Public-private partnerships to boost university research

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

A new public and private sector partnership project which directly contributes to university research as a part of the new study program formulated by the Higher Education Ministry for 2011 has been launched.

On a directive by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, priority has been given to university research which bolster Government efforts to make Sri Lanka the Wonder of Asia, Higher Education Ministry Secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

Government funds are not sufficient to make Sri Lanka the hub of knowledge in the region. Public and private sector partnerships are essential to realise this goal. To be a part of the emerging world, private sector partnership is vital, he said.

Dr. Nawaratne said Budget 2011 has given priority to strengthen public and private sector partnerships. The Government has decided to give 200 percent tax concessions to the private sector which has come forward to invest in university research. Several private sector organisations have already joined hands with the Higher Education Ministry to assist research conducted by universities.

“We call upon all private sector organisations or any donor agencies to extend their fullest cooperation to promote university research. Though the university system has focused its attention on the aspect of teaching, it has not given priority to the research sector. Therefore, the Higher Education Ministry has taken steps to develop university research in collaboration with the private sector,” he said.

The public and private sector partnership on research would immensely benefit the private sector in introducing new products to the world so that it would bring more revenue to the country. Due to intellectual property rights, university lecturers would also benefit from this scheme, he said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry has decided to provide one-year’s or six months’ training in the private sector to final year university students in the Art, Commerce, Science and Agriculture Faculties. This would help graduates to get an understanding on how the private sector functions.