Chilcott commends APIIT for forging links with British Universities

The British High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Dominic Chilcott, was the Chief Guest at the Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT) Sri Lanka Convocation 2007 at the BMICH.

Here are excerpts from his Convocation Address.

"With the continuing growth in the world economy and the rapid development of technology, there remains a global shortage of professionals in information technology. Our economies' appetite for new technology shows no sign of being satisfied.

The change from traditional manufacturing economies to knowledge-based economies creates even greater demand for IT professionals and modern business managers. All that is good news for the students and graduates of APIIT and Staffordshire University who can look forward with confidence to securing well paid jobs.

The British Council and the High Commission work hard to raise awareness of the value of British qualifications and to help make those educational opportunities available to a wider group of potential students. Discerning people of Sri Lanka do not need much persuading of the value of British qualifications. All the signs are that our universities and colleges enjoy a very high reputation globally.

But access to British university education for Sri Lankans is obviously a more complex issue. The British Government no longer runs a major scholarship program for Sri Lankans, which I know is a disappointment to many people here. Times change and budgets are tight. Many Sri Lankans find the means to study in the UK and the numbers going to British universities remain very healthy.

If going to the UK to get a British university qualification is beyond the means of many Sri Lankans, then the British university qualification will have to move to Sri Lanka by some other means.

APIIT's links with so many British and Australian universities are a good example of the innovative ways that students can nowadays study for degrees from our reputable universities at an affordable price.

"I am looking forward very much to meeting the seventy-odd hard working students who will shortly be collecting their degrees, awarded by Staffordshire University, in computing, business administration and business information technology.