Bachelors of International Trade and Border Management launched

Wednesday, 29 February 2012 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Joshua Nicholas

The Bachelors of International Trade and Border Management has been launched in Sri Lanka for the first time for youth keen on specialising in this field.

The launch follows LAUGFS Australia Higher Education Services Ltd. (LAHES) yesterday announcing a collaboration with Australia’s Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) and Centre for Customs and Excise Studies of the University of Canberra (CCES).

LAHES said the groundbreaking move was in accordance with the Sri Lankan Government’s vision to turn Sri Lanka into a knowledge hub.

The collaboration has four goals: to retain Sri Lankan students in Sri Lanka, attract foreign students to Sri Lanka, offer internationally recognised education within Sri Lanka and help Sri Lanka create a knowledge-based economy.

These goals will steer LAHES towards their end vision, which, according to Chairman W.K.H. Wegapitiya, is to setup a “fully fledged, world-class university in Sri Lanka”.

The new course offered by LAHES is set to begin in April this year. The course, aimed at catering to the growing demand for trained and qualified personnel in international trade and logistics, is a pathway degree, meaning students will have an opportunity to complete part of their program in Sri Lanka and part in Australia. However, should they choose to follow the program solely in Sri Lanka, students can attain an Australian qualification while only paying 50% of the tuition charged in Australia.

The course will feature a blended mode of teaching, including face-to-face classroom teaching, video conferencing, on-line research, and self studying. Learning will be flexible, including morning, evening, and weekend classes to ensure that students are able to plan their classes around their schedule.

It will be principally taught by the staff from CIT and CCES, both online and through intensive face-to-face sessions. The specially built LAHES campus is found on the 22nd floor of the World Trade Centre, and boasts three generous class rooms, a kitchen, a library, and a computer lab, all with scenic views.

The course’s target audience are students who might study overseas, and school leavers who aspire to the field of international trade and logistics.

LAHES Director Vindhya Weeratunga said almost 50% of those who sit the GSE A/Ls fulfil the requirements for university, but only eight to 10 per cent gain acceptance into Sri Lankan universities.

Furthermore, according to Professor Stephen Muller, Manager of Offshore Academic Programs at CCES, there are currently more than 10,000 Sri Lankan students enrolled in Australian universities and every year 3,500 more enrol.

By offering Australian qualifications in Sri Lanka, creating new places for Sri Lankans unable to enter domestic universities, and appealing to foreign students, LAHES will keep more talent at home, moving Sri Lanka closer to a knowledge-based economy.