NEWS EVENTS BUSINESS PHOTO GALLERY PROFILE

ISSUE 4 July - December 2012

Message from the Prime Minister

science, technology and education vis a vis the rest of the world. The gap was found to be alarming and also obstructive when it came to serving the aspirations of the nation for attaining quick prosperity. This made it important for policy makers to incorporate a conscious policy goal in the country's current development efforts in the style of converting the country to a 'knowledge hub' in the region.

Sri Lanka has been a centre of learning during the last phase of the colonial rule and the early period of independence. Over the years, the country, however, lost this status and many started criticising its higher education system for failing to keep pace with the rest of the world and maintain academic standards. One reason for this sad outcome was the 'island mentality' which many Sri Lankans of

importance had been harbouring in themselves. This mentality of distrust of anything foreign prevented Sri Lanka to absorb and adopt the developments taking place in the rest of the world. But after the end of the long drawn ethnic war in 2009, the country which had been preoccupied in the war and issues related to it had to make a sudden wake up and take a stock of its position with respect to

Sri Lanka - Knowledge hub in the region by Nizam Razzaq

Editor’s note

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Professor George StonehouseDean, Business SchoolEdinburgh Napier University, UK

Edinburgh Napier University and BMS launch

Global MBA in Sri Lanka

Higher education in the Asia and

Pacific region is approaching a historical

moment in the sense that economic

integration has reached a tipping point.

The global recession provides an

opportunity unlike any in the past 40

years to address the capacity of colleges

and universities to serve poor and

vulnerable populations. A measure of

success in the next 40 years will be the

extension of relevant higher-learning

opportunities for all populations,

especially those in the most remote

ethnic communities of developing

countries. As the knowledge production and

knowledge transfer systems of the

region become as integrated as their

economies, a highly collaborative layer

of colleges and universities can promote

high-quality, international recognition

a n d g l o b a l c o m p e t i t i v e n e s s .

Governments and international

organizations can help identify a series

of centres in the region that excel in

particular aspects of higher education

and that have the capacity to respond to

the demands from across the region.

The longer that co l leges and

to specific cohorts, such that these

cohorts maximize their learning

potential, avoid the waste of talent in

these populations, and build knowledge

and skills capacity for a human resource

base that improves social and economic

development across Asian countries. There is a new urgency to identify

and remedy deficiencies with fresh

approaches and innovative policy

options that embed resilience in the

region’s rapidly expanding system of

colleges and universities. While it will

not be easy to find ways to insulate

higher education capacity from future

economic shocks, col leges and

universities must remain free to carry

out their mission, encourage new

partnerships, and pool ingenuity to

innovate while trying to stay one step

ahead in the competitive environment

of knowledge production and transfer.

In short, the goal is to ensure that

colleges and universities can cope with

future uncertain economic times and

flourish within them.

universities continue to underperform,

the greater will be the negative impact

on the economies in Asia. In fact, under

performance will only compound the

effect of this and any future financial

recession. In the wake of the global recession

and a return to a more stable financial

environment, government responses

that simply restore previous funding

patterns for education will find limited

i m p r o v e m e n t i n o u t c o m e s .

Comprehensive policy and structural

reforms in education can better ensure

improved educational outcomes. Yet

social protection measures remain

important in the short run. In the long

t e r m , h o w e v e r, b r o a d b a s e d

inclusiveness in education systems for

the underserved populations, including

basic, vocational-technical, and higher

education, both regular and vocational-

technical, is necessary to make a

significantly positive impact on

economic growth. This impact can be

a c c o m p l i s h e d b y i d e n t i f y i n g

underserved, disadvantaged, and

vulnerable populations, and by creating

a link that allocates financial aid directly

Extracted from the article by Gerard Postiglione

(Asian Development Bank Institute)

Economic recession provides opportunities for Higher Education. ADB Institute Report

Ranked as one of the top UK Universities for graduate employability (UK HESA), the Edinburgh Napier University is one of the UK’s leading modern professional Universities. The University’s Business School believes in creating international community of practice where students are given every opportunity to achieve their full potential.

The University’s Business School has chosen BMS in Sri Lanka as its partner to offer its global MBA in Sri Lanka. In choosing BMS, the University’s Business School has recognised BMS’s reputation

for excellence in providing degree pathways and making British education accessible to Sri Lankan students and professionals. Professor George Stonehouse, Dean of the Business School, who visited BMS recently said,

“Our MBA is designed to appeal to people of various ages and a wide range of professional backgrounds and ex p e r i e n c e s . I t i s a re l eva nt , c o n t e m p o r a r y q u a l i f i c a t i o n , internationally valued and recognised. We are delighted to extend one of our postgraduate programmes to Sri Lanka through BMS”.

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i n te rd e p e n d e n c e a n d m u t u a l l y

reinforcing pillars of Sustainable

Development include economic, social

and environmental protection. Although

there is a continuous discussion and a

d eb ate re lat in g to Su sta in ab le

Development, we are in a position to

make the full observation in the

assumption of realisation of benefits.

SD should include every one, life long,

holistic, practiticable, and action oriented.

I t i s paradoxical that a l though

sustainability is seen as one of the most

important issues affecting modern society

worldwide, on the other hand it is only

confined to a small number of universities.

Main reason for this is the fact that the

complexity of SD has largely been

underestimated and this underestimation

seen with respect of knowledge ability,

information and political will be needed to

put the principle into practice.

The introduction of SD to various university programmes would enable the authorities to achieve certain goals such as, I quote, from the Higher Education

of complete human beings with greater

sense of wholeness and connectivity with

a more integrated philosophy of

knowledge including emotional, physical,

and spiritual dimensions of intelligence

and ways of knowing.

During the last few decades, one of the

most important developments in the

un ivers i ty wor ld has been the

commitment and involvement in broad

ranging reversion to a system of co-

ordination, on the one hand, and a system

of internal governance, on the other. Both

these are intimately linked setting upon

the universities the imperative to provide

for their students the skill and knowledge

that will enable them to flourish in a

knowledge economy in this period of

knowledge.

Sustainable Development (SD) is defined

in the report issued by the UN in 1987 as

“the development that meets the needs

of the present without compromising the

ability of future generation to meet their

own needs”. In the 2005, a world summit

b y t h e W H O s t a t e s t h a t t h e

The fundamental purpose of education

is to create and develop a better human

being who will help to build a better and

wiser world. It is observed that we are

rapidly approaching the pivotal point of

human history. The earth is made to suffer

by humanity, while the world is awakening

as a conscious and global organisation.

These two facts seemingly pose a paradox

but in fact they intimately related.

Pushed by this hard reality, the human

family is being challenged to realize a new

level of identity, responsibility and

purpose. To meet this need more rapidly is

the most severe challenge for education at

present and also in the future, and it is the

need that must be met more of the world

population.

In the world today, there is a discernable

movement for transformation of nations

and institutions. These movements seek

approaches which integrate a different

perspective and ideas in contrast to the

extreme fragmentation and competition

which continue to dominate much of our

identity. The times we live today are the

informative age or the knowledge age.

The key to our future is the development

Better human and wiser world

Knowledge age

Sustainable Development in universities

Knowledge economy

Enhancing quality through Sustainable Development

enhances quality and provides people with knowledge

Sustainable development

Prof. Sarath AmunugamaVice Chancellor, University of Kelaniya

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Extract from BMS Graduation Ceremony Keynote address by Prof. Sarath Amunugama

“Education is the most weapon

which you can use to change the world”

powerful

Nelson Mandela

It is evident that sustainability has changed as a scientific field per se leading from experience and inputs from various f i e l d s a n d s t u d i e s t o i n c l u d e env i ronmenta l stud ies , soc iety, economics, ethics politics etc. A professor from Germany suggests that info and matters relating to sustainability where

people can in the best way to effectively increase the prof i le and foster commitment and long term commitments from Universities. It is important that all educational strategies in the Universities should be aimed at forming and mobilizing people and are combined with relevant structural measures such as sustainable research programs or concrete practitioner demonstrating programs. By pursuing sustainability, Universities are taking positive steps in fulfilling their roles as educational institutions meeting contributions to society and humanity.

policy issued by the IAU “The holistic attitude of SD issues enhancing the quality should be practical and action oriented so as to convince people it makes sense to provide people with knowledge, understanding and capacity to influence education provided to students as well as the quality of resources.

Next encourage development of conservation ethics amongst students, staff and other groups. Motivating people to play their role in the process leading to a better use of natural resources. Finally, building on sustainability programs and support for environmental policies and regulations as a whole and conservation in general”. However the implementation of SD programmes of universities is not an easy task in this process, as there are many challenges one has to overcome.

There is widely held misconception that sustainability is mostly a matter

concerning the industrially developed nations. We have to understand that the sustainability issues are given a low priority in many developing countries due to more pressing economic and political problems. important issues affecting modern society worldwide, on the other hand it is only confined to a small number

of universities. Main reason for this is the fact that the complexity of SD has largely b e e n u n d e re st i m ate d a n d t h i s underestimation seen with respect of knowledge ability, information and

political will be needed to put the principle into practice. However even smaller nations can be convinced once the long term benefits of sustainability policies are shown. Though there is a considerable amount of documents issued on theoretical aspects of the subject, Universities have legitimate responsibility to conduct more on case studies which are very much needed to achieve the objectives of SD in a concrete way.

Misconception

Professor Sarath Amunugama, officiating as the Chief Guest of the Graduation

Ceremony 2011, hands over the Degree Certificate to a Graduate.

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Graduation Ceremony 2011 at BMICH Colombo

Graduates of Northumbria University, UK in Sri Lanka (2011) – 13 students secured First Class Honours.

Special Guests – (left to right) Rasin Senaratne (Academic Registrar), Dr. Janak Kumarasinghe (Chairman – BMS Exam Board), Dr. Guy Brown (Northumbria University, UK), W A Wijewardena (President, BMS), Prof. Sarath Amunugama, Vice Chancellor, University of Kelaniya (Chief Guest), Ms. Janet Ford, Head, UKTI, British High Commission, Colombo (Guest of Honour), Hemaka Amarasuriya, (Chairman, NDB/Singer Sri Lanka -Guest of Honour), Ms. Claire Hoy (Northumbria University, UK) and Chrishan De Mel (Senior Lecturer, BMS)

The students who received Graduate Diploma in Management AwardBMS Students welcoming Chief Guest and Special Guests

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Welcome by Kandyan Dancers Chief Guest Sarath Amunugama Prof.

Part of the students, guests and invitees

Sahan being conferred degree Meneka receives 1st class medal Vindya being conferred degree

Hemabawan being conferred degree Rabia receives award Arshad receives award

Dilini receives award Jayapragash receives award

W A Wijewardena Gold Medal for BMS Best Student 2011, Awarded to Nicola

Shan receives award

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Learning and Development Initiative

(Left to Right) - Dineth Nimantha, Manager, Academic Affairs - BMS, Praneeth Fernando, Nilanka Samaraweera, Manager - Communication Development, HSBC Group Service Centre Colombo, Mihiran Danuka, Mazarik Ahamed, Nifraz Rifaz (recipient of full scholarship), Musthafa Irshath, Niroshini Wijesinghe (recipient of full scholarship), Tharindu Nuwan,

Lakmini Sagarika, Shareen Lanthra, Geeth Maduranga, (Seated)- W.A. Wijewardena, President BMS, Decca Fan, Managing Director, HSBC Group Service Centre Colombo, Ali Akbar, General Manager - BMS.

An innovative learning approach

Managing

Work, Study and Home

Graduate Diploma in ManagementPre-Masters Degree pathway programme

Full/Part Scholarships for

Colombo-staff membersHSBC Group Service Centre

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as a policy, the need for getting the

private initiatives involved in delivering

quality higher educational services to Sri

Lankans on the one hand and make Sri

Lanka a knowledge hub of disseminating

talent and skills to the rest of the world,

on other. BMS had been doing this well

before the government had changed its

policy. Hence, in the next three years,

BMS will team up with the authorities to

realize this goal in every way possible.

On our part, we will look at the areas

of talents and skills which Sri Lanka needs

crucially at its present stage of economic

development and get the best of the

British universities to deliver the same to

Sri Lankan students in general and

helping the policy initiative of building a

knowledge hub in the country. Two areas

of skills development which Sri Lanka

badly needs at this stage are bio-

technology and hospitality management.

The first is a completion of our mission to

train the needed biomedical scientists in

the country. The second is to provide the

trained skills to man the country's

growing tourism industry. BMS will

associate itself with Northumbria

Biomedical Science for the first time in Sri

Lanka with the support from the Edexcel

of the UK and Northumbria University

UK. I was deeply taken by the dedication

and commitment shown by BMS staff at

every stage of planning, implementing

and progress-monitoring of the new

projects we had undertaken. In short, I

am happy to be a partner of this BMS

team.

In the last three years, there have been

substantial changes in Sri Lanka's

approach to higher education. For the

first time, the government has accepted

You are completing 3 years as BMS President. Can you share your experiences with The Learner?

We introduced a Higher National

Diploma in Biomedical Science for the first time in

Sri Lanka.

Future plans for BMS in the next 3

years?

I joined BMS at a time when it had

already reached its maturity under its

foresighted and student friendly

leadership. It was a novel experience for

me to associate myself with such a band

of professionals who had been nurtured

and guided by the best of the British

university system represented by two

modern universities, namely, the

University of Leicester and Northumbria

University.

At BMS, I witnessed how they had

integrated themselves seamlessly into

the British education system which under

no circumstance would compromise with

standards, quality and integrity when

del iver ing educat ional serv ices.

Strangely, these three pillars of education

coincided with my ideals as well and

therefore I had no difficulty in working

with them. After joining BMS, we

managed to expand its horizons

significantly by venturing into new areas

of learning needed by Sri Lanka. We

introduced a Higher National Diploma in

Our motto is

quality,not money

W.A. Wijewardena,

Vis

ion

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An interview with BMS President

University in offering bio-technology

courses and with the University of Derby

to offer degrees in hospi ta l i ty

management. In addition, BMS is

planning to offer degree courses in

banking and finance as well. All these we

do with the support of modern British

universities so that we could establish the

high British standards in Sri Lanka's

higher education. Our motto is quality

first and money later.

I told you earlier, our motto is

quality first and money later. We are not

an institution particularly concerned

about money and most of our courses are

just break–even courses. Our aim is to

develop a well talented human being

who would be of service to himself first

and then to his prospective employers.

We follow a novel approach of

disseminating education to attain that

goal. Our tagline is “Make learning

happen” meaning that we don't teach,

but create an environment for students

to explore the vast area of knowledge by

themselves and learn. What one learns is

permanently stored in his system unlike

what one has been taught which he

quickly forgets. In our system of learning

environment, there are no weak students

but students who are not adequately

motivated to reach their potential. So,

when students join us, they are

continuously coached to acquire

knowledge, fill deficiencies in language,

As

Why do you think that students should enroll themselves at BMS and what is special about it?

become effective team workers and

above all, shed the fear of talking in public

what they believe to be true. We had

many students who didn't have an

adequate knowledge of English to follow

their courses in that medium. But, after

they had been supported by BMS to

improve their language skills, they

became marvelous students.

This is also true with our coaching on

research project preparation which is an

integral part of our education. Some

students who had even given up their

courses because of the fear of research

were tactfully brought back to the system

again and after coaching, they have

produced research projects well

appreciated by the relevant British

university. We develop students'

leadership skills by getting them involved

How is your new programme in biomedical science?

in numerous college events. So, at the

end, when they receive their diplomas

and degrees, they are a happy lot. So are

we. Hence, it is a “win – win” situation for

both the students and BMS.

We started the Higher National

Diploma in Biomedical Science, fully

localised but certificated by the Edexcel

of the UK, to fill a serious vacuum in

human capital requirements in the

country. Before we ventured into this

area, no other higher educational

institute in the country had offered

courses in this subject. Sri Lanka has a

large number of students numbering

thousands getting through in biology

stream at A Level without a placement in

a local university to do either a degree in

medicine or in biology. They are all

stranded there. We offered this diploma

in biomedical science to show them that

there is another path of education

available to them. This course is

supported by such institutions like the

Institute of Chemistry, Durdans Hospital,

University of Colombo and so forth and is

recognised by Northumbria University

for direct entry into the final year of the

degree course in biomedical science.

After completing the degree at Northumbria, the students can even

Our aim is to develop a well

talented human being who would

be of service to himself first

and then to his prospective

employers.

BMS students are in a mentor session

BMS students at a practical session

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Your comments on opening the country's higher education to the private sector and foreign universities of repute?

will always be a mismatch between what

is needed and what is made available. At

the same time, we should maintain the

three pillars of quality education which I

told you that BMS learned from the British

system, namely, standards, quality and

integrity. This can be attained by removing

the role of politicians from handling higher

education and handing it over to

professionals who are guided by codes of

quality assurance and standards. Those

p ro fe s s i o n a l s s h o u l d b e m a d e

accountable to Parliament and people.

There should also be competition among

higher educational institutions, both state

and private, to force them to achieve

excellence in every area of their

operations. An independent body should

be there to rate and rank higher

educational institutions as a guidance to

pursue a medical degree at the University

of St Georges in Grenada. Students get

practical experience at Durdans as well as

the Medical Faculty of the University of

Colombo. Both Edexcel and Northumbria

University conduct annual audits of

quality standards. For each batch we take

only 30 students though there are many

aspirants seeking admission to the course.

We have now enrolled the fourth

batch and still the demand for the course

is very high. This is our flagship course and

we, at BMS, are happy about our role in

developing and introducing this novel

course in Sri Lanka to Sri Lankan as well as

to foreign students.

This is in fact a good move by the

government and we should congratulate

the present rulers for having courage to do

so. Sri Lanka's state universities have been

doing a commendable service to the

country, despite the resource limitations

they have been facing. But the demand for

higher education is such that the state

alone cannot meet the demand right now.

Hence, we should get the private

initiatives involved in higher education. I

have been canvassing for this even when I

had been at the Central Bank. So, we

should support the government to

implement this policy properly.

Sri Lanka's national higher education

policy needs a complete overhaul today.

We are now aspiring to become a nation

of worth in the world by maintaining a

high economic growth of over 8 percent

per annum over the next decade. To grow,

we need quality human capital not in

terms of our requirements in the past nor

in the present, but in the future. To supply

such quality human capital, our higher

education system should be a visionary. It

should foresee the emerging global

developments and amend its ways to

meet the demand. If it doesn't do so, there

students and their parents. These are

some random thoughts which I can share

with you.

When a major change is to be made in

the higher education sector or in any

other sector, the democratic governance

requires authorities to have a public

consultation as widely as possible. It will

allow all the concerned parties, whether

they are opposed to, neutral or support

the new change, to voice their views for

consideration by those who are to make

the change. If this is not done, it leads to

public protests and even a good policy

can become impracticable due to such

protests.

This is what has happened to the new

bil l which had been drafted by

bureaucrats secretly without informing

even the university academic staff.

Hence, instead of putting the bill on hold,

the authorities should make it public and

invite public representations with a view

to accommodating all of the new

suggestions they are to make and also

deleting the ones which are inimical or

unfeasible. Sri Lanka did this in the past

by presenting a new proposal as a White

Paper and inviting the public to discuss,

debate and dissent it so that at the end it

would become a people's bill rather than

a bill orchestrated by a handful of public

bureaucrats.

National Higher Education Policy

To supply such

quality human

capital, our higher

education system

should be a

visionary.

The Bill on private higher education is reported to have been put on hold. What are your views on that?

‘W.A. Wijewardena is a former Deputy Governor of the

Central Bank of Sri Lanka. He has been a visiting

lecturer in economics and related subjects for decades

at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Postgraduate

Institute of Management, Sri Lanka, Open University

of Sri Lanka and the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka,

He has been a visiting lecturer in central banking and

banking at the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok,

Thailand since 2009'

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Yes, provided we are able to maintain the three pillars of quality education, namely, standards, quality and integrity. Even now, at BMS, we have a few foreign students from the Maldives and Pakistan and there are many inquiries from Middle Eastern and African countries. If we maintain good standards and encourage the local universities to get rated and ranked among the world's top 500 universities, given the cost advantage and the lovely atmosphere which Sri Lanka has, there shouldn't be a difficulty in attracting foreign students who are prepared to pay for their education.

Right now, Sri Lanka is going through a difficult period and it is not the first time it

Do you think we can attract international students?

allowing the rupee to reach its true value against other currencies instead of holding its value at unrealistically high levels. Some of the policies which the government should do on a priority basis are the disciplining the budget, eliminating waste and perceived corruption in the system, reforming loss making public enterprises, promoting the local producers to produce for the world market and developing the country's human capital in terms of the requirements of the future. About this last one, BMS is supporting the go ve r n m e nt i n a h u m b l e way.

had had that type of problems. end of the war in May 2009, Sri Lanka had a good opportunity to rise from the ashes and we have in fact done many to put the country on a high growth trajectory. As a result, we were able to push the country's growth rate from a historical average of less than 5 percent to above 8 percent in the last two years. That is a commendable achievement.

But without a complete overhaul of the economy and reforming specifically, the inefficient public sector which has now become a burden to the nation, such high economic growth cannot be sustained in the long run. The current indications are that Sri Lanka is losing its original high steam of growth pretty fast and to prevent it, the country has to create growth inducing conditions in the system. This requires some bold policies by the government like the one it had in

After the

Lastly, can we have your views on the current state of Sri Lanka's economy?

“Our goal is in sight. We don't see anything in the way of having a useful tool kit for the banana. I'm very optimistic.” Not a bad admission from Professor Pat Heslop-Harrison, given that the banana is the fourth most important crop in the developing world and that the University of Leicester is a world leader in research to safeguard it from an army of deadly viruses, bacteria, insects and fungi.

Thanks in part to a chance dawn meeting at an airport with a virologist also searching for clues into banana diseases, Professor Heslop-Harrison's lab in our Department of Biology was the first in the world to discover a virus integrated into the genome of a banana and expressed under certain conditions. “It was a new class of disease and it was the first time this had ever been done”, said Professor Heslop-Harrison.

“That airport meeting ultimately directed a lot of our research.” In the West we know the Cavendish banana best, the most commonly consumed of our recommended 'five a day' fruit and vegetables, but worldwide there are between one and two thousand varieties. They are crucial to the health and economies of tropical countries throughout Africa, Asia and South and Central America. In parts of Africa, for instance, the banana is a major starch source, consumed at a rate of 1 kilo per person per day. India is the world's biggest banana producer. At Leicester, Professor Heslop-Harrison harnesses the most modern methods of molecular biology to study the genetic diversity within banana varieties. He is now close to discovering an entire DNA sequence for the fruit, offering realistic hopes for both quality and disease control.

Interviewed by

Dunali PereraAssociate Lecturer

BMS

Fruits of world-first discoveryThe University of Leicester is a world leader in research to safeguard bananas - one of the most important crops in the developing world - from an army of deadly viruses, bacteria, insects and fungi.

Prof: Pat Heslop-HarrisonDepartment of BiologyUniversity of Leicester

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Spring 2012 (University of Leicester Magazine)

Being at the heart of the silk route,

rich with cultural values and ethnic

diversities, lies the pearl of the Indian

ocean; ‘Sri Lanka’, a highly desired island

nation for diverse tourists providing a

unique and refreshing experience as a

tourist destination.

In an era where terrorism, economic

recession and political instability are

highlights of international affairs, the

emphasis on tourism and related

recreat ional act iv i t ies are in a

questionable juncture. In midst of such

times, tourism was identified as one of

the largest contributors to the world

economy, creating about 255 million

direct and indirect employment

opportunities.

Maldives, Malaysia, Singapore and

Spain are countries that benefit to a great

degree from tourism and recreation

related industries. The development of

the industry is evident from the facts

presented by the World Tourism

Organization where they have rated

Asia and the Pacific as the world's

second best performing region in terms

of tourist arrivals. These are promising

facts for a country which aims to rebuild

its brand after 3 decades of devastating

civil war. Branding in general is associated

with goods and services and the

d e v e l o p m e n t o f d e s t i n a t i o n

branding or branding nations has been a

newly developed phenomenon. The

commodification of nations is of prime

importance in the globalised world

where nations will be compared with

other nations. Country branding will play

a significant role in developing unique

selling propositions. In building a

competitive country brand, it is vital that

we understand our existing position as a

destination.

Tourist boards around the world

spend millions on selling a country.

Bountiful beaches, natural habitats,

religious relics and adventure which act

upon as a symbolic representation of the

reality of a country are used aggressively

to promote a destination which may

resemble a disproportionate effect on

people’s perceptions of the country as a

whole. Spending money on selling a

country may have adverse effects, but in

The role of image and identity in

sustainable tourism development

Branding Sri Lanka

Insi

ght

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hindsight it is important to spend money

on branding a destination. Building a

successful country brand reflects on

building successful country image.

Country image or the way people

perceive a specific destination affects

consumer behaviour in selecting a tourist

destination. However it is argued that

investigations of tourism destination

branding have primarily been conducted

from a perceived image perspective and

less on an identity perspective. Country

identity reflects on how a country

perceives itself.

A country identity is developed from

the basic roots of a country; it represents

the reality in terms of who we really are,

what we really want, what we believe in

and where we want to be. Identity

represents the promise that a country

makes to the external world.In contrast,

country image represents the sum of

beliefs and perceptions held over a

country by its people. It is the blue print

of a country in the mind of the potential

tourist.Image speaks to the way a country

exists in people's minds and hearts as

well as to the position itoccupies in

communicating the deep held values will

be the key in rebuilding the country

image. Identity should be something

beyond a concept and should be

identified as the back bone of the image

building process. Campaigns should be

built around this and these should go

beyond than selling the country and

more towards perception building. The

growth in the tourism industry will

stimulate the development of basic

infrastructure, escalate domestic

industries, attract foreign direct

investments, and facilitate growth in

communication. Therefore, a well

developed branding strategy and

effective implementation is the way

forward in branding Sri Lanka as a

sustainable tourist destination.

relation to other countries. The

importance of building a positive image is

crucial since the individual traveller's

satisfaction or dissatisfaction with a

t rave l p u rc h a s e d e p e n d s o n a

comparison of his expectation about the

destination with a previously held

destination image or his perceived

performance of the destination.

It is important to identify the deep

rooted values in our societies if we are to

communicate the brand identity. Image

building process should focus on

delivering these deep rooted values in

combination with the cultural artefacts,

religious relics and magnificent costal

lines. These will be in the surface level

where identification of sector specific

branding strategy is crucial for

sustainable development. Sector specific

branding should be built around niche

t o u r i s m w h e r e b y ; e c o t o u r i s m ,

geoourism, archaeological tourism,

wildlife tourism nautical tourism, cultural

& heritage tourism and adventure

tourism should be given the prime

importance. Developing campaigns to

build the country image around this and

by Dineth SamaragunarathnaAcademic Manager, Reading for MSc Manag:University of Leicester

Mid-course internship for BMS Biomedical Science Students at Durdans Hospital

Second batch of BMS Biomedical Science students completed the mid-course laboratory internship at Ceygen Biotech (Durdans Hospital) with the resource persons namely, Ms. Pushpamali De Silva, Dr. J Weerasena, Dr. Y I N S Gunawardene, Prof. R S Dassanayake, Mr W A Wijewardena, (President-BMS), Ms. Hemanthini Kalubowila and Dr. A A P S Manamperi

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The unsocial face of social media

Professor Whitty, working with Dr Tom Buchanan from the University of Westminster, surveyed over 2,000 people through an online You Gov survey and estimated from the results that over two hundred thousand British citizens have fallen victim to the crime. They further estimate over 1 million people personally know someone who has been scammed. Professor Whitty, said: “Our data suggest that the numbers of British victims of this relatively new crime is much higher than reported incidents would suggest. It also confirms law enforcement suspicions that this is an under-reported crime, and thus more serious than first thought.”

the different angles like a jigsaw, and building up a picture of what actually happened at Stokes Croft. He argues that the people who made these videos did it to project some of the police actions at Stokes Croft and to show that, contrary to the stories that appeared in the press, what happened there was not an anti-store demonstration that turned violent.

The police operation to evict a squat in the area was said to have acted as a catalyst for the violence, with many of the rioters being drawn to the area due to the use of social media by eyewitnesses to record the unfolding events. For Professor Monica Whitty, who holds a Chair in Contemporary Media, in the Department of Media and Communication, the way the internet is used to dupe people has provided a focus for research into online romance scams. She found over 200,000 people living in Great Britain may have fallen victim to online romance scams – far more than had been previously estimated.

The study is the first formal academic analysis to measure the scale of this growing problem.

In the ‘online romance scam’ criminals set up fake identities using stolen photographs (often of models or army officers) and pretend to develop a romantic relationship with their victim. This is often done using online dating sites and social networking sites. At some point during the relationship they pretend to be in urgent need of money and ask for help. Many victims have been persuaded to part with large sums of money before their suspicions are aroused.

A study of 2.6 million Twitter messages from the time of the English 2011 riots, found that politicians and other commentators were wrong to claim the social media platform played an important

role in inciting and organising the disturbances. The project was led by Professor Rob Procter at the University of Manchester and was carried out with co-investigators Dr Farida Vis, Lecturer in Media and Communication and computer

scientist Dr Alex Voss from the University of Edinburgh. The project also involved Dr Vis’s research student Yana Manyukhina. It was published in The Guardian newspaper as part of its Reading the Riots investigation.

Dr Vis said the multidisciplinary team had engaged in cutting-edge research, funded by JISC. The research team draws on the expertise of a wide range of disciplines within the social sciences that are combined with expertise in computer science to deliver findings rapidly. Recommendations from the study include a more effective use of social media by government authorities during such events in the future.

Dr Reilly also made a study of the role new media played in the Stokes Croft riots in Bristol, when local opposition against the opening of a superstore chain was said to have contributed towards rioting in the area. Both police and protestors accused each other of being responsible for the violence. Dr Reilly examined 70 YouTube videos and commentaries, taken by people on the streets, piecing together

Our Department of Media and Communication is leading research into different aspects of new media, uncovering ways it is being exploited not only for the public good – but also abused for crime.

over 200,000 people in great Britain have fallen victim to online romance scams… this is an under-reported crime and much more serious thanfirst thought.

Professor Monica Whitty, chair in contemporary media

“Be a yardstick of . Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected”

quality

Steve Jobs

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Spring 2012 (University of Leicester Magazine)

Leicester MBAGeneral Marketing Finance IT Management

Ajith PereraBodyline

“The modules covered a wide variety of topics and were relevant to my job and

the organisation that I work for”

Dazzle Christmas Party

Giving Christmas another twist, the

Student Council organized the “Dazzle”,

was held on the 16th of December 2011.

Themed with stars of a dark night, the

event took place with a DJ, dancing, dinner

and many other prizes for the finalists of

paper and balloon dancing competitions.

The Christmas feeling was completed with

a fully-fledged Christmas tree.

BMS Avurudhu Carnival

Celebrating the Tamil and Sinhalese

New Year, the Student Council brought

back the traditions of a typical Avurudhu

carnival among the college. It took place at

Roxy grounds where the whole college

was divided into four houses and all the

Avurudhu spirit was splashed across their

tents. A cricket tournament was also

included with the completion of all the

Avurudhu games and a DJ to keep up the

enthusiasm that comes along with a

cricket match.

Student Council Activities

Blood Donation Campaign

The campaign was held to reach out to

people by donating blood to the National

Blood Centre in Narahenpita. Flyers were

sent to the surrounding areas to bring

more awareness about the donation. The

many people that turned up were not only

from the college but also from

neighboring places.

Leadership Training

A leadership training programme was

formed for the freshmen of BMS. A one

day workshop which assisted pupils on

personality development and leadership

skills that would be necessary in further

studies throughout the program.

Aquafest

As the name denotes it was ocean

themed, held at BMS roof top. It had many

fun-filled events, gifts and t-shirts for the

best at their field like most creative and

best dancer, including surprise smileys.

Students had worked their own talents

into cooking and bringing food like

colorful cupcakes, brownies, cakes etc.

Effusion BMS Night 2011

This annual event was the highlight of

the year which was held at the Olympic

House, Colombo 07. It filled with games,

music, buffet food and drinks, dance and

finally the BMS king and queen were

selected based on a fashion parade within

BMS students.

BMS Student Council making a difference

Vivek Sadanandan, Vice President

BMS Student Council

Encouragement of participating in

student councils has been inadequate in

many schools and colleges in Sri Lanka.

Most of them consider it to be a waste of

time or do not think of it as essential. But

fortunately, BMS has provided me with

the opportunity to be part of it and I am at

this juncture to say otherwise.

Making a difference

Student councils provide several

benefits and experiences to pupils, in

habits that would not be taught in

classrooms. If one notices closely, it can be

perceived that most students have a fear

of or rather find it difficult to

communicate with other students /

lecturers, lack leadership skills, be bashful

in presentations etc.

Thus, the BMS student council intends

to improve the aforementioned

limitations by organizing events, trips and

also contributing for the society. It is

primarily the process of organizing, which

aids students to commune between each

other and enhance understanding whilst

leaving the fear behind.

Act

ivit

ies

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President

Vice President

Secretary S

Treasurer

Amra Iuoop

Vivek Sadananthan

Shanelli Mendis

Janada Meemaduma

The TeamOffice Bearers 2011/2012.

20 Committee Members

BMS Nig

ht 2011

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Medical Laboratory Test Reports:

Sri Lanka. It reached international recognition by hard work, dedication and commitment over last few years showing its clear vision, mission and potential!

What is Accreditation of medical laboratories?

It is verification of performance of every aspect of laboratory's functions by an independent evaluation in par with an international standard. It is a tedious procedure from preparing documents to showing adherence to the requirements by a laboratory. It uses ISO 15189 standard which is internationally accepted as the standard for assessment and accreditation of laboratories. It is not only testing but includes management and safety as well. The assessors are independent consultants or specialists from the fields of medical laboratory testing. They are trained and registered by the SLAB. The evaluation of performance is done on site by checking everything and observing and witnessing what is needed. Finally a recommendation is forwarded to another independent committee for evaluation and decision.

The most important aspect of accreditation is that it gives assurance to all its clients about reliability of test results. But the fact we should remember is that there is no laboratory which can give 100% correct test results always! Accreditation gives the credibility to the results, and credit to the laboratory for its work. Anything can go wrong anywhere, but the question is who picks and corrects it, who prevents further occurrence of it and who will make sure that everything is under control to minimize errors as much as possible. It is the accredited laboratory!

and reputation. The people who need reputation and recognition will adhere to quality. Still it is not verifiable objectively. Researches carried out in developed countries have shown that laboratory errors can contribute even to inappropriate hospital or ICU admissions. Commonly it leads to unwanted further investigations.

When the clinician is not happy with the report he will throw it or will ask to repeat it. What is the solution to this problem? Is there a way to ensure reliability of a test result to both clinician and patient? Can it be the name of the laboratory, the names of consultants visiting to that laboratory, or something else? Indeed names can give some recognition but it is subjective.

Is there any objective way to assure reliability of test results in Sri Lanka?

Yes indeed, thanks to the initiative of former Ministry of Science and Technology lead by Prof Tissa Vitharana, a new era in quality assurance in Sri Lanka started. Through an Act of Parliament Accreditation Board [SLAB] of conformity assessment was established to pioneer this task in

“Time has come to think whether we are getting for what we paying!”

Medical diagnostics is indeed a flourishing business. The demand for this is so much with increasing population and increasing communicable or non communicable disease prevalence in any country. Commercially driven competition, marketing strategies and fight for reputation, maintain quality of test results to a certain extent. But it is not verifiable.

The laboratory test reports determine the steps of your management. Research has shown, in some developed countries, 70% of diagnostic and management decisions are being made based on laboratory test results. We do not know how much this is true for Sri Lanka. How many of us experience the need of laboratory tests when we fall ill? The question is not the test we need but whether we are getting the correct results!

We give money and blood [or the clinical sample needed] for testing and receive a nicely printed multicolored report with some jargon including the description of machine used, awards received, participation in external quality assurance and many more. Yet, we do not know whether the results are correct or reliable! How many of us heard doctors saying “no, this report is impossible”, “oh, this is incorrect, repeat from another laboratory”, “do not go to this lab again”.

What is the situation in government sector?

Although, some tests are available, we do not have the required range of tests. Even if we have, can we rely on them? Is there any assurance? Again it is the name

Dr K.A.C.WickramaratneSenior Lecturer in Pathology, Specialist Haematologist, Registered Lead Assessor and Technical Assessor, Certified Consultant in Accreditation ISO 15189, Coordinator BSc MLS degree program, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna, Galle, Sri Lanka.

Accredited laboratory means they control and monitor everything and

make sure that errors will not occur and above all,

if happens they will remedy it and prevent it!

How reliable?

Exp

lore

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What is illustrated here is an example of distribution of EQA results of a group of laboratories. Suppose the number of laboratories participating in this program was 75; one “blind test sample” was divided in to 75 portions and transported to each laboratory with controlled conditions to ensure that sample was not altered until laboratory analysed it. Each laboratory sent back the results/report they generated. The EQA service provider analysed results. Who was responsible for the results indicated by X and Y? The X is very low and Y is very high compared to the target value. What does it mean? The laboratory X reports “hypoglycaemia” and Y reports “hyperglycaemia (diabetes)” when results should be “normal”!

If a laboratory is accredited, chances are high that they have controlled every step of testing. Thus they will fall almost closer or on the target value and will report “normal” when it is normal and “abnormal” when results are abnormal! In any instance if they fall away from target they will make sure that it is noted, corrected and will not happen again!

Who will monitor what happens in non accredited laboratories? Conscience or God?

We should demand quality, we should demand reliability, because we have to “pay” for consequences of laboratory errors including repetition of test, unwanted further tests, inadequate or inappropriate treatment, the delay in diagnosis and many more. Nobody will think and inquire unless we demand it!

Now the time has come to recognize accreditation and accredited medical clinical laboratories in Sri Lanka!

voluntarily worked to get accredited status in Sri Lanka even in the absence of a regulatory requirement to do so.

When accredited laboratories reject u n s u i t a b l e s a m p l e s , n ex t d o o r “laboratory” can accept the same sample and issue reports! When accredited l a b o r a t o r y d e m a n d s s a m p l e collectors/collection centers to maintain required standard, “other laboratories” can accept all the samples from collectors with no demand on quality! Therefore, it is the responsibility of regulators to ensure that the laboratories generate reliable reports. On the other hand, accredited laboratories should get due respect and recognition.

The customer is educated and knowledgeable. He should be guided. It is not a mere logo with some certification. It is the verification of performance. It is the confirmation of adherence to standard practice. It is the gold standard of giving confidence to the rest of the world on quality performance of laboratory diagnostics in Sri Lanka.

To highlight the regulatory requirement, I would like to point out one interesting fact. External quality assurance [EQA] is a must in accreditation. It gives confidence on accuracy of test results. EQA report comes with various interpretations and graphical presentations. The few accredited laboratories and many other laboratories participate in EQA programs. However, whether non accredited laboratories correct their problems is not verifiable. If an accredited laboratory finds significant EQA deviation, they should take immediate action to correct and prevent it.

Accredited laboratory means they control and monitor everything and make sure that errors will not occur and above all, if happens they will remedy it and prevent it!

Accrediting a test means the laboratory ensures: receipt of a proper request, proper patient preparation, use of correct techniques and devices for sample [in most cases blood] collection, use of correct methods of sample transport and storage, acceptance of only suitable samples, testing by internationally or nationally accepted recognized methods by qualified and competent , use of valid equipment, maintenance of environment optimum for machines and test requirements , ca l ibrat ion of a l l equipments [the values given in equipment have a ver i f icat ion] , performance and monitoring of internal and external quality control of testing, required corrective and preventive actions, release of a reliable, properly formatted report to the patient finally.

“That is, giving the correct report to correct person within correct time period while ensuring correct method, correct technical competence and correct quality control to generate results”. Once a battery of tests are accredited in a laboratory [which is described as scope of the laboratory], the list of tests accredited in the laboratory is followed up at regular inter va ls by SLAB us ing s imi lar assessments. Thus it ensures continuation of good work started. In accreditation process, laboratory is given freedom to choose the scope and it can be a selection of tests performed in the laboratory or it may be all the tests. Therefore, it is mandatory for accredited laboratories to display the list of tests accredited. They can use SLAB logo only on the test reports accredited.

For a test to be accredited it should fulfill all the requirements given in the ISO guide. If not, accreditation is not awarded. It is a requirement for the country to implement compulsory accreditation if we are planning to become the miracle of Asia and if we expect a boost in tourism. If the visitors from the rest of the world demand, do we have the quality? Compared to many disciplines in medicine, no doubt, private sector laboratories lead on the range of availability of tests/services compared to the government sector. We must appreciate very much the few laboratories

personals

For a test to be accredited it should fulfill all the

requirements given in the ISO guide. If not,

accreditation is not awarded. It is a requirement for the

country to implement compulsory accreditation if we are planning to become the miracle of Asia and if we

expect a boost in tourism.

Dr K.A.C.Wickramaratne

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BMS Awurudu

Carnival 2012BMS Awurudu

Carnival 2012

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The

20-40

effect

way a round. A generation of mothers

are treating their daughters as fashion

role models, according to a study. The

'20-40 mums' – an expression invented

by a teenage girl to describe women in

their 40s who dress as though their 20 –

are so desperate to stay on that they

follow their daughters leads on

everything from make-up to hairstyles.

But it's a one-way process, with the

fashions and taste of the older

generation leaving youngsters cold. The

findings could help explain why celebrity

mothers such as, Carol Voderman

appeared to be taking style tips from

their offspring. The 50 year old

presenter and her daughter Katie, 19,

showed off similar looks at the Epsom

Derby last month. The study of modern

300 mothers and daughters found that

adolescent girls have a powerful

influence on the make-up, clothes and

hairstyles chosen by their mothers.

Cultural historians have long argued that

the 1950s was a turning point when the

It used to be teenage daughters who raided their mothers wardrobes for something to wear.

But these days, it seems it's more likely to be the other

younger generation actively rebelled

against the taste of their parents for the

first time. However, the phenomenon has

now come full circle, with parents

increasingly copying the younger

generation, the study suggests.

Dr. Ayalla Ruvio, from Temple

University Fox School of Business, said

the impact adolescents have on parents

is much more profound than has been

credited to them. The researchers,

whose findings appear in The Journal of

Consumer Behaviour, questions 343

mothers and daughters with an average

age of 44 and 16 respectively. They

found that if a mother is young at heart,

has high fashion awareness and views

her daughter as a style expert, she will

copy her daughter's shopping habits.

But even if a daughter regards herself as

older than she is and is interested in

fashion, she is far less likely to see her

mother as a role model.

Dr. Ruvio said: “Our culture

emphasises being young' and so we see

this reverse socialisation where parents

mimic their kids. We had mothers who

were 44, but who felt that they were 33

or 34. They feel younger and they are

compelled to project that through their

consumption behaviour. But they don't

have time to go and work out what was

cool or hip because they have busy lives

and jobs, so they take a short cut and

mimic their daughters”. In 2009, it was

reported that a mother had spent

£10,000 on cosmetic procedures to

look like her daughter, 22 years

younger.

why mothers are dressing like their daughters?

Blood donation day organised by BMS Student Council

Daily Mirror, Colombo

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AAQU

fest

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Hungarian President resigns over plagiarism scandal

Hungary's constitution provides for the election of a new president within 30 days if the head of state's mandate ends prematurely. During this time the speaker of parliament takes over the president's tasks. Schmitt's successor is widely expected to be another close ally of Orban's centre-right Fidesz party.

During his time in office, the outgoing president signed into law numerous bills, as well as a new constitution, that critics at home and abroad have condemned for handing increasing power to the ruling party and restricting democracy. Opposition parties welcomed Schmitt's departure Monday, but hinted that a change in the way the president is chosen -- at present he or she is elected by parliament, not by the Hungarian people -- could be needed.

"The presidential honour has been so greatly undermined that a mere change of presidents will not do," said far-right Jobbik leader Gabor Vona.

Hungary's President Pal Schmitt, a close ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, caved in Monday to mounting pressure to quit after he was stripped of his 1992 doctorate title for plagiarism.

"Under the constitution, the president must represent the unity of the Hungarian nation. I have unfortunately become a symbol of division, I feel it is my duty to leave my position," Schmitt told Parliament. He later submitted his resignation in writing to the speaker of Parliament, Laszlo Kover.

"In the interests of Hungary and of national unity, I resign from the post of president," he said in the letter. Schmitt, 69, a former two-time fencing Olympic champion, leaves the mostly ceremonial post less than two years after he took over the presidency in June 2010. Rumours he might resign first arose on Friday, a day after Budapest's Semmelweis University stripped him of his PhD, but Schmitt clung on, insisting that he could "see no link" between the plagiarism affair and a need for his resignation. The university found last week that Schmitt copied "word-for-word" large passages of another writer's work in his thesis on the history of the Olympic Games.

In Parliament Monday, Schmitt insisted he had done "honest work" and claimed the university had "no right" to strip him of his doctorate, adding that he might take legal action to get it back. He also said he would prepare a new doctorate on sports and the environment. The ruling Fidesz party, which enjoys an overwhelming majority in Parliament, said it would initiate talks with the opposition on Monday evening on the exact procedure for choosing a new president.

"The only way to restore confidence is to have immediate (direct) presidential elections."

Others also saw Schmitt's departure as a sign that Orban's power was waning.

"This should be a sign for the prime minister as well, that his will, his power is not limitless. The people's backbone is stronger than the PM's will," said Socialist party leader Attila Mesterhazy.

"Your leader is not immune to mistakes, and that sets limits to your powers as well," he told Fidesz deputies.

Since coming to power in April 2010 in a landslide election victory, Orban's government has installed close allies in key posts such as the presidency, the state audit office and the judiciary. Orban had mostly stayed out of the debate over Schmitt, telling public radio Friday that the president alone must make the decision on whether he should resign, while opposition parties had called on him to step down. The weekly HVG first outed Schmitt in January, reporting that the "majority" of his thesis was a "word-for-word translation" of a text written in French in the 1980s by late Bulgarian sports expert and diplomat Nikolai Georgiev. Soon after, respected news website index.hu said a further 17 pages of Schmitt's conclusions had been word-for-word translations of a dissertation by German professor Klaus Heinemann, written in English in 1991.

Last year, former German defence minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg was also forced to resign over allegations that he too plagiarised his doctoral thesis.

by Andreea Anca (AFP)

President Pal Schmitt

“I am always to learn although

I do not always like being taught”

ready

Winston Churchill

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mandatory- they can be taught alongside a school's existing content or chosen according to what is most appropriate for pupils. However, teachers can save valuable time by teaching Edexcel units directly from the detailed specifications.”

Once the Edexcel Curriculum is followed, students sit Annual Progress tests marked internally by Edexcel cert i f ied teachers. In addit ion, Achievement tests are held in Grades 5/6 and 8/9 respectively. These papers are marked in the UK and certificates are issued to students completing Annual tests as well as Achievement tests. Achievement test are designed for the end of Year 6, with the International Primary Curriculum Achievement Test providing students with a tangible record of achievement, a considerable advantage when progressing to Years 11 to 14 and subsequently to the International GCSE or equivalent. With marking conducted externally by Edexcel, these tests comply with rigorous global standards and provide certification at the end of Year 6.

“Edexcel vocational qualifications are also being offered in schools alongside academic studies in order that students are given options of study avenues that will help them in gearing for their future careers ,” says Premi la . “ These qualifications form a diverse plethora of both conventional and unusual but lucrative career options and include sport, art and design, travel and tourism and photography. Students are tested on assignment, with academic examinations. Another advantage is that the results of vocational qualifications are equivalent to academic grades and could be produced as a combination to gain entry to universities.”

With Edexcel London examination being offered in Sri Lanka for over 35 years together with British Council and over 180 international and private schools teaching the Edexcel curricula, several Sri Lankan students have excelled and being ranked among the top ten in the world. 95% of the total number of schools offering UK qualifications and the world's highest marks attained by the students repeatedly each year, reflects positively on the quality and the comprehensiveness of the curricular imparted in Sri Lanka.

Edexcel is regulated by Ofqual, of which qualifications are offered at both government funded and private independence schools in the UK and globally. Being the most sought after British academic and vocational qualifications in Sri Lanka, Edexcel students have gained entry into top universities in the UK, USA and Australia. Further, Edexcel draws expertise from a myriad universities that are ranked among the best in the UK, which naturally permeates to better quality and more holistic standards. Apart from the international GCSE, GCE A/L London examinations and BTEC vocational qualifications, Edexcel has introduced comprehensive curricula and test for primary and lower secondary students aged 8 to 14 in English, Mathematics and Science.

Based on the UK National Curriculum Key Stages 1 and 2, it gives pupils a well-rounded education, preparing them for secondary and pre-university level, while giving teachers an essay-to-implement framework that monitors individual student progress. She adds that “Edexcel International Primary Curriculum is designed to be flexible, so units are not

Premila Paulraj, Vice-President, Pearson, India speaks to the BMS Learner

Edexcel has competitive edge with input from UK's top ranked universities

“Edexcel is the UK's largest

qualification awarding

body, providing academic

and vocational

qualifications to more

than 25,000 tuition

providers in over 100

countries worldwide.

In the UK, Edexcel offers

qualifications and testing

in more than 24,000

schools, 450 further

education colleges, over

80 higher education

institutions, 600 public and

private sector employers”

Glo

bal

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“Having a university degree has always been a dream of mine. But, up until last year, I didn't think that this would be possible for me. When I first enrolled, I was tackling a very busy life in Tokyo with work and family. But, the information provided by BMS on the first contact wasprofessional enough to give me confidence to enrol. I thought that I would just barely pass. During the course, there was much encouragement and support from the university lecturers and from the local tutors. It helped me realise that I wanted to do better and I wanted to give it my best”

Dear All,

NicolaNicola Obtained First Class Honours in the Leadership and Management Degree from Northumbria University, UK and won W A Wijewardena Gold Medal for being the Best BMS Student at the BMS Graduation Ceremony 2011.

Northumbria University (UK) Bachelors Degree in Business Students

(7th batch) in Sri Lanka

Seventh batch of Northumbria University Bachelors Degree (final year) in Business students pose for a photograph with university lecturers Dr Guy Brown and Paul Leonard at BMS.

Nicola Lauretta Nakashima

Fourth batch of Biomedical Science students at BMS

occurring immune chemicals that usually

aggravate the condition were lower, and

that the blubberers had better control of

their condition a year later. Many experts

have pointed to this finding as evidence

that tears act as some kind of release

valve – helping the body to dissipate a

bu i ld - up of st ress hormones

that could otherwise harm the body.

Crying is accompanied by activity in

our parasympathetic nervous system; its

job is to calm the body after a stressful

event, causing a drop in heart rate – and

shedding a tear may encourage this.

Women generally cry more than men,

explains Professor Ad Vingerhoets, a

Psychologist and leading researcher on

crying, based at the University of Tilburg,

Holland. However, it seems both sexes

cry equally at major life events such as

bereavement.

Is the bearing of emotion a good idea

of? It seems it is – last week researchers

Indiana University in the US revealed that

the sportsmen who let themselves have

a cry after losing a match performed

better in the long term. According to

scientists their lack of inhibition is a sign

of higher levels of self- esteem.

However, this is not the only benefit of

crying – emerging evidence suggests

shedding a tear can reduce allergies, and

even lower the pain of rheumatoid

arthritis. Some evidence suggests crying

helps regulate the immune system. A

Japanese study of patients with the auto

– immune disease rheumatoid arthritis

revealed that those who cry easily have

less pain and fewer symptoms than those

with a stiff upper lip.

Blood tests revealed that immediately

after crying, the levels of naturally –

Don't hold back

crying really is good for you

Daily Mail, LondonC

BMS Biomedical science students batch 4 with Julie Edgar, Associate Dean, School of Applied Science, and Dr St. John Usher, Senior Lecturer, Programme Leader Biotechnology, Northumbria University UK.Students, who successfully complete the Diploma in Biomedical Science at BMS can transfer to final year of BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science degree at Northumbria University, UK. The degree is accredited by the institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS).

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SIX-A-SIDE

Cricket Tournament 2011

for Professional qualifications

Degree Pathways...

*Work Experience is essential for entry to MBA.

Marketing

Chartered Instituteof ManagementAccountants UK

ManagementAccounting

CIMA

CIMAFoundation Level

(Certificate)

CIMAManagerial Level

(Advanced Diploma)

CIMAStrategic Level

CIM

Chartered Instituteof Marketing UK

CIMProfessional Certificate

CIMProfessional

Diploma

CIMProfessionalPostgraduate

Diploma

Banking

Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka

IBSLCBF / Certificate

IBSLDBF

(4 core subjects)

IBSLDBF / Diploma

Accounting

ACCA

ACCAFundamentals LevelKnowledge Module

ACCAFundamentals Level

Skills Module

ACCAProfessional

Level

Association ofChartered Certified

Accountants

Final Year of Bachelors Degree in UKFinal Year of Bachelors Degree in UK

Masters Degree including MBA in Sri Lanka or UK

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Computing

BSc(Hons) Applied ComputingFinal Year

NIIT

NIITDNIIT

EdexcelHigher National

Diploma

NCC

NCCDiploma &

Advanced Diploma

EdexcelHigher National

Diploma

CityGuilds

Advanced TechnicianDiploma

BEng (Hons) MobileCommunication Engineering

SLT

Engineering

Institute ofChemistry

Ceylon

ICCAdvanced Diploma

Chemistry

BSc(Hons)Applied Chemistry

Business

National Instituteof Business

Management

NIBMHigher

Diploma

NIBMAdvanced Diploma

Final Year of Bachelors Degree in UK

BMSDiploma

BMSAdvanced Diploma

BusinessManagement

School

NCC

NCCDiploma

NCCAdvanced Diploma

ABEDiploma

ABEAdvanced Diploma

Association of Business

Executives (UK)

Edexcel-HNCHigher National

Certificate

HNDHigher National

Diploma

Edexcel-

PQHRMStage 1

PQHRMStage 2

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Mr Sarath Kumara, a veteran in the field of education will assume duties as the Academic Advisor and will spearhead theacademic quality enhancement of programmes of BMS. Having graduated from University of Jayewardenapura he went ont o s e c u r e m u l t i p l e

Academic Registrar

postgraduate degrees MBA (Leicester), MA in Economics (Colombo) and MSc in Research Methods (Middlesex). He brings in varied experience including project management funded by key donors. He has traveled widely and has received special training in Local Finance in the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden. Sarath has been involved in teaching international finance and research methods for post-graduate students and supervising Masters level projects, particularly MSc in Finance.

Chief Global Officer

Sam Stembo joined BMS as its Chief Global Officer taking responsibility of its global operations, a novel and innovative initiative embarked by BMS. A founder Chartered Marketer and a Certified Professional Marketer , Sam counts nearly four decades of

work experience covering private, NGO, State and non-profit sectors. Prior to joining BMS, he was with Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) and handled three key projects which secured one world award and two international awards. He also functioned as its Assistant General Secretary and Acting Secretary General in two short spells. He was the first Executive Director of Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing.

New

Appointments

Dr Dilantha Gunawardana (D i l i ) ser ves BMS as a lecturer and an internal verifier in the subjects, biochemistry and molecular biology. He holds a Ph.D. and a Honours Degree (First Class) in Biochemistry and MolecularBiology, from the University of

Senior Lecturer

Melbourne, Australia. For his Ph.D. studies he was awardedthe prestigious Sir John and Lady Higgins Ph.D. scholarship, which is only awarded to one student yearly. He has five peer-reviewed publications under his belt and has also made contributions to scientific periodicals. Dr Gunawardana undertook his post-doctoral studies at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines prior to his appointment as a senior lecturer at the University of Colombo. In all, he accounts for more than 7 years of research experience in the Biomedical and Plant Sciences and has served as a lecturer in the Life Sciences for nearly 3 years.

Colombo, Sri Lanka. In 2011, she was presented with a Postgraduate Research Award, (Merit Award) at the 67th Annual Sessions of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science in recognition of her high accomplishments and achievements in the field of Immunology and Molecular Biology during her postgraduate research. She was also the recipient of the 1st prize for scientific papers in Basic Immunology at the 5th Biennial Sessions of the Allergy and Immunology Society of Sri Lanka in 2010.

Programme Leader

Dr Sajani Dias is a lecturer and the Programme Leader for the Biomedical Science programme at BMS. Dr Dias graduated with F i r s t C l a s s H o n o u rs i n Biotechnology from the University of Bangalore, India in 2005. She obtained her PhD in 2010 from the University of

BMS's Leicester University MBA student and Central Bank's Assistant Director, Thilini Sumudu Kumari, has been the world's top student in Microfinance Training of Trainers Course conducted by the Asian Development Bank Institute, China Development Bank and Tokyo Development Learning Centre and offered in Sri Lanka through Sri Lanka's Distance Learning Centre. The course which ran for three months has been followed by more than 400 students worldwide. Thilini will now be a certified global microfinance trainer. We congratulate Thilini on her distinctively unique success at this course.

BMS student become world's best

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Photo Album

Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka (IBSL) Degree Pathway

Central Bank of Sri Lanka delegates visited Northumbria University UK.

National Institute of Business Management (NIBM) Degree Pathway

Mr. John Hartwright, Head of Admissions, Northumbria University UK hands over the letter of recognition

to Dr Weerasinghe, Director General, NIBM.

CIMA Degree pathway

Mr Bradley Emerson, Regional Director South Asia and Middle East, CIMA receives Northumbria University Degree with CIMA

confirmation document from Mr Neil Slater in presence of British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr Mark Gooding.

Head Table – Prof Gamini Samarawickrame, Chairman , University Grants Commission, Mrs Rose Cooray, Mr W A Wijewardena, Ajith

Cabraal , Governor of Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr Peter Hayes, British High Commissioner, Ms Gill Westaway & Dr Ranee Jayamaha.

BA (Hons) Leadership & Management Degree Launch

Institute of Personnel Management (IPM) Degree Pathway

Ms Gill Westaway, Country Director, British Council hands over the letter of recognition for IPM qualification

to IPM President Mr Lalith Wijetunge.

Ms. Rosalind Martin, International Projects Manager at Northumbria University formally handed over the letter of

recognition to Professor J.N.O. Fernando, Hony. Dean, College of Chemical Sciences.

I.Chem Degree pathway

Arc

hiv

es

Apple innovator receives

knighthoodJonathan Ive, a Northumbria University graduate

and head of design at Apple, has been awarded a

knighthood in the New Year Honours list.

Mr Ive has been made a Knight Commander of

the British Empire (KBE) in recognition of services to

design and enterprise. A graduate of Northumbria’s

Design for Industry course, Mr Ive was awarded an

Honorary Degree from the University in 2000. In

2003, he was named Designer of the Year by the

Design Museum London and awarded the title of

Royal Designer for Industry by The Royal Society of

Arts Raised in Chingford, Mr Ive began working for

Apple in 1992 and since then has been credited as a

key creative force behind the iMac, iPod, iPhone

and iPad. He said he was "both humbled and

sincerely grateful" to receive the knighthood

honour, adding: "I am keenly aware that I benefit

from a wonderful tradition in the UK of designing

and making. "I discovered at an early age that all I’ve

ever wanted to do is design."

Professor Steven Kyffin, Dean of the School of

Design, said: "We are absolutely delighted Jonathan

I've has been honoured in this way as it not only

recognises Sir Jonathan’s contribution to design and

Apple’s commitment to offering products and

services of the highest quality, it also reflects the

continuing ambitions of Northumbria School of

Design, from where Sir Jonathan graduated in 1989.

“Our School aims to ensure that design always

takes a strategic and pivotal role at the boardroom

table. We want to enable design to take a cultural

role rather than merely packaging technology

delivered for its own sake. And thirdly, all that we

create should be manufactured to the highest

aesthetic and technical quality. As William Morris

said, 'Have nothing in your house that you do not

know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful'."

The knighthood is the second time Mr Ive has

been recognised in the honours list. In 2005 he was

made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE).

Sir Jonathan IveSenior Vice President and Head-

Industrial Design, Apple(A graduate of Northumbria University -

BA (Hons) Design for Industry)