15 years of excellence showcased at ANC graduation and awards

Dr. Harsha De Silva urges students to adapt and take charge of change

115 transfer to US and Canadian universities; 277 complete graduate  and postgraduate degrees 

Best performing students and Best Dissertations felicitated

The pioneering private sector education institution established in Sri Lanka 15 years ago proved overwhelmingly that Sri Lankan youth have immense potential to be recognised as some of the world’s best given the right opportunity and apt guidance. ANC Education, which began its foray into giving Sri Lankan students pathways of study in foreign universities with its unique transfer formula, now has collaborations with over 100 universities globally and has garnered an umbrella of the A to Z of educational programs from pre-school to post graduate education through its subsidiaries. 

At its Graduation and Awards night held under the aegis of Deputy Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs Dr. Harsha De Silva, ANC felicitated 115 students transferring to universities in the USA and Canada and 277 who completed graduate and postgraduate degrees as well as those who completed Foundation Diplomas and Courses for Australia.  

Chief Guest Dr. Harsha De Silva declared that today Sri Lanka has the most educated youth the country has ever had and it is vital that the country takes advantage of this. “Our Government remains very committed to expanding educational horizons as we know that the state alone cannot provide higher education opportunities for the 85% who are eligible for state university entrance. This is where the private sector comes in and ANC has been doing a stellar job in ensuring that young Sri Lankans get those opportunities.” Revealing that typical jobs no longer exist, he urged the young people to, “Take Charge of Change!  Change is a fundamental part of modern life and adapting to changes is a fundamental skill.”

Being the only transnational educational conglomerate that has continued to provide a collective of undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate degrees in multiple disciplines, ANC felicitated those who completed the Master of Laws, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration from the University of West London and those graduating from Northwood University and the Missouri University of Science and Technology from the USA.   Jayani Lakmini De Silva and Shiromina Puvanendran were the Best Performing Students from the UWL’s LLM and MBA and MSc programs respectively, while Deshana Enakshi De Alwis was felicitated from Northwood University. Jayani Lakmini De Silva was also awarded the Best Dissertation in the LLM program, as were Jayaliya Charukya De Silva and Lasantha Thiranagama. Aysha Shahani Farook, Ushanith Sathiamoorthy and Chatura Wijenayake produced the Best Dissertations in the MBA and MSc programs.

As Chairman of ANC Dr. Jagath Alwis stated, “The fact that some of the highest ranking universities are now accessible to Sri Lankans means that ANC has widened the higher education scope available in Sri Lanka, which in this contemporary age means that Sri Lanka can now maximise on global opportunities.  We at ANC take pride in our multi-disciplinary highly educated faculty and the fact that we conform to the highest quality assurance applicable to the parent university, a dynamic that is verified continually by our collaborating universities.”

During the last year, ANC introduced a number of new initiatives including the Australian Foundation and Direct Placement Launch, Foundation and Diploma program to Deakin University, the M.Sc in Health and Clinical Psychology and MBA in Hospitality Management from the UWL, B.Sc in Psychlogy from SUNY ESC and degrees from the Emirates Hospitality Academy. “These,” says Executive Director/CEO Dr. Punarjeeva Karunanayake, “mean that ANC continues to be a spearhead in this field and is opening up opportunities in a world that is challenging. Be analytical in your thinking and apply what you have learned at ANC in your world of work and never stop learning,” he urged. This breadth and depth of the ANC experience is well evidenced when ANC student Rakhitha Malewana was presented the Queen’s Young Leader Award for his community work by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Cultural Affairs Officer of the US Embassy in Sri Lanka Joseph Schaller reiterated the strong educational ties Sri Lanka has with the USA. “Being the destination of choice in higher education, of the one million foreign students studying in the USA, over 3,000 are Sri Lankans,” he said commending ANC for understanding the value of education. This was endorsed by Assistant Vice President and Dean of International Programs at Northwood University Dr. Mamiko Reeves who added that the collaboration between ANC and Northwood give students experiences that are incomparable. “We want you to try a new experience and unleash your potential. Take risks, learn from your mistakes and go out there and make a difference.” Similar sentiments were expounded Vice Chancellor of the University of West London Professor Peter John who, while commending ANC for its spearheading role in private sector higher education, said, “Your degree is an asset to be nurtured and an asset to be leveraged. Use it to your advantage.”