UWU Graduation – Another generation set to soar above storms!

Dr Kumudu Jayawardhana

Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Management, Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka.

(General Convocation of the Uva Wellassa University will be held on 25th of March, 2022 at Magam Ruhunupura International Convention Centre (MRICC), Hambantota)

Uva Wellassa University (UWU) brings the evidence that depth of impact matters in lieu of the length of history. Being a very young national university established in 2005, and located in Badulla, its foremost focus is to offer degree programmes tailored to upsurge the depth of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and competencies of the students in handling the steady trend of ever-evolving socio-economic complexities in the local and global economy.

Currently, UWU has evolved itself to be well-established with four academic Faculties – Faculty of Management, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Animal Science & Export Agriculture, and Faculty of Technological Studies which is the newest addition to UWU family. Envisioning the university mission, these academic establishments currently offer 15 Undergraduate Degree Programmes, Research Higher Degree Programmes, Master Degree Programmes, Professional Courses, and Short Courses.

UWU is about to mark another historical milestone with its 11th General Convocation which is set out to be on 25th March, 2022 at Magam Ruhunupura International Convention Centre, Hambantota.

Our Education Model – A Conceptual Innovation in Higher Education

UWU has been nothing short of a new defining feat of the modern higher education landscape from its very inception under the leadership of the first Vice Chancellor, Dr. Chandra Embuldeniya. Spearheading towards the right direction, the university has been a roaring success story under the leadership of current Vice Chancellor, Professor Jayantha Lal Ratnasekera with his style of leading by example.

What factors make UWU educational model unique? Why is it counted as a conceptual innovation model in higher education?

Grasping the lacuna on the notable separation between the university education and real market needs, our courses are designed to be market-driven which in return creates well-rounded graduates with the right knowledge, skills, attitudes, and professional ethics who can ably handle the complexities in the real-world scenario. Thus, the core of our educational model is to reach real-world needs without compromising academic excellence. Following pillars in our education model undeniably brings UWU the competitive edge in the higher education landscape.

Living the University

Vision – Just Another Cliché?

Our degree programmes offered by all the respective Faculties are driven by one vision, “adding value to national resource base”. Thus, our vision isn’t just another cliché, rather the guiding light. It is solidly embedded and linked with the core of our all the degree programmes which has led the particular Faculties to offer degree programmes on specific areas that could add immense value for the extant national resource base. The proceeding section provides further evidence on the facet of offering market-centric degree programmes. Thus, it’s aspirational and realistic!

Placing Entrepreneurship at the Core

Creating entrepreneurial graduates is at the core of all of our degree programmes. Thus, all the degree programmes are designed to educate our students on the discipline through courses such as entrepreneurship, New Product Development, New Venture Creation, IPR, and Commercialization while we maintain a culture favorable for new experimentations among students. The results so far have been remarkable.

Extending our promise to the university student as well as the community at large, UWU offers a conducive floor for well-established enterprises and budding entrepreneurs to find sustainable solutions for their problems. It has adopted multiple approaches to promote entrepreneurship among undergraduates and community at large. Among all these initiatives in promoting entrepreneurship, the role of our University Business Linkage and Social Enterprise Incubation Cell is critical since these knowledge extension arms are proactively contributing in breeding generations of entrepreneurs with creative mindset who can competently transform challenges into business opportunities.

Silo-free Education

UWU is a living icon in the country which proves how far the “silo-free” education could function. Promoting insularity within graduates, silo mentality forces universities to be highly mindful of their study territories which is a bane when it comes to creating a generation of graduates who can competently handle real-world issues. Well-spotting this scenario, UWU has tweaked its culture for cultivating effective cross collaborations and intermingling between diverse academic faculties and departments which has unquestionably blasted and breached the academic silos. Subsequently, rather than crafting university curriculums on selected and narrow fiefdoms, cross-faculty learning is strongly embedded in all of our undergraduate and postgraduate curricular. Additionally, connection and collaboration are a strong part of our strategy. We believe that our development hinges on the quality eco-system we can breed through our connections and collaborations since they bring together talent and resources to transform real-world challenges into entrepreneurial opportunities. And, UWU holistically follows this practice when meeting its end – Creating well-rounded leaders in the respective fields.

Focus on Essential Skills and Broad General Education

21st century has set a different set of challenges which means breeding a different set of skills has been very important in breeding generations of university communities to battle with real-world challenges. These skills refer to the knowledge, life skills, career skills, habits, and traits those help students to navigate their student life to the work force.

The core purpose of essential skills and broad general education pillar of UWU provides an effective basis for promoting these skills. Thus, enhancing the essential skills of undergraduates isn’t again another cliché at UWU. Rather than being an add-on cliché, this constituent is strongly entrenched in the core of our degree programmes. Irrespective of the study discipline, all undergraduates of UWU have to get mandatory course units from our specific two study pillars – Essential Skills and Broad General Education. While the Essential Skills pillar focuses on developing undergraduates’ analytical skills, quantitative reasoning skills, mathematical skills, communication skills, and English language skills, the “Broad General Education” pillar focuses on creating responsible citizens with its specific course units such as ethics, law basics, history, and geography.

Conducive Environment

University engenders a conducive environment for our graduates to prosper as young academics and professionals. This is accomplished via several fronts. Enhancing a positive research culture, creating blended models with industries where students can get hands-on experience with the practical issues, facilitating numerous student clubs allowing students to have a quality life are some of those initiatives.

The Group about to be Crowned

The General Convocation of UWU will be held on 25th of March, 2022, whene both bachelor and postgraduate degrees will be awarded. Followings are the bachelor degrees that will be awarded at the 11th Convocation by the respective academic establishments at UWU.

Greetings from UWU family!

The swelling graduating rate and the employability rate further posit that UWU is an efficacious game-changer in the higher education landscape. From its humble start with only five undergraduate degree programmes in 2005, it has grown into an establishment offering 15 undergraduate degree programmes in diverse disciplines, several postgraduate programmes, professional courses, and short courses. UWU has developed a bold pledge to participate in adding value to the national resource base which insists the university to change the directions and evolve.

So, it’s time to celebrate the triumph of empowering another skilled generation who can proficiently row over real-world problems and challenges. The UWU family wishes them all the best in their future endeavors!