Innovative talents for country’s development

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

The Higher Education Ministry will introduce a novel concept to identify the innovative talents of university and school students, the public and private sector employees for the country’s development.

The Ministry in collaboration with the University Grants Commission (UGC) will launch the program by the end of this month as a public and private sector partnership. A competition will be held among university and school students, private sector employees and the public to identify their innovative talents in new products, research and information technology (IT) skills, Higher Education Ministry Secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

Dr. Nawaratne said the competition will be held under 10 categories.

It will also ensure coordination among the universities and the private sector. At times students and members of the public with innovative talents who engage in research have no opportunity to display their latent talents.

The Ministry in liaison with the universities and private sector would also assist students and the public to display their products and innovative talents.

In today’s context, new inventions, research and new ideas are vital for the mega development drive launched by the Government under the Mahinda Chinthana, he said.

The Ministry has decided to launch this program on a directive by Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake. Winners of the competition will be presented awards at a ceremony to be held under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.