Introducing the concept of a practice-based university

This initiative caters to the current dilemma of universities producing only job seekers and the objective is to move away from the obsession of having prestige centred academic titles

By Surya Vishwa 

Last week we published in this page an analysis of the human dimension of Sri Lanka’s tea industry as it commemorates 156 years.

We focused on transforming lives of the Plantation Tamils of Sri Lanka. 

We cited 15 recommendations on how the plantation sector could be mainstreamed into the local public consciousness. The objective of this was to show the Sri Lankan public that they are indebted to the plantation Tamils – current day citizens of Sri Lanka for the tea we drink and for the national revenue that we accrue and that we should be aware that their living facilities are still in abysmal condition in many cases. 

In the past three days at least 100 houses in Maskeliya, Bogawanthalawa and Nanu Oya have been affected with the adverse windy weather condition and with several trees falling on the line room roofs. Many of the roofing are flimsy and winds often blow them away. The plantation areas are prone to serious threats by landslides although this has not occurred this year. Hence the attention on the plantation sector is a key contribution to focusing on Sri Lanka’s macro economic framework as it has a population of keen and intelligent youth which if given the opportunity could contribute greatly to the economy boosting framework of Sri Lanka. 

Generally media content are provided for the relevant State and Non State actors to take upon themselves and move forward, improvising as they like. This is one of the responsibilities of a progressive mass media institution and the goal with which that the Harmony page was initiated.

We are pleased thereby to take note that marking a rare instance – a Sri Lankan Government minister had actually read the article published last week and had read out the recommendation based points to his advisor who got in touch with us. 

This is the ideal of how politicians should function and for record we mention that the minister concerned is the youngest minister in Sri Lanka – Jeevan Thondaman – who is a 29-year-old lawyer and the minister responsible for plantation sector infrastructure and irrigation. We are unaware of what policy recommendations and actual action the minister is taking as per his portfolio but we hope to get his perspective in one of our field research components that is scheduled shortly tied to our practice based knowledge components. 

Meanwhile in these below points we will provide a synopsis on how the plantation community youth could be a major boon to resurrecting the entrepreneurship dividend in the country.

Although the following is not an exhaustive summary we will place below the proposal for making the plantation community harbingers of practice based knowledge by training them to create small industries and start-ups from the different natural resources of Sri Lanka. What is proposed is an initiative the Harmony Page team is spearheading and which is at the last stage of research.

Transit from theory completely to practice

This initiative caters to the current dilemma of universities producing only job seekers and the objective is to move away from the obsession of having prestige centred academic titles. Instead what is sought is to transit from theory completely to practice. 

Hence the Harmony page team is in the midst of setting up of a purely practice-based university where students will be judged by what they create. The proposed area is the plantation region of the country. Initiating a creation based university is a need for the entire country and the world at large. Hence students from other provinces and other countries will be encouraged at enrolling. 

Since the university is to be located in the plantation sector free entrance opportunity will be provided to any plantation youth who wants to enrol and where their academic qualifications have no co-relation to their entering the university. The youth will have to pay the university by the time they leave it – after three years when their business is sound. They will pay the university the full fee with the profits of their industry venture. They can later be patrons to fund the university from their profits.

What is proposed will be a place which teaches students all about the multifarous natural resources of Sri Lanka – e.g. minerals, timber, plants, herbs, water resources, sea based resources, geography as applicable to understanding national resources, etc. 

Psychology, Human Resources, Marketing and Innovation will be taught from various practical and ultra creative dimensions. Note taking will be encouraged only to a bare minimum. The teaching methodology will be 80% field visit based and based upon the philosophy that knowledge should equal joy and curiosity and that this should lead to creativity and that creativity should equal innovation. Innovation should culminate in creating a product – of any scale that could be sold for profit. The philosophy of the product creation is that it should solve at least one problem seen in society.

The damage done to oceans by plastic and non bio degradable products is to be taught. All forms of traditional, cultural and heritage based knowledge are to be taught. Modern innovation and technology will be taught. 

Students will be taught about the car industry and other such industries alongside climate change phenomena. The cycle industry innovation will be promoted. 

A separate segment will be allocated for entrepreneurial thinking for aesthetic focused business creations.

The core purpose of the university is to motivate students to think beyond conventional frameworks and create purposeful industries and business that will reverse environmental damage and cater to seen needs of the nation while having clear profit making targets.

Thereby the objective of the university will be to create a knowledge economy by looking at creativity enhanced practice based knowledge creation. 

The students will be ranked by ability to innovate a product that can be sustained with customer satisfaction. The student should come up with non conventional marketing strategies linked to social psychology. 

Students will have to sell their products and find sponsors for their product creation by themselves. They will be taught strategic communication strategies and emotional intelligence centric basic guidelines for this purpose. Networking assistance will be provided. 

The conventional academic structure will be replaced by practitioners – the entire teaching team will be local and global practitioners who have created their own businesses and will include a significant number of young people. Artistes will play a major role in upholding the creative dimension of the university.

The Harmony page team holds the intellectual property right to this concept and article.