Autonomy in attaining the optimum!

Undergraduates of the University of Moratuwa have excelled in competitions for Google Summer Of Code since 2007, the Imagine Cup of Sri Lanka on a number of occasions, in the IEEExtreme Competitions held in the past, and has been ranked as the Top University Worldwide for the number of awards it has won for the 5-year period, from its inception in 2005.

“Basically, Moratuwa University is recognised as the best Technical University in Sri Lanka, with its 4 Faculties, Engineering- the largest, which is about 2/3rd of the University-, Architecture, Information Technology and Graduate Studies which is the latest addition initiated just last year,” stated Vice Chancellor Prof Ananda Jayawardane.

“Technically speaking, in terms of achieving world renowned excellence, a University needs to move on from teaching excellence to research excellence, and from there, towards entrepreneurial excellence. We are proud to say that we have been an excellent teaching University all the way, and our current employment ratio stands at 95%, which is comparable to any of the world’s best Universities. Our graduates are in great demand, with some employers waiting for some of them to come out, while some are recruited even before the results are released,” Prof Jayawardena exclaimed.

“However, there is a real need to uplift our research profile, and that is where Postgraduate studies come in, with the idea of promoting PhD candidates. We need to be globally reputed to connect with internationally renowned Universities in terms of joint supervision, exchange of programmes and collaborations. As our university is identified as an entrepreneur University, it is evi- dent by our mission statement that states we are the most globally recognised knowledge Enterprise in South Asia. Hence, through this Enterprise, we intend to make our graduates job creators rather than job seekers,” he further enlightened.

We have been promoting entrepreneurship and innovation and have professors, supported by the industry- NDB Bank supporting entrepreneurship to enhance entrepreneurial culture within the University. Students are thereby encouraged to form their own companies or enterprises while studying, and these start-up companies can also be initiated by staff members.

There is also a Unit called an ‘Enterprise’ which we have initiated this year to promote and strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship in terms of starting and commercialising one’s own company; to help along the way, where it demands a continuous process called a ‘death valley’ in demanding support, mentoring, financial assistance. This allows students to discuss issues in debates, connect with mentors, promote participation, and compete for funding. There are similar entrepreneur Universities around the world today. For example, the National University of Singapore which is of very high standard. We intend using similar strategies to customise and adapt for our society, to bring out the best with the support of the industry.

"We have also implemented another industry supported chair last year, based on innovation and entrepreneurship, which was funded by IFS (International Financial Services), a Software Company, whereby, through a senior person with entrepreneurship, students are promoted, and through this position, we are able to provide ample opportunities for students, which has been quite successful," he said.

"Staff members are also encouraged and supported to initiate their own research and innovation based start-ups, whereby recently, the Head of the Electronic & Telecommunications Dept developed an unmanned aerial aircraft which is now in commercial production, enabling to form his own company. The University continues its support to further improve these products. We encourage and support student participation in worldwide competitions, and since 2007, we are No.1 in the world in the Google Summer of Code, as a single University to receive the largest number of accepted awards. And, just couple of weeks ago, we were Runners-up at the Microsoft Imagine Cup held in the U.S."

"We have collaborated with Universities such as MIT, Harvard and Boston, and initiated a programme where MIT staff members come here to assist students in mobile phone based innovations, enabling further start-ups."

"Our Engineering, Architect graduates are members of a Washington accord (an agreement signed by member countries) which grants recognition anywhere in the world, and is also accepted by any University of member countries, without any additional qualifications," he said.

We also have introduced a title called Director International Relations which is quite common in other countries but, in Sri Lanka, it is quite limited. As a State institute we can only go up to 5% in our overseas student base. Finding students is not an issue but, finding students who can further provide and promote an international environment here at the University is critical.