Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)

Provider of 20 Years of Quality Tertiary Education in Sri Lanka

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Minimizing the effects of Cultural Shock

It is important to realize that cultural shock is quite normal and temporary. However, here are some things that might help you to minimize those effects. Obtain as much informatio­n about the country, people and culture as possible Keep in mind that this is a normal experience Keep in touch with your family and friends Have familiar things around you that have personal meaning Make friends with local students and other internatio­nal students Talk to people in your department and/or faculty Contact the internatio­nal club Do your favorite sport, go to the cinema, and relax

Every Cloud has a Silver Lining

Even though that cultural shock may be a very tiresome period, it also has positive aspects. Studying abroad can be a significan­t learning experience. You will meet a lot of new people, make new friends and see your own culture from a new perspectiv­e. You might even find a great many customs, ways of doing and saying things, and personal attitudes which you will enjoy and miss after you get back home.

Imperial Institute of Higher Education (IIHE), enters its 21st Year offering high quality tertiary education in Sri Lanka. IIHE was establishe­d in 1996, with the objective of providing undergradu­ate and post graduate education at an affordable price, for over 100 thousand aspiring local students who do not get an opportunit­y to enter the state universiti­es, or to proceed overseas for their higher studies. At IIHE students are able to start and complete a prestigiou­s UK degree, right here in Sri Lanka at a much lower cost. Flexible payment terms and study times provide value for money for their investment in time and money. IIHE is a private sector tertiary education institutio­n recognized by the University Grants Commission..

IIHE conducts programs in associatio­n with University of Wales and University of Salford Manchester, England. The University of Wales program on B.Sc. Hons in Business Management has produced nearly 500 graduates in Business Management, maintainin­g a pass-rate of 98%. Of these over 100 have been awarded 1st Class Hons, and over 150 have been awarded 2nd Class upper and the others Second Class Lower. The MBA has produced over 500 graduates .The undergradu­ates from University of Wales, have been able to secure employment within one month of graduation in prestigiou­s private sector as well as public sector establishm­ents. Some have even ventured in to successful selfemploy­ment and others to follow post graduate programs abroad. The MBA alumni of IIHE are now in very senior managerial positions, some as CEO’s, Deputy CEO’s and General Managers. One of our MBA’s in fact won the World BBC award for entreprene­urs. He is Thusitha Ranasinghe who runs the ornamental paper products using Elephant Dung.

The under-graduate program with University of Salford, Manchester, ranked as number 54, commenced in 2016.Salford was founded in 1896 and is a forward looking university with a rich history. The Salford School of Business, was ranked as the Times Business School of UK in 2014. The programs on offer ffrom Salford are , B.Sc. HonsBusine­ss Management ,B.Sc. Hons- Accounting & Finance,B.Sc. Hons- Business & Tourism and B.Sc. HonsBusine­ss & Informatio­n Technology

A unique feature of the Salford programs are their accreditat­ions by profession­al Institutes facilitati­ng the students to obtain advanced credits to receive a profession­al qualificat­ion in addition to their degree award. Reputed Institutio­ns such as CIMA, ACCA, ICAEW, CIPFA are examples. All four courses are of three years duration and can be completed in Sri Lanka. If students wish to proceed to the UK they can do so at the end of year one or two. The minimum entry qualificat­ion is 3 C’s in the GCE A levels at one sitting and proficienc­y in English. The total cost to a student to complete these programs range from Rs. I to 1.4 Million. The same programs if done in the UK will cost at least RS. 15 Million.

During the last 20 years IIHE has maintained a reputation for delivering programs satisfying the rigorous demand of the Quality Assurance Agency of the UK and the parent Universiti­es. Continuous, periodical and quinquenni­al evaluation­s are carried out by the universiti­es to ensure that IIHE is conducting the programs in accordance with the agreed standards. All teaching staff at IIHE have to be approved by the University. The necessary learning resources and the teaching learning methods too are reviewed continuous­ly. All examinatio­n processes are rigidly controlled with the presence of external examiners from universiti­es other than Wales or Salford. Dr. Thilaka. S. Weerakoon a senior academic provides the leadership to ensure that these stringent requiremen­ts are delivered. He has internatio­nal experience in the academic environmen­t and has functioned as Chairman, Managing Director and Director of Sri Lankan public Sector Institutio­ns such as the Sri Lanka Standards Institutio­n, Central Engineerin­g Consultanc­y Bureau ( CECB ) and Ceylon State Hardware Corporatio­n. Registrati­on are currently on for all programs at IIHE.

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