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Project Sri Lanka

Policy workshop on Entrepreneurship

Promoting Entrepreneurship in State Universities in Sri Lanka

Funded by new PMI2 money for Sri Lanka, a Higher Education Policy Dialogue was held in Colombo from 27 to 29 March on the theme of The Entrepreneurial University. This event was preceded by an event the month before which was facilitated by Dinah Bennett, Director of Durham University's Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning and attended by Vice-Chancellors and policy makers who outlined what they would like to see at the forthcoming policy dialogue.

The three day programme and attended by a delegation of UK subject-specialists representing eight UK Universities namely:

  • Anglia Ruskin University
  • Leeds Metropolitan University
  • Sheffield Hallam University
  • University of Central Lancashire
  • Durham University
  • University of Leeds
  • University of Salford
  • University of Ulster

The delegation was headed by Prof Allan Gibb Emeritus Professor of Entrepreneurship and Chair of Durham's Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning, currently serves as Academic Adviser to the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NGCE) and is considered as one of the UK's most well known gurus in the fields of entrepreneurship, Small and Medium Enterprises and the Entrepreneurial University in the UK. The participants of the event were the vice chancellors and senior staff members of Sri Lankan Universities plus senior staff members from the University Grants Commission. The following universities sent representatives to attend the programme:

  • Sabaragamuwa University
  • University of Colombo
  • University of Kelaniya
  • University of Moratuwa
  • University of Peradeniya
  • University of Ruhuna
  • University of Sri Jayawardenepura
  • Uva-Wellassa University
  • Rajarata University
  • Eastern University

The Minister of Higher Education, Prof Wiswa Warnapala delivered the keynote as the Chief Guest and emphasised the importance of changing local Universities to become more entrepreneurial. During the course of the programme appropriate case studies were presented by the universities from both UK and Sri Lanka with the highlight of the second day being a management game on demonstrating one's entrepreneurial talents. On the final day joint action plans were drawn up and discussions were initiated on how new university-level partnerships could be established in order to support the Sri Lankan Universities to implement the changes that had been advocated during this Policy Dialogue.

As a direct result of this event it was decided to launch and host Sri Lanka's first National Entrepreneurship week (NEW) In Nov 2008. A competition was announced to all UK Universities to bid to become knowledge partners for the National Entrepreneurship Week Sri Lanka 2008 organised by the British Council.

Each application was assessed by an Evaluation Panel made-up of senior staff members of the British Council. Based on their recommendations the following universities were selected. The decision of the selection panel was final.

The knowledge partners for the NEW 08 were:

  • Durham University
  • University of Central Lancashire
  • Leeds Metropolitan University
  • Sheffield Hallam University
  • Buckinghamshire New University

Please read the accounts of the Durham University Team.