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Thursday, 4 December 2014 00:03 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
From left: University of Moratuwa, Registrar A.L.J. Sadique (left), University of Moratuwa Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof. Rahula Attalage, University Grants Commission Vice Chairman Ranjith Senaratne, University of Moratuwa Vice Chancellor Prof. Ananda Jayawardane, IFS Group President and CEO Alastair Sorbie, IFS World Operations Sri Lanka Vice President/COO Ranil Rajapakse, IFS Sales and Consulting Sri Lanka President and CEO Jayantha De Silva, IFS World Operations Snr. Vice President/Head of R&D Thomas Sald – Pix by Shehan Gunasekara
The dignitaries who took part in the panel were, Registrar University of Moratuwa, A.L.J Sadique; Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Moratuwa, Professor Rahula Attalage; Vice Chairman, University Grants Commission, Professor Ranjith Senaratne; Vice Chancellor, University of Moratuwa, Professor Ananda Jayawardane; Vice President/CEO, IFS world operations Sri Lanka, Ranil Rajapakse; President and CEO of the IFS group, Alastair Sorbie; President & CEO, IFS Sales and Consulting, Sri Lanka, Jayantha De Silva and Senior Vice President/Head of R&D, IFS world operations, Thomas Sald.
IFS recognises that a strong collaboration between industry and academia is necessary to significantly enhance the innovation entrepreneurship culture of the country. Creative thinking and an innovative mindset are imperative to propelling economic growth and technological advancement in emerging economies such as Sri Lanka.
The University of Moratuwa is also mindful of the impact of creating an innovative and entrepreneurial culture within the university and aims to transform UoM into a world-class university.
The partnership marks a milestone in the industry-academia collaboration in the country and will strenghthen research capabilities across all faculties of the university and foster a culture of creative thinking, innovation and entrepreneurship among both its teaching faculty and students alike. Under this partnership, IFS will grant Rs. 18 million over a period of three years, to establish a position of an IFS Endowed professor/senior fellow for innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Moratuwa.
IFS is a globally recognised leader in developing and delivering business software for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) and Enterprise Service Management (ESM).
IFS was founded in 1983 and has over 2600 employees around the world. IFS supports more than 2,200 customers worldwide from local offices and through partners in more than 60 countries. Furthermore, IFS has more than 700 employees in Sri Lanka and is looking to grow while involving the best talents in the country such as graduates from the University of Moratuwa, which is the premier Technology University in Sri Lanka attracting some of the best students in the country. The University of Moratuwa is well-known for producing world-class graduates across the three faculties of agriculture, engineering and Information Technology.
“We are a knowledge-based company and we recognise the importance of developing intellectual infrastructure and giving it the freedom to thrive. We’re excited about partnering with the University of Moratuwa, one of the premier universities in the country and to be a part of establishing the next generation of Sri Lanka’s creative thinkers, game-changers, entrepreneurial minds and the workforce for the future,” said IFS world operations Sri Lanka Vice President/CEO Ranil Rajapakse.
University of Moratuwa Vice Chancellor Prof. Ananda Jayawardane underscored the significance of this milestone in industry-academia collaboration.
“The University of Moratuwa, an internationally recognised seat of learning and research, recognises the nurturing activities related to research and innovation, knowledge creation, technology transfer and invention have positive ripple effects which extend beyond the parameters of academia. The concept of an endowed professor/senior fellow at the university has been proposed to complement and amplify the efforts of the university and foster a culture of innovation while reinforcing its position as the premier technological university in Sri Lanka.”
President and CEO of the IFS group Alastair Sorbie emphasised that a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship benefits both the industry and the nation and noted the need for industry and academia to work closely towards developing a conducive environment.
“Technology is never static and innovation cannot exist in isolation. There is always a dynamic cycle of engagement, improved understanding and continuously evolving knowledge-sharing between both the industry and academia. It is important to foster creativity and industry-academia partnerships towards future advancement, both in the business world and academia,” highlighted Sorbie.
President and CEO, IFS Sales and Consulting, Sri Lanka, Jayantha De Silva said: “Over the years, IFS has a tradition of collaborating with tertiary education institutions, sharing our expertise providing industry opportunities and building rewarding partnerships through mutual exploration and learning. We are confident that this program will assist in augmenting the talents of the students and pave the way for innovative research initiatives.”
The partnership is poised to act as a catalyst towards fostering new innovations and commercialisation, establishing start-ups, enhancing creative and innovative thinking in the future workforce and bridging the gap between industry and academia. It is also anticipated to enhance the nation’s academic competitiveness on a global platform.
