National Entrepreneurship Week (NEW) 08 is the brainchild of the Higher Education Policy Dialogue held in March 2008 and is based on the action points put forward by the vice chancellors and senior staff members of the universities who participated in this forum. Although the broader theme of NEW 08 was ‘Graduate Entrepreneurship’ the various programmes were participated in by both Higher Education as well as Further Education (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) sector representatives.

British Council in partnership with the Ministries of Higher Education, Vocational and Technical Training and Skills Development and the University Grants Commission had organised the following events during NEW 08:

			National Conference on Graduate Entrepreneurship
			Seminars and Workshops on Entrepreneurship
			3-Way Debate on Graduate Entrepreneurship
			Roundtable Discussion and Action Planning
			Enterprise Education Exhibition
			IDEATORS – An Entrepreneurship Competition (Reality TV Programme held during Nov-Dec and airing during Jan-Feb 2009)
			Industry linked Entrepreneurship Internships

The objectives of NEW 08 were:

			To develop nationwide awareness about graduate entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education
			To understand the challenges and opportunities faced in developing entrepreneurship education within universities
			To identify key strategies to develop entrepreneurship education within universities
			To develop stronger relationships with key stakeholders (academia, students, industry and policy makers)
			To develop mutually beneficial, long-term, sustainable partnerships between Sri Lankan and UK universities within the scope of ‘entrepreneurship education
			To initiate process of establishing of a National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCGE) in Sri Lanka in partnership with NCGE, UK

NEW 08 was aimed at university staff and students, local SMEs, large corporate organisations and policy makers.

The conference and the seminars and workshops were facilitated by the following UK universities as knowledge partners:

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

NEW 08 was attended by the staff and students of the following 14 (out of a total of 15) Sri Lankan universities:

			Eastern University
			Rajarata University
			Sabaragamuwa University
			South Eastern University
			The Open University
			University of Colombo
			University of Kelaniya8.University of Moratuwa
			University of Peradeniya
			University of Ruhuna
			University of Sri Jayawardenepura
			University of Visual and Performing Arts
			Uva-Wellassa University
			Wayamba University

*University of Jaffna did not attend due to security reasons with regard to travelling.