘Being down-to-earth’ is also a similar phrase (concerned with realities; practical; contrasted with impractical, vague, idealistic etc.) eg: He’s a down-to-earth sort of fellow (ALD 1974) ‘simple and practical in a way that is helpful and friendly’ (ALD: 2010).

The term ‘come to grief’ Collins presents as ‘circumstances of failure or disaster that would cause sorrow, regret etc. ALD (1974) has expanded it to include ‘bring somebody to grief or come to grief’ meaning ‘cause someone to /meet with misfortune, injury or ruin. The new edition of ALD gives tow senses to this: 1) To end in total failure 2) to be harmed in an accident eg: Several pedestrians came to grief on the icy pavement.

‘Count one’s chickens before they are hatched’ is defined by Collins as ‘with over-confidence make plans depending on events that many not happen. He quotes an Aesop’s fable in which a market-woman selling eggs plans to buy a goose and then a cow and with dreams of growing rich she in her excitement kicked over her basket and all her eggs were broke. ALD records it as ‘Don’t count your chickens (before they are hatched) meaning’ You should not be too confident that something will be successful because something may still go wrong.’

‘Crocodile tears’ is simply defined in ALD as ‘insincere sorrow’ while its latest edition gives the meaning. ‘They pretend to be sad about something, but they are not really sad at all’ Collins describes it as being ‘hypocritical show of grief or hypocritical show of grief’. Sinhala has the exact equivalent ‘Kimbul Kandulu’.

‘She was a cross as two sticks’ means annoyed and irritated. Oxford dictionary gives the explanation ‘peevish, out of humour’ also. ‘Very bad-tempered’ (ALD -1974). The new edition gives the example; eg: I was cross with him for being late; lease don’t get cross, let me explain. (annoyed; quite angry).

‘I don’t want to cross swords with you’ is defined as ‘to fight or argue with somebody’ – ‘contest a question; enter into a dispute or argument’ (Collins). A further explanation; generally used with reference to opposing a rather redoubtable opponent’ (ibid)

‘An evening at the opera is not everyone’s cup of tea; ‘He is nice enough but not really my cup of tea’. ‘Not one’s cup of tea’ is ‘not what somebody likes or is interested in according to ALD (2010). Collins provides a long explanation to it referring to tea as a ‘universal social drink’. Starting from tea as being ‘not my cup of tea’ it is used by extension in general reference to other things that do not suit one’s taste; ‘eg: an entertainment at a theatre, a book etc. with the meaning ‘whatever others may like, that is not the sort of thing to appeal to me.’

‘His is a case of cupboard love’ can be used about an affection that is shown in the hope of getting something by it. ‘A child hoping for cake’ is also an example. (ALD – 1974).

‘Trying to curry favour with somebody’ means trying to win favour or approval by using flattery, etc. the latest dictionary meaning is ‘to try to get somebody to like or support you by praising or helping them a lot.’

There are a number of idioms used with the word ‘cut’ eg: You really cut a dash in your new kit’. ALD explains this as ‘to look attractive in a particular set of clothes, especially in a way that makes other people notice you. According to Collins the verb ‘cut’ gives the meaning ‘make’ which ‘dash’ means ‘showy’ appearance’ (a way of behaving that combines style, enthusiasm and confidence’ (ALD – 2010). The word ‘dashing’ is also synonymous: ‘a dash in young man; his dashing good looks etc. (attractive, confident and elegant).

The verb ‘cut’ is again used to mean ‘make’ in the idiom ‘cut a figure’ eg: She cut a striking figure in her new dress’ ALD (1974) gives it as ‘cut a fine/poor/sorry etc. figure’ (make a fine etc. appearance).

‘My opinion is by no means cut and dried’ and so is subject to change’ – ‘cut and dried’ is an idiom commonly used even in speech to mean ‘already formed and unlikely to change’.

‘They cut it very fine by arriving just before the train started’ means to leave yourself just enough time to do something. ALD (1974) explains the idiom as ‘leave oneself only the minimum of what is needed, yet gives within brackets the restriction: ‘especially time’.

‘Look sharp’ is an idiom with a similar meaning – waste no time’ hurry. ALD (2010) recommends it as a way of instructing; ‘sued in orders to tell somebody to be quick or to hurry; eg: You’d better look sharp, or you’ll be late.

‘Cut corners’ is also an interesting one often used by language aficionados. ALD (1974) sets out its literal meaning as ‘(of a driver of a motor-vehicle) go across, nto round them (the corners when driving fast’ and then gives the figurative meaning as ‘simplify proceedings, ignore regulations etc. to get work done quickly.’ ‘Take a short –cut’ is also given as a general meaning of the idiom under the entry ‘cut’ – ALD (1974). In the new edition (2010) this idiom is explained thus: ‘to do something in the easiest, cheapest or quickest way, often by ignoring rules or leaving something out’ eg: they cut corners to finish the work as soon as possible.

‘You’re going to cut off your nose to spite your face!’ means to damage one’s own interests in a fit of bad temper. Also meant is doing something to harm someone else but it arms you too.

A fine idiom conveying good advice is ‘to cut your coat according to your cloth’ meaning ‘restrict your expenditure on a particular thing to your available means or your income’ Collins also adds: ‘adapt oneself to circumstances’. The idiom is good to the ear as well with the alliteration of the two words ‘coat’ and ‘cloth’ – both on the consonant and the vowel.

‘She is not cut out to be a teacher’ – ‘be cut out for/to be something’ is to have the qualities and abilities needed for it.

‘My uncle cut that Gordian knot by donating his money to the poor’ (When the relations were grappling to grab it). To cut/untie the Gordian knot is to solve a very difficult problem by taking suitable action. The origin of the idiom is one king Gordins who made a complicated knot and said that whoever undid it would become the ruler of Asia. It 2as Alexander the Great who cut through the knot with his sword’ (Collins).

‘He was cut to the quick when he was scolded by the principal’ is to upset someone very much by doing or saying something unkind. (‘Touch’ is also used in place of ‘cut’). The ‘quick’ is the tender, sensitive flesh under the skin and especially the nails; eg: bite one’s nails to the quick.

‘The meeting turned out to be a dam squib’ is an idiom meaning ‘an event that is disappointing because it is not as exciting or impressive as expected. ‘squib’ is a firework that does not go off when it is damp.

‘She was just a dark horse till she won the game of tennis’ – ‘a dark horse’ is one who keeps quiet but surprises others with interesting qualities or by winning a race etc. (According to Collins the origin is horse –racing referring to a horse about whose capabilities little is known.

"Her knowledge of English cannot held a candle to her sister’s’ ‘not as good as her sisters in comparison’; eg: You can’t hold a candle to him in speaking English.

‘Call it a day’ is a very popular and widely used idiom with the meaning ‘to decide or agree to stop work’. Mr. Lenie Gunawardana, a language luminary who visited Peradeniya English teachers; training college as a guest lecturer when we were novice teachers there during early seventies flamboyantly used this term; ‘Shall we then call it a day’ encouraging us to delve deep into the treasure trove of English idiom. This can also be sued for lifetime engagements. ‘After forty years in teaching I think it’s time for you to call it a day now’ (to retire).

‘We have to face the problem of garbage day in day out’ means ‘continuously or every day for a long period of time’; ‘Year’ is also an alternative; eg: We have to pay this amount year in year out.’

Sir Arthur C. Clarke’s fourth commemorative lecture

March 16, 2012, 9:35 pm , The Island.

The fourth commemorative lecture on Sir Arthur C. Clarke will be delivered on March 19 from 4.45 p.m. to 6.25 p.m. at the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies Auditorium (BMICH premises).

According to a media release from the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies the lecture will be delivered by the Founder- Executive Director of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency of Thailand Prof. Suvit Vibulsresth.

Prof. Vibulsresth has made a pioneering contribution to the development and applications of Space Technology capabilities in Thailand. Prof. Vibulsresth’s has made important contributions in this field as the first Vice Chairman of the United Nations Committee on Peaceful Use of Space (UNCOPUOS) and as the Vice Chairman of the Second Ministerial Conference on the Regional Space Applications Programme of the UNESCAP, the release said.

Technology and Research Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi will be presiding over the event.

University dons gird themselves for trade union battle

March 15, 2012, 10:08 pm , The Island.

by Dasun Edirisinghe

President of the Federation of University Teachers Associations (FUTA) Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri told The Island yesterday that the government had been informed that unless their problems were solved immediately, they would be left with no alternative but to resort to trade union action.

"Ministry has reneged on the promise again and we will make a final decision on the issue at our executive committee meeting scheduled to be held on March 21," Dr. Devasiri said.

Dr. Devasiri said that Secretary to the Ministry of Higher Education, Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne had written to FUTA that the matter had been referred to the National Salaries and Cadre Commission.

FUTA members had a discussion too with Dr. Navaratne on Monday and the meeting had ended inconclusively, he said.

The senior academic said that they temporarily suspended their trade union action on July 21, 2011 on the assurance of the government.

Higher Education Secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne said that he had discussed the problem with FUTA members and another round of discussion would be held shortly

Another batch passes out:Musings on Pera Convocation

March 13, 2012, 4:18 pm , The Island.


By Liyanage Amarakeerthi

Department of Sinhala

University of Peradeniya

For those of us in the Sri Lankan academia happiness is something rather fragile, but we enormously cherish whatever little happiness that life offers us. As university academics the happiest moment of our life is to see our students graduate. This year, we at Peradeniya are even happier that they are graduating in time.

These are troubled times for national universities. We do not know how much the fund cut the government contemplates for the next year will amount to. Even to get whatever little it gives, one has to write an endless number of proposals, letters, reminders and the like. For those of us in the faculties of arts the challenge is far greater because we have to prove annually that what we are doing is worth doing. Those great Enlightenment thinkers in Europe, we thought, answered all the skeptic questions asked of the validity and utility of arts and human sciences. We thought for example, Immanuel Kant convinced the world that the utility of arts is a utility of a different kind. Nevertheless, we still find ourselves facing those questions all over again. Still, we are happy, however fragile that happiness may be, because another batch of students is graduating from Peradeniya.

A protracted trade union struggle by university teachers was suspended a few months ago in the hope that the government would honour its promises. Many months on, the promises are still to be kept. Concerned about the future of students, the university teachers are still trying to negotiate with the government. Students, too, remain unhappy due to many different reasons while the proposed private university bill has been the main cause of unrest among the students.

Students are hardly perfect; they have not been able to stop the inhumane tradition called ‘ragging,’ though Sanjaya Bandara, the Convener of Inter-university Student Federation reportedly said that "ragging is something far too outdated". They want to fight for revolutionary changes to have greater democracy while holding on to so called ‘traditions’ that are totally authoritarian. It is learnt that certain political parties do use ragging as a tool of indoctrination. A political movement that employs ragging as a means to achieve certain ends cannot be trusted however lofty its goals may be. The ragging, however, seems to be a much more deep-seated phenomenon than it is often represented in the popular media. Where pro-government student unions are in power, there is ragging!

State and state media exaggerate ragging in order to use it as an excuse for interfering in university affairs. After spending so many millions on so-called leadership programmes, the government has not been able to curtail ragging or any other acts of violence by students, who, too, do not show much of maturity in dealing with the State encroachment on university autonomy. Incidents of violence are reported from almost all universities. The response of the State to student activities has been overly violent. When students engage in protest march at Peradeniya, for example, the state turns Galaha Junction into a battlefront. To observe all of these is disheartening for some of us.

Despite all this, we are proud that another batch of students is graduating from University of Peradeniya.

We at the Faculty of Arts have many reasons to smile in spite of difficulties, and in fact, we are able to smile. The Faculty of Arts, which is often called the pride of the university, experiences more difficulties than others. Thee result from inadequate resources and funding. While student intake has gone up annually over the years the allocation of funding either remains the same or has dwindled. The Faculty of Arts, however, with the support of the Vice Chancellor and the rest of the university, was able to score some noteworthy achievements in the recent past.

In December 2011, the faculty organized the first ever-international conference in the Humanities and Social Sciences attended by national and international scholars. A host of internally known scholars, intellectuals and dignitaries such as Prof. Savithri Gunasekare and Dr. Jayantha Dhanapala supported us by giving keynote addresses and participating in plenary sessions. The conference was a forum where all of us were reminded of the significance of the intellectual freedom and autonomy of the university. We could raise a new awareness that the role of university was to promote critical thinking. The conference beautifully supplemented a re-discovery that we made during our trade union actions. It is true! We re-discovered that university education was for freedom and emancipation from dogmas and all forms of oppression. At least some of us, did make that re-discovery. Our international conference only strengthened that renewed understanding. During the conference, some graduating students, too, became even more aware of what they could do to make their society better place for everyone.

The opening of a new postgraduate centre at the Faculty of Arts is another achievement of ours. It is by a beautiful creek that runs across the campus. A significant percentage of the cost was borne by the Faculty itself. As Dr. O. G. Dyarathna Banda, Chairperson of the higher degrees committee mentioned at the inauguration, money had come from the savings the faculty made during years of postgraduate teaching. Although we are still years away from starting a fulltime graduate education system, something like many international universities have, this centre has surely brought us a step closer to that goal. We do hope that the creme de la creme of graduating class will return to us as postgraduate students.

The Faculty of Arts could play an active role in the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of Prof. Ediriveera Sarachchandra’s play Sinhabahu––one of the landmarks of South Asian theatre and the contributions Peradeniya dons made to the modern Sri Lankan art. At the celebrations, we did not blindly worship a work of art but re-evaluate it critically by contextualizing it anew, rethinking its theme, felicitating its creator, and even lamenting that we could not continue with some of the traditions established by great men like Sarachchandra. But, many of us are at work to regain the tradition of critical inquiry at the Faculty of Arts, for which University of Peradeniya is well known.

There are talks of non-state universities of international standards. It is great if we have institutions of quality higher education that we could call ‘real universities’ for the brightest sons and daughters of the nation. However, an institution that trains mere mercenaries for a field that is likely to be ephemerally in vogue cannot to be called a university in the real sense of the word. The Faculty of Arts at Peradeniya, in spite of its limitations, currently offers an impressive range of courses and degree programme in seventeen departments thus becoming the largest Faculty of Arts in the country. And we teach those at an unbelievably low cost compared to many universities in the world. For sixty years we have tried not to lose our grip on the universal ideals of a true university.

Therefore, on March first 2012, we are happy that those graduates have had an education only a true university can provide them. They are university graduates - of course Peradeniya ones. To be happy on that day would be one of small way of safeguarding our national university system. In that sense, our happiness, it is true is fragile, but it is still political.

Docs decide unanimously to strike

March 11, 2012, 9:38 pm , The Island.

By Don Asoka Wijewardena

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) General Committee yesterday unanimously decided to launch a country-wide strike after March 13 to protest the non-payment of their agreed Disturbance, Availability and Transport (DAT) Allowance. The exact date of the trade union action would be finalized on March 13.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Treasury Chief Dr. P. B. Jayasundara, Secretary to the Health Ministry Dr. Ravindra Ruberu and the Salaries and Cadre Commission had agreed to pay Rs. 29,000 as DAT Allowance in 2008, but doctors had been paid only Rs. 15,000 up to now, GMOA Assistant Secretary Dr. Nalin Ariyaratne told The Island.Dr. Ariyaratne said that when the GMOA delegation met President Rajapaksa in 2008 over the issue, he agreed with the GMOA’s demand to increase the DAT Allowance as he was convinced that it was a reasonable demand. President Rajapaksa had requested the GMOA to wait for a while to obtain the full allowance as the government’s expenditure had skyrocketed at the time due to the war.

Most doctors were unable to make both ends meet due to high accommodation and fuel costs. Although it was a genuine plea of the GMOA, it had fallen on deaf ears. Doctors had been discriminated against in this regard as other high ranking public officials were being paid Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 80,000 as transport allowance. This was a great injustice meted out to doctors, he said.

Dr. Ariyaratne added that doctors attached to all main and base hospitals would keep away from work except emergency services. Treatment Required in Acute General Emergencies (TRIAGE) would be attended but inpatients and outpatients would be affected in the hospitals. The GMOA had no alternative but to take the strong trade union action to win its demands.

"The GMOA is not affiliated to any political party. It is a trade union established to protect the welfare 16,000 doctors. Due to spiraling cost of living doctors find it difficult to live near hospitals. Some doctors do not have their own cars and they have to come from far away. The long delay in the non-payment of the DAT Allowance to doctors cannot be tolerated by the GMOA any longer," Dr. Ariyaratne stressed.

Getting the language mix right to develop Sri Lanka

March 11, 2012, 7:31 pm , The Island


Welcome

Welcome to the eighty-first (81st ) edition of the regular column "The Catalyst".

The Education System

One of the main issues that Sri Lanka faces is its language problem. While the languages of Sinhalese and Tamil are extremely important as mother tongues to most Sri Lankans, English can play a vital role as the common medium. One of the key aspects for the future of the country is to get our language mix right. This is something that has gone wrong for us in the past. Conducting state affairs in Sinhalese meant that the native Tamil speakers couldn’t deal with the government in a language that they are comfortable in, and that in turn reduced life opportunities for them. Not only the Tamils but also the native Sinhalese speakers were also adversely affected. The lack of English skills weakened the capability and potential of our students to deal with the emerging knowledge based society.

Recently the government decided to declare the year 2012 as the Year for a Trilingual Sri Lanka. It is a commendable initiative to encourage the people of Sri Lanka to communicate effectively in all three languages. The Cabinet of Ministers last week approved a Ten Year Plan formulated as the basis for a National Programme to motivate the people to acquire trilingual skills. The fact that the President himself has taken the initiative to make this a personal practice is a positive gesture and there is nothing better than leading by example.

However, I would like to point out that the method in which we teach English in our schools needs improvement. After teaching students the language for duration of the entire school period, we have students coming out at Year 13 who can’t speak a word of it! Obviously there is a problem, and I hope this weakness will be considered and rectified when teaching three languages.

The way to teach a language is by encouraging the application of it. Along the way, the students should be trained to use it in practical scenarios. Just teaching the grammar and concentrating on writing doesn’t necessarily improve language skills.

For example, Sri Lankans who travel to countries like Italy, the Middle East or Japan, learn the respective languages of those countries relatively fast. That is because people are put in a situation where they have to use it. To use it, they have to learn it.

Another key factor is to take gradual measures to remove the exam oriented nature in the education system. Parallel to that, there needs to be a process that introduces and implements skill-based education. A part of it could be looking at the delivery modes as discussed earlier. At the moment, there’s very little practical work but includes a lot of writing, as students are expected to memorise notes. Nevertheless can we make it more of a practical environment where the students actually learn out of interest? There is a difference between learning vs teaching. What we do is mostly teaching, of course it is important in certain areas, but it has to be mixed with learning. That is getting the student to do things practically; research, read, observe, experiment and learn. This means that the motivation for the learning should come from within the student. And the teachers’ task would be to encourage and develop that learning skill. They are the traits we need to develop in a student to have a generation that is more innovative, takes initiative and adds value to the country using their talent.

Reconciliation

Solving some of these problems in regards to the language mix could be achieved through changes in the education system and that can have a favourable impact on the reconciliation process in our country. Although the Geneva summit and various international forces are talking about taking action against human rights violations, I believe these are the real problems on the ground to be solved for a sustainable peace.

Let’s set aside the past, move forward and build a better future!

In this light, the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS) in its series of events to promote reconciliation will convene the next national conference on the "Role of Education in Reconciliation" on Tuesday, 13th March from 2:00-6:00 pm.

Education is a critical tool in Sri Lanka’s path towards long term reconciliation. Education can be used to promote tolerance, co-existence, and moderation. Once the dust settles after a conflict – inter-ethnic, inter-racial, internal or external education is a common and a vital call. Education offers the chance to shape minds, hearts, and behaviours of succeeding generations.

It is important that we educate the young people to respect others, to make friends and that the beauty of society lies in our differences. It is important to make them understand the cost of group hatred, the tools for resolving disputes and skills to negotiate, to stand up against demagogues and to be peacemakers. A morally educated generation will help prevent future violence and atrocities.

For education to be holistic, it needs to account for its various dimensions such as culture of understanding, non-violence, tolerance, mutual respect and co-habitation, intercultural and interfaith understanding, linguistic diversity, peace and love. Promotion of such values, attitudes, and behaviour directs communities towards a harmonious and a more secure society. This transformation of values could aid in the process of healing and reconciliation thereby strengthening cooperation on a country’s shared goals – peace, prosperity and the well being of all citizens.

Speakers at the conference
will be:

* Prof. G. L. Peiris, Minister of External Affairs

* Prof. Rohan Gunaratna, Head, International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research

* Hon. Mohan Lal Grero, Monitoring Minister of Education

* Mr H.M. Gunasekara, Secretary, Ministry of Education

* Mr Sundaran Divakalala, Former Secretary North & East, Cultural Affairs & Sports, Ministry of Education

* Mr Rajasingham Narendran, Former Associate Professor, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia

* Ms Nirmalie Wickramasinghe, Principal, Ladies’ College, Colombo

* Rev. Sister Canice Fernando, Holy Family Convent, Rajagiriya

* Mr Javid Yusuf, Former Principal, Zahira College, Colombo

* Mr Prashanthalal de Alwis, Visiting Lecturer, University of Colombo

* Participation is by invitation, so if interested please email lkiirss@gmail.com



Young Global Leader from
Sri Lanka

Having mentioned the conference of Kadirgamar Institute, it’s very aptly to mention and recognise that its Executive Director Asanga Abeyagoonasekera has been selected as a Young Global Leader (YGL) for 2012. I have had the pleasure of working closely with Asanga, on matters associated with the reconciliation conference process as a resource person.

During the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this year, 192 exceptional individuals around the world received their official nomination as Young Global Leaders.

The Forum of Young Global Leaders brings together outstanding leaders, aged 40 years or younger, who have committed to devoting part of their knowledge and energy over the next five years to collectively work towards a better future.

Past YGLs include Maria Bartiromo, Managing Editor, Wall Street Journal Report, CNBC, USA; David Cameron, Prime Minister of UK; Esther Duflo, Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Larry Page, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Google and Zhang Xin, Chief Executive Officer, SOHO China.

"In the last few years, the world has seen the biggest recession in almost a century and we now face daunting global challenges," said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum. "Recovery and innovation will require new, unique ideas and an environment where the best minds, ideas and leadership can thrive. The most important determinant of this will be how we use human talent. Within the World Economic Forum community, the Young Global Leaders represent the voice for the future and the hopes of the next generation. I am particularly proud of this year’s honourees, who I believe will address the challenges we face in a meaningful way through fresh thinking and true multi-stakeholder engagement."

Asanga is the only son of late Ossie Abeyagoonasekera, Leader of Sri Lanka Mahajana Party (SLMP), MP and Presidential candidate who was assassinated by LTTE in 1994 when Asanga was 16 years.

Events

The Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL) has introduced a new Special Interest Group (SIG) for IT Enabled Services. The newly formed IT Enabled Services SIG will meet for the first time on 15th March at 5.30pm. We are going to discuss about BPOs, the Sri Lankan situation and borrow some insights from India. The speaker is ably suitable for this. He is none other than Mr Pankaj Akhauri, COO- Timex BPO. The venue is, 275/75, Prof. Stanley Wijesundera Mawatha, Colombo. The date: 15th March and time: 05.30 to 07.30 PM.

The CSSL is organising a session on Free and Open Source Software. This session will specifically talk about "Storing and Processing Big Data with Open Source Tools". The great thing about Free and Open Source Software is that that they are free and they are available for everyone to use and change as required. This presentation will help you understand how to store and process big data with open source tools. The presenter is Deependra Ariyadewa, who currently works at WSO2. This session is also Free and Open for everyone so we invite you to participate. The venue again is, 275/75, Prof. Stanley Wijesundera Mawatha, Colombo. The date: 13th March and time: 05.30 to 07.30 PM.

For any of the above events, please drop an email to info@cssl.lk or call 11 4713336 to confirm your participation.

See you next week!





The Columnist

Yasas Vishuddhi Abeywickrama is a professional with significant experiences. In 2011 he was recognised as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) in Sri Lanka. Yasas has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from University of Colombo and a Masters degree in Entrepreneurship & Innovation from Swinburne University in Australia. He has worked in the USA, UK, Sri Lanka & Australia and being trained in the USA & Malaysia. He is currently involved in the training organisation, Lanka BPO Academy (www.lankabpoacademy.lk). Yasas is also an Executive Council Member of the Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL – www.cssl.lk). Apart from this column, he is a regular resource person for ‘Ape Gama’ program of FM Derana (Sunday 3-5pm). Yasas is happy to answer your relevant questions – email him at yva@lankabpoacademy.lk .

Addmissions to South Asian University (SAU) - 2012

Please visit the SAU website pertaining to next intake of students  http://www.southasianuniversity.organd please visit the information blog especially for potential Sri Lankan candidates http://sau-admissions-sl-2012.blogspot.in/

More info: please visit www.ugc.ac.lk

Why universities need to think more creatively about graduate employability

HE institutions must look beyond short-term financial incentives and develop new ideas that prepare students for working life

• Zahir Irani
• Guardian Professional, Friday 9 March 2012 17.38 GMT

Universities need to think strategically and plan ahead to prepare students for working-life. Photograph: 18percentgrey / Alamy/Alamy

The new student fee regime, regardless of whether positioned at £9,000 or otherwise, is focusing the mind of many in universities.
By reviewing the published tactics of some middle-ranked universities, most seem to be seeking to retain or grow their AAB/A+ numbers through offering excellence scholarships of different financial amounts and against varying criteria. Those towards the top of established league tables or within the Russell Group seem to be relying solely on their brand to attract or even grow this group of students.
What does unite the approach taken by others though is a predicated assumption, which is that students will trade and base decisions on which university they select on money alone. But using price as a point of differentiation for your institution is only suitable in the short term, during the transition to a partial market environment.
Students are increasingly savvy, and while barely accepting of the new fee regime, do so in anticipation of differentiating themselves as they leave university. They are seeking to stand out from the crowd when it comes to finding graduate employment.
Now is the time for universities to be creative in finding new ways of being different and by doing so, possibly redefining not only the student experience but what it is to be a university.
Challenging the status quo and longstanding establishment provides a real opportunity to connect often disparate strategies within an institution; to link up, for example, recruitment with employability.
Rather than enticing students on the basis of what amounts to a "golden hello", where differentiation comes in the form of varying amount of financial aid, new packages can be offered, where students are given choice beyond cash incentives.
For those seeking a global experience, institutions can offer, for example, two overseas study tours during an undergraduate programme of study (this would also correlate well with an institution's internationalisation strategy that seeks to create global citizenship for its students).
Alternatives could also include providing students with access to business startup experts during their penultimate and final year of study. This would tie in with other institutional mission's such as promoting entrepreneurship and ethical wealth creation.
Progress towards differentiation remains slow across the sector but current examples, however, include the University of Manchester and University of Surrey; the former seeking to reduce its student numbers while growing the academy – demonstrating a commitment towards better student/staff ratios. While the latter is offering financial incentives to its undergraduate population and free membership to Surrey sports-park for the duration of study for those with exceptional academic achievements.
Regardless of how universities wish to position themselves to attract their core student numbers, they need to be more creative through offering choice, and start thinking about what students really want, which is to be job-ready when leaving university.
Zahir Irani is head of Brunel Business School
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Pro-Tamil outfits target SL academic

Friday, 09 March 2012 17:55, Dailymirror

Activists of several pro-Tamil movements in Tamil Nadu disrupted an international conference held at the Manonmaniam Sundaranar University (MSU) in Madurai, India and forced the organisers to send away a Sri Lankan academic, on Thursday, Times of India reported.

These members barged into the conference venue and protested against the participation of Jeeva Niriella, faculty of law, lecturer, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka in the three-day international conference on 'Exploring Linkage Between Drug Usage and Criminal Victimisation' organised by the department of criminology.

This is the second such incident of a Sri Lankan visitor facing a protest by pro-Tamil outfits. In January this year, Thirukumaran Nadesan, husband of Nirupama Rajapaksa, niece of Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa's suffered an even harsher treatment when slippers were hurled at him in Rameswaram where he visited to offer prayers in the temple.

This time around, the agitators, about 20 of them, entered the hall during the afternoon session of the conference posing as participants and started raising slogans against Sri Lanka. They also held placards demanding Jeeva to leave India as well as accusing Sri Lanka of genocide.

"Jeeva Niriella was visibly shocked by the sudden development. We were also taken aback. Since we though that the safety and security of the delegate was important, we took her out of the venue through another exit. We then told the protesters that she was sent and that she would not participate in any of the sessions for the rest of the conference," said a faculty from the university. The protesters then left the spot. No police complaint has been lodged by the organisers, but disbelief and shock was writ large.

However, earlier in the day, Jeeva had addressed the participants of the conference on 'Women and Justice' and said that Sri Lanka was achieving a lot in women empowerment. Jeeva noted that Lanka had the first woman prime minister. She also said that the country's present chief justice was a woman. Even during her address, she was confronted by a participant who questioned her claims of women empowerment by alleging that international NGOs have reported that crimes were perpetrated on women in large scale. While Jeeva maintained silence, another delegate came to her rescue and answered the query.

US submits draft resolution against Sri Lanka to UNHRC

Wed, Mar 7, 2012, 10:42 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Mar 07, Geneva: The United States Wednesday submitted the draft resolution against Sri Lanka to the United Nations Human Rights Council at its 19th session in Geneva.
The draft resolution submitted to the UN body notes the report of Sri Lanka's domestic Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and its findings and recommendations while acknowledging its possible contribution to the country's national reconciliation process.
The resolution welcomes the constructive recommendations made by the LLRC in its report but, it also notes with concern that the report does not adequately address serious allegations of violations of international humanitarian law.
The draft resolution calls on the Sri Lankan government to implement the constructive recommendations in the LLRC report and take all necessary additional steps to fulfill its "relevant obligations and commitment to initiate credible and independent actions to ensure justice, equity, accountability and reconciliation for all Sri Lankans."
It requests the government to present a comprehensive action plan as "expeditiously as possible" detailing the steps the government has taken and will take to implement the LLRC recommendations and also to address alleged violations of international law.
The draft resolution encourages the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and relevant special procedures to provide, and the Sri Lankan government to accept, advice and technical assistance of implementing those steps.
It also requests the OHCHR to present a report to the UNHRC on the provision of such assistance at its 22nd session.
Sri Lanka's special human right envoy Mahinda Samarasinghe who is currently in Japan is expected to return to Geneva next week to address the resolution.
Sri Lanka is confident that the country has enough support from the Council's member states to fend off the resolution at the voting to be followed.
Members of the Sri Lankan delegation have already met diplomats from several countries and explained the situation in Sri Lanka to them and received support from the power houses of China, Russia and Pakistan as well as from African states, the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) and the members of the Non-Aligned Movement.
Sri Lanka has stressed that the majority of the international community supports Sri Lanka's efforts and its stand that a functioning domestic mechanism should not be circumvented by interference until its conclusion.
The LLRC report recommends the need to credibly investigate widespread allegations of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, demilitarize the North, implement impartial land dispute resolution mechanisms, reevaluate detention policies, strengthen formerly independent civil institutions, reach a political settlement involving devolution of power to the provinces, promote and protect the right of freedom of expression for all and enact rule of law reforms.
Sri Lanka says the government is taking measures to implement the LLRC recommendations methodically and it needs time and space to work towards reconciliation without interference from the international community.

News Courtesy: Colombopage.com