Lankan grads from London University excel via distance learning

 
From Daily Mirror Sri Lanka

By Sunimalee Dias

Contemporary graduates from University of London are well geared now to address issues concerning the global crisis and system changes in the sphere of economics, London University’s Dean of the External System (-its distance learning program) Prof. Jonathan Kydd said. He was in the country to attend the yearly graduation ceremony of the Royal Institute Colombo (RIC).

Sri Lankan companies are currently hiring students graduating with this educational qualification which imparts a world recognized qualification to our local students. Dr. Kydd made these and other valued observations during an interview with the Daily Financial Times. Dr. Kydd pointed out that there was necessity to have an understanding of new markets emerging today (such as complex financial derivates) that did not exist years ago. In this respect the External Program students are made well-equipped to think about such circumstances as they are trained in a stimulating manner to standards laid down and supervised locally at the Royal Institute by London University.

Issues pertaining to contemporary globalization, financial innovation and markets of new products are being analysed and studied by students for their exams in commerce related subjects, one of many fields that are offered by the External Program.

As a parallel, at the London School of Economics (LSE) these challenges are put forward to its students to engage them in actively participating in academic debates and exercises. The External Program offers economic degrees that are the same in substance as those undertaken by LSE degree students in London.

He impressed upon the quality of Sri Lankan students and their performance which was considered well above average internationally, with Sri Lanka standing broadly in the second tier of its market. In part, he commented that our “island mentality”, something shared with students in Singapore, Caribbean and even Hong Kong, make us very amenable to international and open viewpoints in doing academic programs.

The External Program is also a ‘learning program’ in reverse : an important facet of it is that the staff in London listen to student views across the world and make changes in the curriculum and options offered in accordance with the thinking and interests of the audience. Thus a close market reality is established, complemented by ground one on one meetings such as those conducted by Dr. Kydd in Colombo this month.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of London, Sir Graham Davies, himself also attended the local graduation for the second year running, a symbol of the attention paid by the External Program to its students in Sri Lanka.

University of London External System, in existence for 150 years, has more than 43,000 students worldwide and offers more than 100 study programmes. Its student population stretches to more than 180 countries across the globe. Moreover, it enables students to continue to earn a living whilst studying.  Students are able to study at a flexible pace and take their examinations in their home country, without having to come to London, saving sometimes upto 65% of the cost of doing the course of study in the UK..

The university’s global community of former students and alumni include many exceptional people such as six Nobel Prize winners: Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins – Winner of the Nobel Prize in 1929 for the discovery of what are now known as vitamins; Wole Soyinka – Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986; Professor Ronald Coase - Winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1991; Derek Walcott - Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1992, and the foremost West Indian poet and dramatist writing today; Nelson Mandela – Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993; and Rolph Payet - Shared the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Nobel Peace Prize as an IPCC Lead Author.

Other exceptional alumni who have made their mark on the world stage include: Academics – Asa Briggs, Kwasi Wiredu, Sir Geoffrey Elton; Engineers – Sir Barnes Wallis; Politicians – Dr Luisa Diogo, Gisela Stuart MP; Writers – H.G.Wells, Chinua Achebe, Malcolm Bradbury.

The Royal Institute of Colombo conducts teaching for the BSc and LLB Degrees and Diplomas offered by the University of London and provides the Institute’s own foundation and ancillary courses for higher education in the English Medium. RIC opens up higher education opportunities at a reasonable cost to both Sri Lankan and overseas students in the fields of Accounting, Banking, Business, Economics, Finance, Information Systems, Law, Management, Mathematics and, Sociology.