The Academic Spring continues!

June 17, 2012, 7:51 pm ,the island


By Camena Guneratne and Harini Amarasuriya
Open University of Sri Lanka

Almost one year ago, we wrote an article suggesting that there were signals from the academic community that it was waking up from a long slumber. We wrote about the fact that the Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA) was moving away from, primarily a battle for salaries, to addressing a range of issues affecting not just higher education, but education in general.

We felt inspired to write another piece after participating in the FUTA march and rally that marked the academics’ token strike on the 26th of April, 2012. After almost one year, FUTA called upon academics from all the national universities to come together for a protest march starting from the University of Colombo to the Public Library where several speakers addressed the gathering. The proceedings were chaired by Prof. H Sriyananda, a much respected, former FUTA President. What was significant about this rally was that of the many demands put forward by FUTA, explaining the reasons for the strike, the primary focus was not on salaries but on other pressing issues faced by state universities and the national education system. The slogan for the day was, ‘Let’s Protect State Universities’ and one of the main demands was for the government to allocate 6% of the GDP for education. Other demands included a more consultative and transparent policy making process and halting the politicization and micro-management of universities by the Higher Education Minister in violation of the Universities Act. Academics also registered their protests against the suppression of student activism and the instigation of intra-student violence through the Ministry’s open support of certain student factions.

The letter sent by the General Secretary of FUTA to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Minister of Higher Education
S. B. Dissanayake giving notification of the token strike was in a sense historic in that perhaps for the first time in the history of FUTA’s trade union struggles, it sent a strong message to the government, that the academic community is no longer confining itself to the issue of university teachers’ salaries and other benefits, but is now taking on the many issues and challenges faced by the higher education sector and that it is holding the government to account on these matters.

Given that salary issues were not the main focus of the march and the rally (and also considering the inclement weather at the time), the turnout was particularly impressive. Almost 800 academics from all parts of the country converged on Colombo that day. Their enthusiasm and energy were palpable and the concerns of academics were eloquently expressed by the stream of speakers at the meeting.

Success

Part of the reason for the success of the token strike on that day could be attributed to the slow and incremental steps FUTA has been taking over the past several months with regard to keeping its membership awake. When the trade union action was called off last year, there was a feeling of shock and even betrayal. Many within the academic community were not ready to call the strike off and were unhappy at the decision. But it is clear that the mobilisation of academics that took place during last years’ trade union action has not diminished and has now been channelled into wider national issues.

The activism of the academic community gained a renewed impetus as a result of the government’s attempt to pass an ill conceived law relating ostensibly to the establishment of non state universities. This Bill was earlier titled the Qualification Framework, Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Higher Educational Institutions Act, and then, in a later version, re-named the Higher Education (Non-State) Act. Notwithstanding its name it is not limited to establishing a (very questionable) legal framework for setting up non-state universities. While the current Universities Act clearly excludes any political interference in the functioning of universities and limits the role of the Minister in their academic and administrative affairs, the proposed law reverses this position. Under the guise of ensuring quality control of universities, it gives the Minister total control over all academic matters in state universities to the extent of permitting him/her to terminate or suspend academic programmes.

UGC sidlined

The draft law sidelines the University Grants Commission, which is currently the apex body overseeing the functioning of State universities, including quality control, and takes away the autonomy of university Faculty Boards and Senates to decide on matters relating to instruction, education, research and examinations in universities. Most amazingly, a ‘secrecy’ clause in the draft law requires all persons involved in the process of quality assurance of universities to sign a declaration of secrecy in respect of any matter which may come to their knowledge in the exercise of their functions. In effect, the law, if enacted would give the Minister the power to terminate university academic programmes without giving any reasons and with no accountability for his/her actions. This Bill was, in fact, drafted in secrecy and to date its origins are unknown. It would probably have been rushed through Parliament if academics had not got wind of it. The swift reaction by FUTA which voiced its strong protests against the Bill has, for the time being, resulted in it being put on hold.

Non-State universities

Academics’ concerns are that the establishment of non-State universities is in effect a strategy of the government to abdicate responsibility for university education in Sri Lanka and transfer this sphere totally to the private sector. The draft law was one such attempt. However, over the years the capacity of universities in this country to function effectively and to provide a quality education to students has been systematically eroded, partly by political interference in university matters, but mainly by the withdrawal of funds for education.

A presentation by Prof. Amal Kumarage of the University of Moratuwa at the public meeting demonstrated very clearly the extent to which successive governments had sidelined education and higher education over a period of time. He quoted a World Bank Report of 2011 titled Transforming School Education in Sri Lanka which states, "Public expenditures on education in Sri Lanka are modest when compared to middle income countries and other comparable nations. Education expenditure as a percentage of GDP is 1.9 percent and as a proportion of the government budget is 7.3 percent. This is the smallest share of public investment in education among a cluster of countries that share common features with Sri Lanka. Public investment in education in Sri Lanka falls below the level of East Asian countries such as South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore; Latin American countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Columbia and Cost Rica; and of the other South Asian nations such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal. It is also well below the share of investment for middle income countries as a whole. In fact, advanced middle income countries normally invest about 4.6 percent of national income in education, which is more than double the share of national income devoted to education by Sri Lanka."

UNESCO statistics

According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics even sub-Saharan Africa spends close to 4.5% on education and it further states that "By far the lowest level of public spending is found in Central Asia and in East Asia and the Pacific – both of which report only 2.8% of GDP." Sri Lanka with an annual expenditure of 1.9% of GDP on education does not even come close to the lowest. Of this amount, the proportion that has been allocated for university education has been steadily decreasing. In 2005, it was 0.50% and this has decreased to a mere 0.27% in 2010. Universities are accused of not being able to cater to the increasing demand for higher education; with such woefully inadequate investment in university education how can we accommodate larger numbers, let alone improve the quality of higher education?

University academics are now campaigning for greater investment in education and the slogan "6% of GDP for education" has become a central theme in discussions. This is not a random figure plucked out of the air; it is a UNESCO recognised benchmark on what a country should invest in education. There is now far more discussion in Sri Lanka regarding this allocation and this is due to academics taking up this issue as a primary concern. Faculty Boards and Senates in universities have also slowly started taking up matters such as these with more energy, making it clear to university administrators that they cannot ride roughshod over established procedures.

Such bodies exist for the purpose of debate and consultation on all matters relating to higher education and there are signs that they are now becoming forums of intense debate on a range of issues. Academics are beginning to assert their rights and obligations to actively participate in the decision making process.

A related matter of concern for academics is the erosion of university autonomy and academic independence in recent years. Academics themselves have contributed to this erosion by remaining ignorant of proper procedures and not only allowing procedures to be bypassed but by actively by passing these themselves. For instance, the University Grants Commission (UGC) remains the central body that is responsible for universities and academics. This is very clear in the Universities Act. Although, this Act gives the Minister of Higher Education a role, it is an extremely limited one and the Minister has no say in academic matters. It is clear that over the years, these boundaries have been seriously violated. The ‘leadership training’ given to university entrants without consultation with universities is a case in point. The recent concessions provided to CIMA to operate within universities is another instance where Senates and Faculty Boards were bypassed when making decisions that have implications for academic programmes of universities. It has now become the practice for some academics to deal directly with the Minister and the Ministry, bypassing the university bodies and also the UGC. Of course, the UGC has not helped by actively ceding its role to the Minister and the Ministry, but academics need to insist that the UGC fulfils its mandate. Issues that should be dealt with at university level by Faculty Boards and Senates, are now being decided upon by the Minister. The gradual erosion of established systems and procedures through ceding too much authority to the political leadership is a serious problem in Sri Lanka. We must recognise our own complicity in this process and be aware of its dangers.

Finally, its actions over the past several months have put FUTA and university academics in the public eye. As many speakers on the 26th of April noted, in a way, this is a historic moment for FUTA and for university academics. It is coming forward as a strong voice not just on behalf of itself but on behalf of the broader public interests. This means that it has raised expectations not just among its own membership but among the public as well. When the last trade union action was called off, the public saw it as an admission of defeat by FUTA.

FUTA has decided to resort to trade union action again in the near future. This time around, the stakes are even higher: there are a few signs that the government may be prepared to give into FUTA demands on salary and other welfare issues of academics. The tone with which the Ministry is dealing with the academic community has also changed. There are no longer attacks on the academic community by the Minister of Higher Education like during the last trade union action. There was no doubt that the crudity of those attacks also helped to mobilise the academic community. What does this then mean at this juncture of the battle? Will FUTA and its membership decide not to persist with the broader agenda if its salary demands are met? If that happens, the academic community’s legitimacy and relevance in the eyes of the wider community will be seriously eroded. During the last year or so, the FUTA leadership and the academic community have worked hard to make themselves relevant after a period of long hibernation. This would be wasted if the current momentum is not sustained. Despite the superficial easing off of the cold war, this government has not in any way shown a serious interest in addressing the broader issues raised by academics regarding the problems in the state university system and education in general. It is important that we remind ourselves that this time around, we are not fighting only for ourselves but for the future of public higher education in Sri Lanka.

 

Higher National Diploma in English, least in demand, laments SB

June 17, 2012, 9:37 pm , the island


by Dasun Edrisinghe

Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake says that of all national diplomas offered by the Sri Lanka Institute of Advanced Technological Education (SLIATE), the Higher National Diploma in English has the lowest demand in the local job market.

Addressing the launching ceremony of a two-day workshop on setting up a strategic management system for SLIATE held in Colombo last week, the minister said the HND in English had been relegated to such a lower state owing to several reasons including the inability and lack of competence of the diploma holders who passed out from nine out of 12 Advanced Technological Institutes (ATI) in the country.

He said that courses of study had not been able to produce persons capable of catering to the needs of the job market.

The Minister pointed out that there were 27 private higher educational institutes conducting English medium diplomas in disciplines offered by the SLIATE. Unless SLIATE moved from offering only Sinhala and Tamil medium courses of study to English, their relevance would be lost in the job market.

FUTA Declares a continuous strike to be launched on 4th July 2012

FUTA Declares a continuous strike to be launched on 4th July 2012

Download the the FUTA media statements issued on 14/06/2012 from googledocs:


 Tamil Version



English Version


 
Sinhala Version

Jaffna hospital docs trade allegations

June 15, 2012, 9:53 pm , the island.

By Don Asoka Wijewardena

Jaffna Teaching Hospital Consultant Oncologist Dr. Nadaraja Jayakumaran yesterday accused the present hospital administration of damaging his residence after he revealed a plethora of irregularities and malpractices in the hospital.

On June 14 at about 1.30 a.m. a gang had shattered the windows of his residence and smeared the walls with burnt engine oil.

He had complained to the Jaffna police and two constables had been detailed to guard his residence.

Jaffna police were investigating the attack, the Government Medical Officers’ Association said.

Dr. Jayakumaran told The Island that the present hospital administration was involved in massive corrupt practices such as selling hospital property to outsiders for a song, defrauding public money, mismanaging wards by giving priority to the hospital director’s favourites and refusing to accept the appointments of an oral maxilo-facial surgeon, oncologist and senior registrar.

He said that the hospital had recently sold six iron girders to a person for Rs. 1 million. A generator which could supply electricity during black outs had been taken to a press, located in the Jaffna city, with the consent of the hospital director. It was later found that the generator was sold to the press. A few CEB engineers had been detailed to attend to the repairs at the hospital. But, without calling them, the management had sold the generator to a private press.

The Health Ministry appointed a consultant oncology surgeon, oral maxillary surgeon and a few senior registrars, but the hospital director had rejected the appointments for reasons known only to him.

Law Faculty sets a precedent

Friday, 15 June 2012 00:14, Dailymirror

As we all know, currently, a non-academic strike is underway in all the Universities in our country. According to Sri Lanka’s Inter University Trade Unions Federation, this strike has been called islandwide to force the government to rectify the salary anomalies that have been there for a long time now. And, they have vowed not to suspend the strike until their demands are granted.
There is nothing wrong in resorting to a strike as a collective bargaining strategy to win the rights of the working class. Though the right to strike is not in black and white in our law books, its implications are accepted in our jurisdiction from the respective statutes (Constitution, Industrial Dispute Act etc.) and from the line of cases heard in the superior courts. Therefore, the trade union action has a good legal pedigree, at a glance, as long as they do not come under essential services.
We are having our final Law exams at this moment. Students attend their exams as usual as on previous occasions. The exam hall is well-prepared for this. We are given question papers in the same way as previous years. Apparently, exams run smoothly as before. But, one thing is missing— the non-academic staff that were in full attendance on other occasions. In such a situation would anyone accept as true that the Faculty of Law is conducting her Final Years’ exams without the use of elbow grease by the non-academic staff? Could you ever believe that the Dean of a Faculty would present himself early in the morning to do the job of opening the doors of the exam hall, which under normal circumstances is a duty exclusively set aside for the non-academic staff of a university? However, I have heard that Professor Timothy Endicott, Professor of Legal Philosophy and Dean at the University of Oxford used to show up at the University early in the day to open some halls as there was no one around to do the job at the time. Nevertheless, in Sri Lanka, it is rare to see University lecturers prepare desks and chairs and work hard to make the exam hall fit for conducting examination, as we got the luxury of non-academic staff to do such work.
Almost all the Universities in the country are at a standstill and students are at home due to the strike. The only institution going against the tide is the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo. This is one of the virtues that students expect from their mentors – teachers. In this context, one incident that took place at the Harvard Law School is noteworthy. A rare academic-staff strike led by a well-known Professor at Harvard, Mr. Derrick Bell had been called regarding racial discrimination in the appointments of the law school. It was totally a humanitarian issue. This sort of instances show us how university scholars can contribute something more through their respective fields just like the Colombo Law Faculty is doing at present, rather than being labelled as armchair academics.
Galagama Ashan Nanayakkara
Final Year Student of the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo

Workshop on universities begins on Monday

June 15, 2012, 9:54 pm, the island

A workshop on ‘Re-creating and re-positioning Sri Lankan Universities to meet emerging challenges and opportunities in a globalized environment’ will be held on June 18 and 19, 2012 at Hotel Sands, Kalutara

Minister of Higher Education S. B. Dissanayake will be the Chief Guest at the workshop to be attended by around 70 participants, including the Secretary to the Ministry, Chairman and members of the UGC, past Vice-Chancellors, current Vice Chancellors, senior dons, representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Economic Development, Board of Investment, the private sector and foreign missions in Colombo.

Ten speakers, including two distinguished guest speakers from abroad, will make presentations. The proceedings of the workshop will be published and its recommendations will be submitted to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Minister of Higher Education for implementation.

The Keynote Speech will be delivered by Dr. Kobena Hanson, Head-Knowledge and Learning, African Capacity Building Foundation, Zimbabwe on ‘Rethinking Institutional Leadership in a Globalized Era: Strategic Imperatives for Higher Education’.

Professors: Underutilised  treasure in our universities?

June 14, 2012, 6:44 pm ,the island


University of Colombo

by Professor Ranjith Senaratne,
Vice Chairman, University Grants Commission

Continued from yesterday

5. Expect all Professors to be intellectual leaders

Just as much as developing a set of criteria for appointment to the post of Professor, a role description linked to intellectual leadership is a must. Lack of such role description transmits the message that becoming a Professor is a career end-point, and not a new beginning with a fresh set of expectations and obligations. Thus it is necessary to clearly articulate the role with reference to administrative leadership or intellectual leadership or both. It is important to balance academic freedom with academic duties and responsibilities, and to encourage performance beyond academic productivity and income generation for the benefit of the wider academic community.

Taking into account the above suggestions and emerging new challenges and opportunities in the higher education landscape, Professors need to shoulder an onerous responsibility and play a pivotal role in the universities. Thus, in addition to promoting academic excellence, high impact research, creative enterprise and community development, they also need to be constructively engaged in, and actively contribute to, the internationalization of Sri Lankan universities, improvement of their world ranking and through commercialization of knowledge, a reduction of their dependence of the General Treasury for financial assistance.

However, in order for professors to discharge such duties and responsibilities effectively and efficiently, there should be structural facilitation when professors do not hold the position of Head of Department. It is evident from Table 1, only 21 % of such position is held by professors as opposed to more than 40% in UK. Therefore they should be empowered and strategically positioned in the University landscape by clearly identifying their role and creating an environment for them to play their designated role effectively without hindrance. I have come across several highly reputed and renowned professors who feel short-changed and dissatisfied and are not in the "happy frame of mind" necessary to contribute their might and talents to their institution’s development.

We do acknowledge the need for rotating the headship of a department at reasonable intervals to provide opportunities for able and mature academics to contribute towards departmental and institutional development. This could, among other things, bring in new perspectives and insights, ensure balanced growth of various "sub-divisions" of the Department, and improve the morale of the staff. However, professors should occupy their rightful place in a department of study, in keeping with their standing, knowledge, experience and expertise, irrespective of whether one is the Head or otherwise. Proliferation of professors in Universities in the recent past poses some problems in this regard. Nevertheless, what is important is to maintain and act in the right spirit.

Moreover, while professors account for only 11% of the academic community of the Universities, they "take away" a much bigger proportion of the recurrent budget on academic salaries. It is, therefore, incumbent upon the management to utilize them fully through creating an atmosphere conducive to their constructive engagement in activities that are in keeping with their position, potential and capacity. To this end, defining their role and job description assumes paramount importance, from the point of the professor and that of the university. Given below is a proposed role for a professor in a seat of higher learning, which could help meet the institutional and public expectations of a professor.

Role of a Professor in a higher educational institution (a proposal)

1. Leadership

* Leading a group of individuals in research centred around the professor and broader research leadership to develop the research talents of other academics;

* Leading staff members involved in developing undergraduate or graduate teaching;

* Leading the overall management of particular functions of the Department, such as teaching activities, coordination of research and undergraduate teaching activities in the Department ;

* Leading in an academic field as evidenced by publications in outstanding journals, editing of journals, authorship of books, monographs, artistic works, and invited papers and presentations at international conferences and by the organisation of such conferences;

* Leading in management particularly in assisting individuals and/or groups to channel and focus their efforts;

* Leading in the community beyond the University, particularly in professional organisations and institutions and in industrial and/or government and business activities.

2. Fostering Research

* Encouraging and supporting research activities in the professor’s own discipline and in related disciplines by other groups and individuals within the Department and, where possible, the Faculty and the University;

* Identifying new areas of research within the field of specialization and investigating the prospects for undertaking the research.

3. Research Funding

* Exploring funding opportunities in areas of research in the professor’s own discipline and in related disciplines;

* Applying for research grants, and encouraging members of the research group to apply;

* Seeking for and securing research contracts from the state and private sector, including foreign sources.

4. Enhancing Teaching and Assessment Skills

* Carrying out teaching and examination duties in an exemplary manner;

* Providing guidance and support to junior members of staff to improve their teaching examination skills and standards;

* Organising workshops and training programmes where teaching and examination experiences could be shared by teachers of related disciplines.

5. Enhancing Academic Standards

* Ensuring that existing academic standards do not decline, and endeavouring to improve the standards by updating and upgrading course content as well as quality of examination within the Department and the Faculty;

* Making a distinguished contribution to teaching in the Faculty and the University.

6. Contributing to Academic/Professional Bodies

* Regular and proactive participation in national and international organisations relating to the academic discipline and/or profession.

7. Contribution to Entrepreneurial Ventures

* Undertaking entrepreneurial ventures that will enrich the university fiscally, professionally and academically;

* Encouraging academic staff to orient their research towards projects that will generate income for the university as well as benefit the industry and the country;

* Promote consultancy work by members of the departmental staff, desirably as a team;

* Encourage students to be creative and enterprising in their undertakings such as project work.

8. Elevating the Image of the University

* Displaying exemplary conduct in academic, professional and personal matters that would enhance the image of the University in society at local, national and international level.

9. Organisational Development

* Contributing to policy development and management within the Department, the Faculty and the University as need arises.

10. Student Counselling and Support

* Serving as advisor to students on academic matters as well as matters of social conduct within the university and in society.

* Helping students to enhance their performance and encouraging students to seek higher learning at academic and/or professional level.

11. Popularisation of Academic and Professional Knowledge

* Writing to national and international magazines and newspapers on topics relating to areas of specialisation.

12. Promotion of Collaborative Activities

* Initiating and developing internal and external collaborative groups for the pursuit of research and other academic interests, with impact on events and policy decisions.

13. Serving as Academic and Research Arbitrator

* Acting as an external examiner for other institutions;

* Providing peer review of papers in scientific and professional journals

14. Serving as Academic Referee

* Providing honest and supportive references for academic colleagues and students seeking positions for research work in other universities, institutions of advanced learning and research organizations

It is hoped that this proposal will stimulate and provoke discussion among the academic community and other key stakeholders as to the role of a professor in the present context. It is urgent that a more fitting role can be developed in line with the current and emerging needs and challenges in the rapidly changing, dynamic landscape of higher education in a globalized environment. However, I must add that the ideas expressed herein are purely those of the author, and they do not any way reflect the views of the UGC nor its stand in regard to the subject at issue. The author would appreciate the comments and observations of readers on this subject.

Concluded

Non-academics blame UGC for continuation of their strike

June 14, 2012, 10:45 pm , the island

By Madura Ranwala

Co-President, University Trade Union Joint Committee (UTUJC) R. M. Chandrapala, (centre) addresses the media with Co-President of the UTUJC P. M. J. R. Fernando, left and secretary, P. H. D. S. Priyantha. (Pic. by Saman Ranaweera)

The on-going strike by the university non-academic staff, which entered its ninth consecutive day yesterday, would be called off tomorrow if their salary anomalies were rectified immediately, Co-President of the University Trade Union Joint Committee (UTUJC) R. M. Chandrapala said yesterday.

Addressing the media at the National Library Auditorium, he said that even President Mahinda Rajapaksa was aware of the matter and had allocated sufficient funds through the 2012 budget.

"If the University Grants Commission does not address this issue with immediate effect then universities in Sri Lanka will die a natural death," Co-President of the UTUJC, P. M. J. R. Fernando said. He said university students and teachers would join their struggle as their demands were fair.

In collective agreement signed by Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne on behalf of the Higher Education Ministry in the presence of accountants from the University Grants Commission, the president and officials of the Salaries and Cadres Commission, executive officers of universities and officers of the UTUJC on February 29, the government had agreed to rectify salary anomalies, Chandrapala said.

The UGC had increased the salaries of some top officers by Rs. 5,000 but nothing had been done to rectify the salary anomalies of workers and non-academic staffers, he stressed.

University teachers to strike

June 14, 2012, 10:24 pm

By Maheesha Mudugamuwa, the island

University teachers have decided to launch a continuous strike from July 4 in protest against the government’s failure to solve their problems.

The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) president Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri yesterday said that they had informed Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayaka of their decision in writing with a copy to the Presidential Secretariat as well.

Addressing a press conference at the National Library Auditorium Dr. Dewasiri said that the decision to strike had been taken due to the government’s failure to solve university teachers’ problem. They had informed the Higher Education Ministry on several occasions of their demands but to no avail, he said. President Mahinda Rajapaksa had reneged on his promise in Budget 2012 to give the academics a pay hike.

Dr. Devasiri said, adding that they had requested the higher education ministry to consult them when it amended and drafted laws pertaining to higher education.

"The ministry agreed, but it has consulted us on any such matter," the FUTAchief said.

The FUTA demands include a pay hike, increasing funds allocated to education to 6 percent of the GDP, freeing universities from politicisation and granting facilities to admit children of the university teachers to schools.

Internationalising SL universities and appointing vice chancellors

June 4, 2012, 7:35 pm

By O. A. I. Ileperuma,the island

Reading through the series of articles on the above matter by my friend Prof. Ranjith Senaratne (The Island May 30, 2012) was like reading through a fantasy novel. Nevertheless he should be congratulated on bringing in a burning issue which continuously frustrates the academic community in Sri Lanka on the appointment of their Vice Chancellor. Finding the right person to the position of Vice Chancellor of a University is important; not only in the interest of the university, but also in national interest because thousands of students and the general public view this leadership with high expectations as somebody who can truly contribute to their future.

Prof. Senaratne’s particular emphasis was on the role of the Vice Chancellor and how they are appointed in the top Universities of the World like Harvard, Oxford and Cambridge. However, I would have liked him to talk about the intricacies we in Sri Lanka follow in appointing Vice Chancellors. Let me quote from his article, " Vice Chancellors are treated differently from all other Heads of Public Institutions as reflected for instance in the totally different procedures that apply to the appointment of Vice Chancellors as compared with other senior public administrators" This is absolutely true! However, he should have elaborated on these "totally different procedures". This is where the pathetic state of affairs with respect of the appointment of Vice Chancellors becomes apparent. Let me explain the current procedure adopted in the selection of a Vice Chancellor. The University advertises this post where in impressive academic credentials are called for the coveted post of Vice Chancellor. Aspiring applicants who are sure that they can get the necessary political support do not care for the high academic standards called for while the more serious applicants who think they have the required qualifications and experience also apply with lengthy dossiers of publications, vision statements etc. Unlike any other post such as a Lecturer or a Professor, the application for the Vice Chancellor only goes to the Council of the University where the majority is political appointees of the minister. The applicants are not ranked according to academic merit but by a secret vote! This is part of the "different procedure" adopted in the selection of the Vice Chancellor. The vote too depends on how much the candidate influences the Council members through the political authorities and not on the curriculum vitae submitted. Interestingly, canvassing may be a disqualification for many other jobs but not this particular one!

Influence peddling

The one who works well in advance to get this job on political merit, makes sure that he signs election lists at the right time, shows his face at election meetings or other social gatherings. Often they tap someone influential close to the highest political authorities to pass a word on his/her behalf. Once these links are established and if the appointing authority is also convinced about the candidature of this person, it is just a matter for the higher ups to inform the appointed members of the council to vote for their favourite. Many respectable senior academics do not even consider applying for this post because they do not want to go down on knees to politicians to get this position. Application to any other post like a Lecturer or a Professor involves facing an interview panel of eminent academics in the same area of specialisation and the evaluation of academic credentials such as research publications, books written and dissemination of knowledge. Can Prof. Senaratne elaborate more on whether such credentials are evaluated and if not what other criteria are considered in making Vice Chancellor appointments?

In Prof. Senaratne’s article, many examples such as Harvard and Cambridge are given where people from outside the University system have been appointed as Vice Chancellors. These Universities look for the best qualified persons with proven track records who can carry the Universities forward enabling them to survive in an increasingly competitive and challenging environment. This is the case even in our region. When the Vice Chancellor for the post of University of Madras, a highly prestigious university, which is one of the oldest in India fell vacant, Chief Minister Jayalalitha entrusted the task of finding a suitable person to three eminent scientists in India. One of these members personally told me that there was no influence by her or any other politicians in making this appointment and the best person was selected. Politicians and the members of this particular selection panel love their country and care for the well-being of this educational Institution founded in 1839, that they do not want it ruined by an under-qualified political henchman. Many Universities in India follow similar procedures but there have also been cases of abuse by certain corrupt Governors in appointing Vice Chancellors of smaller Universities. For universities in India, the mandatory requirements are that the applicant should be a Professor with over 10 years of experience and a proven track record of academic and administrative leadership. In contrast, Sri Lanka does not have any requirement except political affiliation and we have senior lecturers appointed as Vice Chancellors overlooking many senior academics.

Advertising Vacancies

Prof. Senaratne mentions advertisements to appoint Vice Chancellors, Deputy Vice Chancellors and Deans of Universities in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Vietnam and "fishing in global waters" to select high calibre professionals. It is not impossible to imagine that in Sri Lanka, if such a scheme is adopted, our Universities will be filled by defeated political candidates and other political stooges.

We in Sri Lanka are still in the dark ages as regards the appointment of Vice Chancellors. The University academic community and academic bodies like the Senates have no say in appointing their leader and no one really knows on what basis the Vice Chancellor is selected from among the three names submitted to the President. Clearly we are 50 years backward compared to other universities even in this region. No wonder that none of our Universities are ranked in the first 1500 in the world ranking of universities.

Appointing Vice Chancellors on the basis of political affiliation generally results in him/her as more accountable to the government than to the university. This can lead to major conflicts between the academic staff and students on the one hand and also with the University administration on the other. Appointment on the basis of pure academic merit can at least ensure that the Vice Chancellor selected has some sort of credibility in the eyes of the academic staff and the students.

In the last of the series Prof. Senartane talks about the unsatisfactory procedures adopted in the advertisement for the post of Vice Chancellor and stress the need to look beyond the confines of the university in attracting best qualified people. This point is well taken. He also quite correctly argues that "Circular no. 880 of 15.08.2006 concerning the appointment of a Search Committee to identify suitable candidates is in this respect faulty and self-defeating". This committee consists only of academics from the same university to which a Vice Chancellor is appointed and does not have teeth to make any impact. For example, in the recent selection of three names for the post of Vice Chancellor at the University of Peradeniya, this committee made no recommendations. These concepts of head hunting are common in highly developed countries and it is the best procedure available. However, it is doubtful whether our politicians will allow this to happen. For them, universities need to be under their central control and even if the UGC is serious about such a procedure it will not happen in Sri Lanka for the obvious reasons mentioned above.

Unsatisfactory Process

What Prof. Senaratne has not mentioned is the procedure adopted after the nominations reach the UGC and then the President. Would he be candid about the unsatisfactory nature of the current process for appointing Vice Chancellors at the highest level? The whole exercise which Prof. Senaratne is trying to promote is useless unless those who are at the highest authority feels that Vice Chancellors should be appointed according to pure academic merit and experience. In any case, Prof. Senaratne should be thanked for bringing into light the shortcomings of the procedure and the need to appoint good mangers to head our higher educational Institutions.

Sri Lanka is not the only country where the Head of State appoints the Vice Chancellor. Considering the immense responsibilities attached and the importance of this post, it is always the Head of State or the Governor of a Province who appoints Vice Chancellors. It is my belief that this practice should continue in Sri Lanka but not the the way it is done. Many Asian Universities also follow similar procedures. However, their initial screening involving a powerful search committee involving those outside the university concerned recommends only the most suitable person to this post and certainly the kind of political manipulation as happening in Sri Lanka is by and large absent. Hong Kong University Council appoints the Vice Chancellor on the recommendation of the Senate and there is no interference from the Head of State. This explains why the University of Hong Kong is ranked number one in Asia and there are only a few universities in the Asian region in the top 100 Universities in the world. In developed countries such as Canada, a professional Human Resources firm is recruited to select the most qualified candidate and in consultation with the Board of Trustees recommends a single name to the Governor of the Province.

According to Prof. Senaratne, we spend Rs. 20 billion annually to maintain our Universities, and the public of this country has a right to demand much more from our universities such as new degree programmes, life-long education, to serve as knowledge hubs and contribute to economic prosperity. The appointment of the Vice Chancellor on a political basis greatly reduces the ability to harness the full potential of the University community to move forward.