Boost for Sri Lanka's hub concept:

Ocean university, a strategic partner for economic growth

By Ranil Wijayapala

Sri Lanka lost many opportunities to develop its economy in par with countries which are now ranked among the best performing countries in Asia. The three decade battle against terrorism was an impediment for innovative thinking and harnessing natural resources.

Underwater resources

The country has to depend on traditional economic means such as plantations, agriculture, garment industry and foreign exchanged earned through the unskilled labourers send to middle east.

But with the defeat of terrorism Sri Lanka is now in position to find new avenues to improve its economy to recapture what was lost and be on par with the Asian nations.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa laid a strong foundation for the country to recapture what it had lost during the battle against terrorism by setting up the target of making Sri Lanka a maritime hub, an aviation hub, a commercial hub, an energy hub and a knowledge hub.

Younger generation

When Sri Lanka is marching towards this goal under the vision of the President there is a need to prepare the young generation in the country to take up the challenges by deviating from the traditional ways of thinking and adjusting themselves to the tasks entrusted to them.

The Ocean University which was set up in 1999 when President Mahinda Rajapaksa was the Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to bring dignity to the fisher folk is now ready to take up the challenge of preparing the younger generation to become partners of the new economy.

According to Professor Ranjith Senaratne, the Vice Chairman of the University Grants Commission and the Chairman of the Ocean University now functioning under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development, the Ocean University is becoming a strategic partner in transforming the Sri Lanka economy in to a blue ocean economy.

When Sri Lanka is being transformed into a maritime hub in Asia the younger generation should be prepared to take up the job opportunities created in those new fields.

"The Ocean University is ready to make the younger generation the partners of this process", Prof Ranjith Senarathne added.

"We have oceanic resources eight times of the land mass and only 12 percent of the land is above water. At present people are only concerned about the terrestrial resources and little attention has been paid to harness the marine biological, chemical and other resources", he added.

When countries such as Japan, Thailand, Indonesia are harnessing their oceanic resources Sri Lanka was not able to tap its oceanic resources. It paid attention only towards traditional farming, he added."In addition we have chemical resources, petroleum, commercially valuable metals, minerals like cobalt, zinc, manganese in our sea belt and we have not touched those resources", he added.

"President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Minister of Fisheries and aquatic Resources set up the Ocean University in 1999 to raise the social standard of the fishing community and bring dignity and recognition to their profession.

But now after the defeat of terrorism we can think of new avenues to make use of this university to harness the potential marine resources in the country as President Mahinda Rajapaksa believes that the future prosperity of the nation lies with the ocean", he added.

Untouched resources

"It depends how effectively and how sustainably we manage and utilise this untouched and untapped resource base. In other words according to the vision of President Mahinda Rajapaksa Sri Lanka would be transformed into a blue ocean economy", the Prof. Senaratne added.

To make this vision a reality the President has proposed to set up a state-of the-art ocean University In Kalametiya, Hambantota.

"It has got a 50-acre land strategically located in Hambantota bordering to lagoon on one side and the sea to the other side and also adjoining to the new fisheries harbour that is coming up. Those are ideal opportunities for students to be trained on the new trades they learn to cater to present day needs", he added

"As a university we have to look at a place like Hambanatota as we have infrastructure such as Hambantota Magapura Port, Mattala Airport, Fisheries harbours in Kudawella and Mawella, Bataata Industrial Park, Magamapura, Ruhuna International Convention Centre, sports complex , tourist centres, knowledge and technology park there in Hambantota. But in order to operationalise these infrastructure base we need to have human resources", he added.

"That is why President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the 2014 budget said that he would make provisions for the establishment of the state of the art ocean university at Kalametiya, Hambantota", he added.

"To prepare the young generation of this country to take up the opportunities in these sectors the Ocean University is offering 90 degree programs through our universities targeting a new economy based on port and shipping, transport and logistics, maritime recreation, sea sports, tourism, coastal and mineral resource management,ship building, offshore exploration of gas and oil", he added.

"We should make use of the potential of maritime resources.

Unpolluted sea and sea free from pirates. So this is ideal for canoing, rowing sailing , jotting and it is a paradise to promote sports tourism targeting upmarket tourists. We should make use of the beautiful ornamental fish, underwater blue grasses by having sea safaris like the way we are having wild safaris to Wilpattu and Yala Even we can set up underwater cubicals for high profile business forums, honey moon hubs making use of sea bed", he added.

Sri Lanka also can make use of these trades to turn out leisure craft and adventure sports, he said.

Harnessing potential

"To harness the potential we have another constrain as our youth are not trained in swimming as over 1000 youth die every year due to drowning. Every week we here some youth die due to drowning because they cant swim.

Just because we have the sea and the President has a good vision if we don't produce the manpower that vision will not be transformed into reality", he added.

"That is our duty to prepare our youth to take up these challenges. In the Ocean University the students swim and they get proficiency certificate in swimming.

Therefore Ocean University will be strategic partner in transforming Sri Lanka to a blue ocean economy by producing necessary manpower at craft level, at vocational level at technical level at executive level and also scientific level and in all those merging sectors not in this traditional sectors", he added.

Now the Ocean University operating under the Ministry of Youth Affairs under the guidance of the Minister Dullas Alahapperuam in its seven Regional Colleges in Jaffna, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Tangalle, Galle, Matakkuliya and Negombo are ready to cater to the needs of the blue ocean economy to drive the country towards prosperity", he added.