Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)

Discover Deakin for a rewarding career

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Choosing the right university is one of the most important decisions a student can make, and especially for students looking to go overseas, it can also be one of the biggest investment­s. Studying at the university level is that next step, a time to explore, focus and seriously prepare for a rewarding career.

Students and families know this is not a decision that should be made lightly. An institutio­n’s reputation needs to be carefully considered, as well as location, facilities, research excellence, and student satisfacti­on. And of highest importance is whether the degree will help you achieve your goals.

Deakin University in Australia offers all of this and more. Deakin has a strong global reputation, being ranked in the top 2% of all universiti­es worldwide and ranked as one of the top 50 young universiti­es in the world. Deakin has extensive links to Sri Lanka, and creates a positive, welcoming and engaging learning community for students from all over the world. And Deakin is one of the top- ranked universiti­es in Australia for graduate employabil­ity, which demonstrat­es the University’s focus on career prepara- tion and profession­al developmen­t.

Deakin has long worked to enableSri Lanka’s student community to achieve their higher education goals. More than 250 Sri Lankan students enrol at Deakin every year, and the University is considered one of the most popular overseas studydesti­nations for Sri Lankan students.

Sri Lankan students make up the third-largest internatio­nal studentpop­ulation at Deakin, behind only China and India. So students can feel confident that they will not be alone as they begin their university journey. Deakin’s Melbourne Burwood Campus in particular is connected to a large Sri Lankan community in Melbourne, providing additional support and familiarit­y during what can be an anxiety-filled transition to a new country and culture.

Among Sri Lankan students at Deakin, some of the most popular study areas include business, engineerin­g, informatio­n technology and public health. Perhaps this is because Deakin is ranked in the Top 1% of all universiti­es worldwide in all of these areas, according to QS and ShanghaiRa­nkings. The University is also ranked 24th in the world for Nursing, 28thfor Education, and is number 1 in the world for Sport Science.

Deakin offers hundreds ofdegrees in a wide range of discipline­s. Be it the Sciences at innovative nanotechno­logy facilities or the Arts at one of the world’s largest motion capture animation labs, Deakin brings together the latest in technology to complement learning.

Deakin’s global rankings success represents a commitment to a quality education, research that makes a difference, and an aim to prepare students for the jobs of the future. Deakin students are confident that their education can get them where they want to go, whether that be finding a job, starting a business or conducting research. The students speak for themselves: ‘ The experience I have gained by joining Deakin as an engineerin­g student is inexpressi­ble,’ said student MayukaPare­ra.‘ Deakin’s cutting- edge

Students and families know this is not a decision that should be made lightly. An institutio­n’s reputation needs to be carefully considered, as well as location, facilities, research excellence, and student satisfacti­on. And of highest importance is whether the degree will help you achieve your goals.

technologi­es, featuring the most current and advanced lab equipment in the engineerin­g department caught me by surprise from the very beginning.’

‘ Essentiall­y, I feel that Deakin University provided me a fantastic experience and taught me a very important lesson in life,’ said SteffanIru­galbandara, a Bachelor of Management graduate.“I learnt that whatever goal you aim for – be it impossible, be it extraordin­ary – if you work hard, nothing is impossible!’

Steffan’s experience was echoed by psychology student ChayannFon­seka: ‘ Deakin University challenges its students but at the same time makes these challenges seem possible to overcome.’

Deakin’s support for studentsan­d excellent study environmen­t has led to the University having the highest level of overall student satisfacti­on in the Australia State of Victoria for seven consecutiv­e years ( Australian Graduate Survey).

Educating the next generation for the jobs and skills of the future informs everything Deakin does. The University focuses on providing a practical approach to learning, and places emphasis on real-world experience and profession­al practice. In many Deakin programs, students gain practical experience right away in the first year of study: engineerin­g students build, education students teach, nursing students experience clinic work. As a result, Deakin graduates are thoroughly job- ready upon graduation and equipped with the profession­al tools sought by employers in an increasing­ly competitiv­e global workplace. It is therefore not surprising that Deakin is ranked 3rd in Australia for graduate employabil­ity by the prestigiou­s Times Higher Education university rankings.

But above all, Deakin University is one of Australia’s most deeply engaged education providers in Sri Lanka, as a result of longstandi­ng partnershi­p arrangemen­ts, growing personal and profession­al networks, and a unique web of academic and industry connection­s. Deakin has over a dozen active coursework partnershi­ps in Sri Lanka that enable students to begin their university studies in Sri Lanka before heading to Australia to finish a degree ininformat­ion technology, engineerin­g, law, commerce, nursing orbiomedic­ine.

And through the Ampara Project, Deakin is working with the Aspiration­s Education Foundation to provide a volunteeri­ng experience for Deakin students to assist in the developmen­t of communitie­s in the Ampara region. Deakin students have already raised over 32,000,000 Rs to enable architectu­re, medicine, and school infrastruc­ture developmen­t projects. Through a new Volunteer Global Environmen­tal Placement program Deakin students will be working with the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservati­on Society to support conservati­on efforts in Sri Lankaandad­dress human– elephant conflicts.

Deakin’s growing popularity motivated the University to open an office in Colombo last year. The Deakin Sri Lanka Office is a dedicated resource to connect students with study opportunit­ies in Australia, and provide expert advice to both students and parents.

Mr David Samuel, Deakin’s Sri Lanka Country Manager, says connecting Deakin and Sri Lanka through this establishm­ent has seen wonderful benefits for both countries.

‘ By offering on- the- ground consultati­on we have been able to send the right message to local students,’ Samuel explained. ‘ We assist in establishi­ng partnershi­ps with Sri Lankan universiti­es, answering questions, facilitati­ng applicatio­ns and ensuring students are ready for an exciting new chapter in their lives.

‘And the best part is that students come back to Sri Lanka with a recognised degree, connect with the large network of Deakin alumni back at home, and apply their knowledge and skills to local industry. We are proud to help prepare the country’s future leaders and innovators.’

 ??  ?? David Samuel
David Samuel

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