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The British Council is currently supporting Sri Lankan universities to develop their Enterprise Education and promote Graduate Entrepreneurship through education partnerships with leading entrepreneurial universities in the UK. These partnerships are funded by the UK Prime Minister’s Initiative (PMI2) for International Education. The aim of this policy dialogue is to develop a model to sustain the development of graduate entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka.
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The UK model of Entrepreneurial Universities was discussed at the first Higher Education Policy Dialogue held in March 2008 in Sri Lanka with the participation of vice chancellors and senior academic representatives from 10 Sri Lankan universities and subject specialists from eight entrepreneurial universities in the UK and the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship, UK.
As a result the National Entrepreneurship Week (NEW) was organised in November 2008 in partnership with the Ministries of Higher Education, Vocational and Technical Training, Skills Development and the University Grants Commission in Sri Lanka to educate university students and staff about Graduate Entrepreneurship. The week’s events directly reached more than 1000 staff and students of 14 (out of 15) universities and five vocational training institutions from around the country. Six leading Entrepreneurial Universities from the UK facilitated the week’s events such as the National Conference on Graduate Entrepreneurship, Seminars and Workshops on Enterprise Education, Enterprise Education Exhibition etc. while more than 10 corporate organisations sponsored the week’s activities.
As part of the National Entrepreneurship Week, ‘IDEATORS – Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow’ a reality TV enterprise competition was organised by the British Council focusing on identifying and rewarding entrepreneurial skills of Sri Lankan undergraduates. 45 Sri Lankan and seven UK students took part in the competition where teams of undergraduates competed with each other to find innovative solutions to real-life business challenges presented to them by five leading companies in Sri Lanka namely Laugfs Holdings, Dankotuwa Porcelain, ODEL, DSI Samson Group and Unilever Sri Lanka. ‘IDEATORS’ reached close to six million viewers and was re-aired during April 2009 by popular demand.
Graduate Enterprise Challenge (GEC) was a business plan competition organised by the British Council in March 2009 in partnership with Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM). The objective of this challenge was to identify budding undergraduate entrepreneurs and provide them with training on business planning and thereby supporting them to create real business start-ups. 12 teams were selected out of more than 90 applications and 25 students were given a week long, residential training on business planning and start-up by two UK trainers. The teams were also given the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a panel of investors at the end of the training period. The investors have adopted the teams to mentor and guide them further.
These activities and more have initiated new links between universities in the UK and Sri Lanka. British Council is currently evaluating partnership proposals submitted by UK universities to partner with Sri Lankan universities and selected partnerships will be given PMI2 grants to carry out their activities in 2010 and 2011. |
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The above partnerships between universities in the UK and Sri Lanka will lead to significant development of enterprise education in Sri Lanka at an institutional level. However Sri Lanka needs to develop a support mechanism to sustain such development especially beyond initial funding and also to ensure the sustainability of developing an Entrepreneurial Culture within Sri Lankan universities and thereby produce future employers who will create economic value through creative and innovative enterprise. |
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The National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCGE) is the national focal point for graduate entrepreneurship in the UK. It aims to raise the profile of entrepreneurship and the option of starting your own business as a career choice amongst students and graduates. By understanding the circumstances in which graduate entrepreneurship can flourish, NCGE's goal is to influence, and inspire, an increase in the number of students and graduates who give serious thought to self-employment or business start-up. NCGE plays a vital role in understanding, developing and promoting a culture of entrepreneurship within Higher Education through research, education and facilitation in collaboration with universities and other related bodies across the UK.
Against this background this Policy Dialogue will focus on setting required policy and creating a model to sustain the development of Graduate Entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka. |
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Develop a model to sustain the development of Enterprise Education and Graduate Entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka. |
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Identify national and institutional level policy implications on creating the above model and address them appropriately. |
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Build partnerships between Higher Education institutions in the UK and Sri Lanka and share knowledge and best practices |
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A Sustainable Model for Developing Enterprise
Education and Graduate Entrepreneurship:
UK Approach 
Ian Robertson, Chief Executive, National Council for
Graduate Entrepreneurship, UK |
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University – Industry linkages: Challenges and
Opportunities
Prof Malik Ranasinghe, Vice Chancellor,
University of Moratuwa |
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National and Institutional Level Policy
Implications of Developing a Sustainable Model
for Enterprise Education in Sri Lanka
Chandra Embuldeniya, Vice Chancellor,
Uva Wellassa University |
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Developing ICT Entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka
Presentation by SLASSCOM (Sri Lanka Association
of Software and Service Companies) |
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The Role of Educators in Developing
Enterprise Education
Dr Simon Brown, Director of the Southampton Business
School, Southampton Solent University, Chair for
Enterprise Educators UK |
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Presentations by UK Universities:
Dr Dulekha Kasturiratne and Dr Jonathan Lean,
University of Plymouth
Dr John Hirst, Durham University
Dr Julia Wolny, London College of Fashion |
Eranda Ginige
Manager Education Partnerships
49, Alfred House Gardens
Colombo 3
Sri Lanka
M: +94 (0)77 2519910
T: +94 (0)11 4521521 or +94 (0)11 4521521(Ext 6333)
newideas@britishcouncil.org
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