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It is accepted that Engineers, more than any other profession, create wealth for the Nation using their expertise. Sound engineering education is the cornerstone through which engineering expertise is developed. At a time when our Nation needs to create wealth rapidly, it is essential that the IESL plays the pivotal role in ensuring that the engineering education and the Engineers who we accredit meet the expectations of our people and our Society. In my brief address today I would like to explore the role of IESL in engineering education.
I take this opportunity to commend and express our gratitude to the IESL for the far reaching initiative taken last year to obtain membership in the Washington Accord group to accredit engineering education. By this single initiative our Institution brought international recognition to engineering education in Sri Lanka. Accreditation of our engineering degree programs by IESL can no longer be a clubby matter but a true and honest evaluation in terms of international expectations.
We often hear and read statements made by eminent people and newspapers on the need to modernize the curricula of our degree programs in Sri Lanka to meet the expectations of employers and industry. Sometimes these are repeated as mantras without studying the reality.
The graduates from the fifteen engineering degree programs accredited by IESL from the three universities, University of Ruhuna, University of Peradeniya and University of Moratuwa, have very high employability both locally and overseas. The curricula of all of the programs are current. I can state quite categorically, that the academic staff members of the accredited degree programs are capable of keeping their curricula current without anybody asking them to.
Then what is the role of the IESL in engineering education.
As Prof. Tim Ibell, the external examiner for the civil engineering degree program at the University of Moratuwa commenting on the Department Industry Consultative Board in his report last month stated “in my opinion, the role of the DICB is to make the (very) brave suggestions to the Department about what to remove from degree programmes in order to make the space to allow new additions. The agenda for the DICB should be about subject-specific subtractions from the programme, which are always needed given all the additions we have to make. Suggesting subtractions requires experience and vision, which are precisely the attributes represented on the DICB”.
I believe providing leadership by making brave suggestions on what to remove from degree programmes based on experience and vision is the true role of the IESL in engineering education.
As most of you are aware one of the weak areas of our engineering training is the lack of modern equipment in our university laboratories. As stated very diplomatically by the external examiner “the equipment in our laboratories are tiring”. This is true for all three Universities.
Even though the Deans of the Engineering Faculties and the respective Vice-Chancellors have consistently requested funding from the University Grants Commission and despite UGC’s consistent efforts to convince of the urgent need, the Treasury is not in position to provide the significant funds required to replace “the tiring laboratory equipment”.
My suggestions is for the IESL to play the role of the trusted honest broker between the Universities and the engineering related companies to create a Fund to replace the tiring laboratory equipment so that the academically strong engineer would have experienced the necessary practical knowledge by the time he or she comes to the industry.
In my opinion, the key selling point is that the universities have the undergraduate only for four years and the engineering profession has the engineer for the next 35 years. Unless the engineering profession joins the universities to train an engineer who is able to hit the ground running from day one, it is the industry that looses out.
To entice the companies to contribute to the fund, IESL could seek Government approval to extend the triple deduction for income tax that is permitted for donations for research to be extended for donations to purchase teaching equipment to universities. With such a Fund the IESL could prioritize the requirements of the different engineering faculties and fund them accordingly.
With the support of our Honourable Minister, IESL could ask the Treasury to match every Rupee donated by the IESL, similar what is done with funding for capital investments in the universities today. This request should be well received with the Government’s stated objective to increase expenditure in education to 6% of the GDP within the next 5 years. Such an initiative will enable IESL to have a significant positive influence on engineering education.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The majority of Sri Lankan A level students, especially those in the rural areas, have no option but to study in the Arts and Humanities stream, You may be aware that two years ago the Technology Stream was introduced to provide these students with opportunities to study in fields with better employment potential.
The first cohort of nearly 14,000 students in the Technology Stream sat the Advanced Level examination last August and would seek University admission in 2016.
Twelve State Universities are introducing degree programs for these students in three areas of study, engineering technology, bio systems technology and information and communication technology. Nearly 1800 students will be admitted to these degree programs starting from 2016.
The UGC has stipulated that the curriculum of all Engineering Technology Degree Programmes and the ICT Degree Programmes should be accredited by the IESL and the Computer Society of Sri Lanka respectively.
For example, the IESL is expected to accredit the B.Sc in Engineering Technology degree as an Engineering Technologist degree programme of 3+ years in compliance with the Sydney accord. All Technology degree programmes will be four years in duration and placed at Sri Lanka Qualification Framework Level 5. The engineering degrees are at Level 6 of the Sri Lanka Qualification Framework.
My earnest request to the IESL is to obtain the membership in the Sydney Accord accreditation for Engineering Technologists and to guide the new degree programs that will commence in 2016 to train Engineering Technologists according to the IESL manual. In my opinion this is an historic opportunity for IESL to unify and lead all the different trades in the engineering profession.
In conclusion, I believe it is important that the IESL continues to provide leadership and be engaged constructively in the development of engineering education to ensure that its current and future members have the necessary capabilities to meet the expectations of our society and our people.
I congratulate the President and the Governing Council of the IESL for the many remarkable achievements during its 109th year. I wish our Institution the very best in all of its future endeavors.
Thank you.
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