Sri Lanka: Including the Excluded in a Knowledge Economy

Related links Download the Publication and view additional resources Download the winning essay Visit World Bank Public Information Center for publications on Building Knowledge Economies and to view the DVD of the event.

 “How does one include the excluded in a Knowledge Economy (KE)?” asked the Dean of the University of Peradaeniya Faculty of Arts, Prof. Tudor Silva at the forum “Building the Sri Lanka’s Knowledge Economy – Opportunities and Challenges held in Sri Lanka on the 27 June, 2008.  

Explaining the issue of exclusion felt by local language speakers at the University, the question posed was, “Is competency in English a crucial requirement for building a knowledge economy? 

“There is too much emphasis on a foreign language and the knowledge economy should not be equated with language,” said Harini Dias Bandaranayake, winner of the essay competition How to Build Sri Lanka’s Knowledge Economy?  “For creation and innovation to flourish we need to make people comfortable to use their own language,” she said at the Forum held by the World Bank Sri Lanka office in partnership with LirneAsia, the Point Pedro Institute of Development and the Distance Learning Centre.

“For creation and innovation to flourish we need to make people comfortable to use their own language,” said Harini Dias Bandaranayake, winner of the essay competition.

She was joined by Dulani Liyanhetti, the third prize winner at this forum, which was a multi site Video Conference. The rich dialogue at this forum brought together Vice Chancellors of the University of Colombo, Universities of  Peradeniya, Deans and faculty members of the universities with business community members in Colombo, an audience in Washington and the author of the report Building Sri Lanka’s Knowledge Economy, Ismail Radwan from Nigeria.  

In March earlier this year the Colombo office launched the World Bank report and the related essay competition to raise awareness, generate a dialogue on the issues, and seek creative solutions for Sri Lanka to move towards a Knowledge Economy.

Ms. Naoko Ishii, World Bank Country Director in her welcome address said it was an opportune time for Sri Lanka to begin its transition towards the knowledge economy, harnessing the benefits of ICT infrastructure, an improved business environment and better human resources to develop sustainably. Mentioning her delight on learning that the report is already being used in Sri Lanka’s universities as a guide, she expressed hope that the forum would highlight the KE paradigm and generate a discussion among Sri Lankans on this new concept. 

“Sri Lanka still needs to develop its own vision and strategies to address its transition to a knowledge economy. Implementing a development strategy for the knowledge economy will be a progressive step towards growth in all sectors of the economy,” said Naoko Ishii, World Bank Country Director

 As a next step, she called for Sri Lanka to formulate a high level strategic group and a knowledge economy task force consisting of leaders from various industry sectors, academia and government agencies to formulate policies that will enable the country to build its knowledge economy.

“Sri Lanka still needs to develop its own vision and strategies to address its transition to a knowledge economy. Implementing a development strategy for the knowledge economy will be a progressive step towards growth in all sectors of the economy,” she added.

 Prof. Willie Mendis, Emeritus Professor University of Moratuwa delivering the keynote address looked at how the economic paradigm has changed in Sri Lanka since the 1950s.  The need for the economy to do away with incremental change and leap frog into the future he said was felt after the University of Moratuwa participated in the first video conference in 1986.  He went on to speak about how under the stewardship of Sir Arthur C. Clarke, the then Vice Chancellor of the University, computer technology, robotics, space technology, energy and communications, were introduced to the university curriculum.

“We at the World Bank don’t have a monopoly on knowledge, what we can do is to highlight these ideas and let you run with them.” said Ismail Radwan (on screen from Nigeria). Head Table Left to Right: Prof. Willie Mendis, Naoko Ishii and Prof. K. Hirimburegama.

Ismail Radwan, Senior Private Sector Development Specialist World Bank joining the forum from Nigeria said how pleased he was that both winners were women, as education for women was a necessity.  He said “We at the World Bank don’t have a monopoly on knowledge, what we can do is to highlight these ideas and let you run with them.” He stressed on the importance of English and the IT infrastructure, and spoke about how the ability to access information on the Internet can be a wealth-making opportunity for a society.

Drawing from his own interaction with rural communities while working in Sri Lanka he said there is tremendous talent in rural areas and that the farmers, tea pluckers and cinnamon peelers do not want their children to follow their parent’s vocation but to be educated, IT savvy and work in the new industries of the 21 century.  “This is a very natural progression and is something we will have to acknowledge,” he said.

 The course available as a Certificate, Diploma and a Degree has proven that incomes can increase as much as ten fold through knowledge acquisition and indicates the potential for the rural sector to contribute to the knowledge economy, she said. 

She also spoke of the forthcoming symposium “Knowledge economy and the role of Universities,”  to be held on October 23 and 24, 2008 and looked forward to a collaboration with the World Bank.

 “The fixed mindset that resists change is only seen in the older people” said Dale Lautenbach, Communications Advisor.  Recollecting her visits to World Bank supported projects in Sri Lanka she said that most of the rural youth have mastery over the computer. Congratulating the two young winners she asked “Who better than the young people to leapfrog into the future?” 

Prof. D. Atapattu, head of the Department of Economics, University of Ruhuna, Mr. Prasad Nanayakkara, Director Virtusa, an IT consulting, technology and outsourcing company, Dr. Muttukrishna Saravanathan of the Point Pedro Institution and Chanuka Wattegama of LIRNEasia also contributed to the forum.