The Honourable Dr Hendy Cowan, Chancellor of Edith Cowan University visits Sri Lanka

ACBT in association with the Navitas group is partnered with Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia and it offers an integrated pathway into Edith Cowan University’s undergraduate degrees, through a wide range of University Foundation Programs (UFP’s) and Diplomas. Students are able to earn a degree from one of the leading universities in Western Australia, which has achieved a 5-star rating for Teaching Quality in the Good Universities Guide for the eighth year in a row.

On the 25th of July 2017, over 300 students graduated from the Australian College of Business and Technology ( ACBT) with degrees and diplomas from Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia. The Honourable Dr Hendy Cowan, Chancellor of Edith Cowan University was the guest of honour at the graduation, and we had the pleasure of speaking with him the day before the ceremony.

The university which was established in 1991 was named after the first woman to be elected to an Australian Parliament, Edith Dirksey Cowan. On inquiring about the similarity of Dr Hendy Cowan’s last name to that of the university, we learned that the Late Edith Cowan was married to Dr Hendy Cowan’s grandfather’s brother, his grand uncle.

This was Dr Hendy Cowan’s first time in Sri Lanka as a representative of higher education since his two visits in the mid 90’s as a minister of the Western Australian Government. Speaking about attending his first graduation ceremony in Sri Lanka, he said “I’m looking forward to it and I just hope that at that ceremony the students who are graduating feel some pride and feel a sense of achievement, because they have achieved. And I just hope that that gives them an opportunity to step out and do something that they normally would have perhaps thought was beyond their capability.”

He stated that as a representative of the governing body of the university, they have set a number of requirements for the management of the university. Among those requirements are the growth of its international status and reputation, its international involvement, and producing undergraduates who have the opportunity to get better jobs that they would have, had they not gone to university. “We think that this is a wonderful opportunity to be able to do that in Sri Lanka and to be able to do that in conjuncture with ACBT”, he further stated.

When asked about the expectations that accompany the opening of the new ACBT building in Havelock Town, he said “I expect much better recognition of higher education and value of education and knowledge in general. But it is a wonderful thing for Edith Cowan University to be able to grow the higher education sector in Sri Lanka. I think there is tremendous opportunity in this country and for us to be invited to be part of it with Navitas with ACBT is a privilege and we can’t let them down, and we can’t let Sri Lanka down.”

He also went on to say that the decision to make Sri Lanka the country where they launch their whole perspective of Edith Cowan University in this region of the world is one that he endorses very strongly. He observed that two of the most influential reasons why Sri Lanka would have been selected by the management of the university, Navitas and ACBT would be because Sri Lanka is an English speaking country, and because of the stability of the country which is a very important factor to consider when making an investment.

“I would be very confident that you will see the relationship between ECU and ACBT and Navitas grow and it will grow in different cities. There is no doubt that a lot hangs off this partnership, and I’m sure it will work. If it works as well as I think it will, then it’s going to be the foundation for a lot of extra work and partnerships between those bodies for higher education in this country, because we see it as the stepping stone for the whole region.”, he declared.

Ayeshni Wickramasinghe