Sri Lanka: Could it be protected from Coronavirus?

The world is facing a massive challenge today and Sri Lanka too is not free from this challenge. It has affected the day-to-day operations of the economy and health sector of our nation. However, it is commendable that our government has taken many steps to overcome these challenges and protect our people and tourists from other countries. It is time that we take the Coronavirus threat seriously. Sri Lankans must acknowledge the nature of this threat – both the severity of physical impact as well as the social and economic impact which could be nationally devastating if effective containment is not ensured. However, it is not enough if the government is only alert. Moreover, the public needs to be vigilant to prevent this disaster.

The healthcare system of Sri Lanka and its attendant cadres of professionals, is credited with the elimination of several diseases such as Malaria and Polio, and has the potential to rise up to any challenge. The Coronavirus may yet be the biggest challenge it has faced in recent times. But with the right leadership, preventive measures and public cooperation, it is a battle that can be won. 

Hindus across Sri Lanka celebrated Thai Pongal, a Hindu harvest festival dedicated to the Sun God. The festival is a public holiday in Sri Lanka. The Hindus, among them,
are celebrating the “Pongal” harvest festival, popularly known as Thai Pongal, celebrated in the first four days of the Thai month in the Tamil-Hindu calendar.

Tamil culture has been forgotten for various reasons for many years, but now citizens are responsible for restoring them and giving back to society. This Pongal festival was concluded with a noble purpose. Notably, many of the village organisations have worked closely to conduct this event successfully.

Traditional Pongal Festival– 2020

Hindus across Sri Lanka celebrated Thai Pongal, a Hindu harvest festival dedicated to the Sun God. The festival is a public holiday in our country. The Hindus among them are celebrating the “Pongal” harvest festival, popularly known as Thai Pongal, celebrated in the first four days of the month of Thai in the Tamil-Hindu calendar.

Our culture has been forgotten for various reasons by many years. But now we have a responsibility to restore them and give them back to our society. We have concluded this Pongal festival with a noble purpose. It is noteworthy that many of the village organizations have worked closely to conduct this event successfully.

Alumni Take Action to Raise Dengue Awareness in Batticaloa District

The 'dengue epidemic' is a major concern in Sri Lanka, being identified as a deadly disease. In the last 12 months of 2018, there were 51,659 suspected dengue cases reported to all disease control units across the island. However, November of that year saw the identification of the largest risk yet, with 73,601 suspected cases reported.

This danger is at risk of spreading to other parts of the Eastern Province, particularly Batticaloa, as the monsoon rains have begun and the spread of dengue fever intensifies.

In response to this growing threat, Eastern Universities alumni have come together to take action. Their first initiative was launched on November 22nd, 2019 in the areas of Batticaloa district that are most affected by the epidemic.

Shielding Our Community: Eastern University Alumni Association's Crusade Against Dengue

In the face of a mounting dengue epidemic, Sri Lanka stands at the forefront of a significant health crisis. With a staggering 73,601 suspected cases reported in November 2019 alone, the threat has reached unprecedented levels, particularly in regions like Batticaloa within the Eastern Province. As the monsoon rains exacerbate the situation, the Eastern University Alumni Association has risen, taking a proactive stance to combat this menacing health crisis.

Initiated on November 22, 2019, the Eastern University alumni association embarked on targeted campaigns in the worst-affected areas of the Batticaloa district. Their primary goal is to ignite awareness and galvanize the community in the fight against dengue.

Table discussion with Professor on Career Fair

We consistently conduct career awareness talks such as ‘gearing towards the job,’ ‘getting that dream job,’ ‘interview skills,’ and ‘grooming training’. Based on the theme we organized a table discussion with Professor M. Sunil Shantha the Vice Chancellor (VC) and senior staffs of Sabaragamuwa University yesterday at the VC office.

As we planned our organization works to mobilize the youth hand-in-hand with universities, training institutions and employers who are major stakeholders in the institution’s output. Training institutions, employers are the ultimate resources for career guidance centers to find out what the current employment trends are, current skills needed to be employed and employer expectations. 

Demand-supply gaps: How to produce skills for IT industry

Introduction: Sri Lanka is poised for growth in knowledge industries and high-value added services and expect to create 1 million employment opportunities by 2020 in such industries and services. Information and Communication Technologies and Knowledge/Business Process Outsourcing are two key industry areas that are expected to considerably contribute towards this growth. It is expected that IT/BPO industry will contribute over US$ 5 Billion by 2020. It is also expected that a 1,000 startups in the technology sector will be created by 2020.

The key requirement that needs to be satisfied to achieve such ambitious growth targets is the availability of sufficient number of adequately qualified personnel. Sri Lanka annually produces around 7,500 graduates in ICT and related disciplines. However, an optimistic estimate of the man-power requirements to support the planned growth targets is at least 20,000 skilled personnel per year. Thus, we have a challenging task ahead of us to satisfy the industry needs, both quantity wise and quality wise. Another variable in the supply-demand equation is the skills of graduates produced by universities. While graduates from IT and other related disciplines have no trouble in finding employment, not all are absorbed in to the direct IT/BPO related companies.