An agreement establishing thiswas signed between IFS and the University of Moratuwa in the presence of dignitaries and members of the media.
The partnership marks a milestone in the industry-academia collaboration in the country and will strengthen the research capability across all Faculties of the university and foster a culture of creative thinking, innovation and entrepreneurship amongst both its teaching faculty and students alike.
Under the partnership IFS will grant 18 million Rupees over a period of 3 years to establish a position of an IFS Endowed Professor/Senior Fellow for innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Moratuwa.
IFS recognises that a strong collaboration between industry and academia is necessary to significantly enhance the innovation entrepreneurship culture of the country.
Creative thinking and an innovative mind-set is imperative for propelling economic growth and technological advancement in emerging economies such as Sri Lanka.
Consequently, nurturing and building human capital, thereby creating anenabling environment,is a key driver towards achieving this.
University of Moratuwa (UoM) is also mindful of the impact of creating an innovative and entrepreneurial culture within the university, in view of adding value and wealth creation towards the country’seconomic growth.
The university's vision is to be “the most globally recognized knowledge enterprise in Asia”, hence the importance of transforming UoM in to a world class university.
“We are a knowledge based company and we recognize the importance of developing intellectualinfrastructure and giving it the freedom to thrive.
We’re excited about partnering with the University of Moratuwa - one of the premier universities in the country – and tobe a part of establishing the next generation of Sri Lanka’s creative thinkers, game-changers, entrepreneurial minds, and the workforce for the future,” said Ranil Rajapakse, Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of IFS World Operations in Sri Lanka, reaffirming the company’s commitment towards strengthening its long standing relationship with the University of Moratuwa.
The Vice Chancellor of The University of Moratuwa, Prof. Ananda Jayawardane, underscored the significance of this milestone in industry - academia collaboration. Said Prof. Ananda Jayawardane:
“The University of Moratuwa, an internationally recognized seat of learning and research, recognizes that nurturing activities related to research & innovation, knowledge creation, technology transfer and invention have positive ripple effects which extends beyond the parameters of academia.
The concept of an Endowed Professor/Senior Fellow at the university has been proposed to complement and amplify the efforts of the university and foster a culture of innovation while reinforcing its position as the premier technological university in Sri Lanka.”
Alastair Sorbie, President and CEO of the IFS group, emphasized that a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship benefits both the industry and the nation and noted the need for industry and academia to work closely towards developinga conducive environment.
“Technology is never static and innovation cannot exist in isolation. There is always a dynamic cycle of engagement, improved understanding and continuously evolving knowledge-sharing between both the industry and the academia.
It is important to foster creativity and industry-academia partnerships towards future advancement, both in the business world and academia,” highlighted Sorbie.
“Over the years, IFS has a tradition of collaborating with tertiary education institutions, sharing our expertise, providing industry opportunities and building rewarding partnerships through mutual exploration and learning.
We are confident that this program will assist in augmenting the talents of the students andpave the way for innovative research initiatives,” said Jayantha De Silva, President & CEO, IFS Sales & Consulting, Sri Lanka.
Thispartnershipis poised toact as a catalyst towardsfostering new innovations and commercialization, establishing start-ups, enhancing creative and innovative thinking in the future workforce and bridging the gap between industry and academia. It is also anticipated to enhance the nation’s academic competitiveness on a global platform.
About IFS
IFS™ is a globally recognized leader in developing and delivering business software for enterprise resource planning (ERP), enterprise asset management (EAM) and enterprise service management (ESM). IFS brings customers in targeted sectors closer to their business, helps them be more agile and enables them to profit from change.
A public company (XSTO: IFS) that was founded in 1983 and has over 2,600 employees around the world. IFS supports more than 2,200 customers worldwide from local offices and through partners in more than 60 countries.
IFS has grown to be one of the leading software development companies in the country with over 700 employees in Sri Lanka. IFS has been operating in Sri Lanka since 1997 and celebrates its 17th anniversary this year.
Recently listed among the 15 best companies to work for in Sri Lanka, IFS works with cutting-edge product functionality and technology, engages in best practices processes and is a firm proponent of investing in training and research.
Over the years, IFS has played an integral part in building strong industry and academic partnerships through industrial placement, mentoring programmes, scholarships, undergraduate projects, curriculum development, teaching, and providing infrastructure support. For more information visit: www.ifsworld.com
About The University of Moratuwa
The University of Moratuwa (UOM) is the premier technology university in Sri Lanka attracting some of the best students in the country and producing world class graduates across three faculties - the Faculty of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Information Technology.
UoM is the most sought after university for undergraduate enrolment in its respective disciplines and is also the most preferred institution by the industry for employment in Sri Lanka.
At present, through its faculties the UoM offers eleven (11) Bachelors degree programs to students selected by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and fifty six (56) postgraduate taught programs.
In addition, it offers research based Postgraduate programs leading to MSc, MPhil and Ph.D degrees.
In view of strengthening its postgraduate programs, UGC approval has been obtained for the establishment of the Faculty of Graduate Studies for the promotion of research, research degrees and multi-disciplinary postgraduate courses which are the latest additions to the university.
