Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology

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Coordinates: 6°54′52″N 79°58′20″E / 6.91444°N 79.97222°E / 6.91444; 79.97222

Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology
ශ්‍රී ලංකා තොරතුරු තා‌ක්ෂණ ආයතනය
இலங்கை தகவல் தொழில்நுட்ப நிறுவனம்
SLIIT Logo Crest.png
MottoDiscover your Future
TypePrivate
Established1999; 22 years ago (1999)
FounderKingsley Wickramaratne, Richard Pathirana
Parent institution
Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund
ChancellorLakshaman L Rathnayake
Vice-ChancellorLalith Gamage
Academic staff
400
Administrative staff
200
Students11,300[citation needed]
Undergraduates9,000[citation needed]
Postgraduates1,500[citation needed]
Other students
800[citation needed]
Location
Malabe (Main campus)
Colombo (Metropolitan campus) - Sri Lanka
CampusUrban 25 acres (10 ha)
Colors     
NicknameSLIIT University
Affiliations
Websitesliit.lk
Logo of Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology.png

The Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා තොරතුරු තා‌ක්ෂණ ආයතනය; Tamil: இலங்கை தகவல் தொழில்நுட்ப நிறுவனம்) (also known as SLIIT) is a private non-profit degree awarding institute recognised under Universities Act, No. 16 of 1978 and established under Companies Act No. 07 of 2007 in Sri Lanka specialising in technology and management.[1][2][3][4][5][6] It has two campuses and four regional centres, the main campus being based in Malabe and a Metropolitan Campus in Colombo.SLIIT is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities and International Association of Universities, and has several partnerships with international universities.[7][8]

History[]

Founding[]

Lalith Athulathmudali who was then the Minister of Trade and Shipping, originally had the Mahapola Trust Fund acquire 25 acres (10 ha) in Malabe in the 1980s with the expectation of building a Technological University and the headquarters of the Mahapola Trust Fund.[9] Minister of Commerce Kingsley Wickramaratne and Richard Pathirana would eventually use the land for establishing SLIIT.[10]

The Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology was established in 1999 by incorporation under the Companies Act of 2007 as a nonprofit company by guarantee (registration number GL 24) with the ability to award Bachelor of Science degrees following amendments to the Universities Act the same year, thus gaining recognition from the Minister of Higher Education.[11][12][13] SLIIT was established primarily to educate and train information technology professionals.

Expansions[]

Initially limited to the fields of information technology and computing, in 2007 SLIIT expanding into new fields of study. These include electronic engineering and business management in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University.[14] SLIIT also expanded its presence from Colombo and its suburbs to other parts of the country, by establishing centers in Kandy and Matara, making SLIIT accessible in six locations. Presently, SLIIT operates two campuses - the Colombo Metropolitan Campus at Kollupitiya, and the Malabe Campus, with centers in Matara, Kandy, Jaffna, and Kurunegala with an undergraduate student population of over 7,000. A further 1,000 students follow master's degree Programmes, Postgraduate Diploma and other Professional Development Programmes.

In 2011, SLIIT established its faculty of business after it was accredited by the UGC to award Bachelor of Business Administration degrees in Human Capital Management, Accounting and Finance, Marketing Management, Quality management and Management Information Systems.

This was following in 2012, with the establishment of the Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management (CAHM); the first internationally recognised school for tourism and hospitality management in Sri Lanka. The project is a joint venture of SLIIT, Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management (CAHM),[15] and William Angliss Institute of Australia. It has been developed in line with international standards, housing a multi-use training kitchen, a full-scale banqueting facility, training restaurant, model bedrooms, an IT training center, and team rooms for students' practical training to prepare students for the degree of Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management.[16][17]

The faculty of engineering was formed in 2013, with it awarding its own Bachelor of Science in Engineering degrees and master's degrees from partner universities such as Curtin University and Sheffield Hallam University.[3] The SLIIT Computing was established as a privately managed subsidiary of SLIIT in Kollupitiya to further expand undergraduate studies. In 2015, SLIIT established its School of Architecture, offering a three-year degree in architecture. In 2016, introducing 16 new research-based degrees including PhD and MPhil degrees approved by the Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation of Sri Lanka.[18]

Campuses[]

The Malabe Campus

SLIIT has two main campuses in the Western Province- a Metropolitan campus in central Colombo, and a flagship suburban campus at Malabe. The Malabe campus covers an area of about 10 ha (25 acres), making it the larger of the two campuses, and houses the faculties of Computing, Business and Engineering, as well as the main library. Located between Kaduwela and Malabe along the New Kandy Road, it is the only SLIIT campus with sporting facilities. The smaller Metropolitan campus is located within the Bank of Ceylon Merchant Tower at Kollupitiya, hosting mostly postgraduate facilities.

The institute also has regional centers in Kandy, Matara, Jaffna, and Kurunegala.

Governance[]

The company (Incorporated under Companies Act) is governed by a board of directors headed by a chairman; the current chairman is Professor L. Rathnayake, who succeeded founding chairman Professor Sam Karunaratne.[7] Due to government ownership of the institute, many of the Board's seats are held by government officials on an ex-officio basis.[19]

The Board delegates power over academic and administrative affairs of the institute to the President, who also acts as CEO of the institute. Professor Lalith Gamage is the current President.[20]

Faculties and schools[]

Faculty of Computing
Faculty of Engineering

Faculty of Computing[]

The origins of the Faculty of Computing goes back to the formation of SLIIT in 1999, when it introduced degrees in Information technology.[21]

Departments
  • Information Technology
  • Computer Systems and Network Engineering
  • Software Engineering
  • Information Systems Engineering
  • Cyber Security
  • Interactive Media
  • Data Science

Faculty of Business[]

The Faculty of Business (Business School), which was formally known as the Faculty of Business was established in 2011, offering BBA degree programs.[22]

Departments
  • Business Management
  • Accounting and Finance
  • Business Analytics
  • Human Capital Management
  • Marketing Management
  • Quality Management
  • Logistics and Supply Chain Management
  • Information Management

Faculty of Engineering[]

Established in 2013, the Faculty of Engineering offers BScs in engineering degree programs.[23]

Departments
  • Civil Engineering
  • Electrical & Electronic Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Materials Engineering

Faculty of Humanities and Sciences[]

The Faculty of Science and Education was established in 2017, with the introduction of a degree programs in Biotechnology, natural sciences, law, education, psychology and nursing.[24]

School of Science[]

  • School of Science - BSc (Hons) Biotechnology - The first degree course in the School of Science is Biotechnology. Established in 2019, by 2021, batches 6 will be in education, enrolling nearly 200 new students annually. It provides the first and only Biotechnology degree course available in Sri Lanka, equipped with state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, including Microbiology, Molecular biology, , Chemistry. In addition, it maintains close relations with SLINTEC and Peradeniya University.
  • School of Education - BEd (Hons) Biological Sciences, BEd (Hons) Physical Sciences, BEd (Hons) English
  • School of Law - LLB (Hons) Law [LJMU]
  • School of Nursing - Higher Diploma in Nursing, BSc (Hons) Nursing - International [LJMU]
  • School of Psychology - Higher Diploma in Psychology, BSc (Hons) Psychology [LJMU]
  • English Language Teaching Unit
  • Mathematics Unit - BSc (Hons) Financial Mathematics and Applied Statistics [Expected in 2021]

Faculty of Graduate Studies[]

The Faculty of Graduate Studies is a graduate school that conducts taught and research postgraduate degree programs in the fields of engineering and computing.[18]

Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management[]

The Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management (CAHM) was started in 2012 as a joint venture with SLIIT and William Angliss Institute of TAFE, offering degrees in tourism and hospitality management.[15]

SLIIT Academy[]

SLIIT Academy (Private )Limited previously known as SLIIT Computing was established a s a subsidiary of Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology under the companies act No.17 of 1982 in 2011 and was registered with the Registrar of companies under the No. N (PVS) 29707 on 31 December 2001.[25]

SLIIT Academy (Pvt.) Ltd was established to provide educational opportunities to a wider range of students who wish to progress their higher education with an industrial oriented learning experience. SLIIT Academy offers Foundation Programs & Degrees in IT, Business, Engineering & Health and Life Sciences and Post-Graduate Program in MSc in PM which paves the way for students to keep their knowledge up-to-date in this fast-moving environment. With the growing demands of the workforce, SLIIT ACADEMY has been one of the first to introduce one of a kind Educational opportunity to the Nation of Sri Lanka. A blend of theory and practice gives the edge for those who want to enter the workforce with sound academic background and gives a competitive advantage among the others.[26]

Foundation Programs

University of Bedfordshire (UOB) Degree Programs

  • Foundation Certificate in Information Technology
  • Foundation Certificate in Business Management

Curtin University - SLIIT Academy Foundation Certificate programs in

  • Information Technology
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Health & Life Sciences
Higher Diploma Programs
  • Electronic & Electrical Engineering
  • Information Technology
  • Business Management
Degree Programs
Departments
  • Computer Science and Software Engineering - UOB
  • Computer Networking - UOB
  • Electronic & Electrical Engineering - LJM
  • Business Administration - UOB
  • Human Resources Management - UOB
Postgraduate Programs

School of Architecture[]

The School of Architecture was established in 2015 offering BSc and MSc degree programs in architecture from the Liverpool John Moores University.[27]

Academics[]

Affiliations[]

Partnerships with foreign universities allow students to finish their degree at these universities following an initial study period in Sri Lanka.[28]

Country University/Institution Country University/Institution
Australia Australia Curtin University of Technology[29][30] Canada Canada Algoma University[31][32]
Deakin University[30][33] Memorial University of Newfoundland[32][34]
Griffith University[30] United Kingdom United Kingdom Aston University[35][36]
La Trobe University[28][30] Liverpool John Moores University[36][37]
Macquarie University[30] University of Nottingham[36]
Queensland University of Technology[30][38] University of Hertfordshire[36]
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology[30][39] United States United States Southeast Missouri State University[40]
Swinburne University[30]
The University of Adelaide[30]
University of Newcastle[30][38][41]
University of South Australia[30]
University of Tasmania[30][38]
William Angliss Institute[30]

Research[]

SLIIT conducts IT and computer-related research and is a partner of ConceptNursery.com, Sri Lanka's technology incubator. The SLIIT Research Symposium is held annually.[42][43]

Professional courses[]

SLIIT conducts the Cisco Network Academy courses (CCNA, CCNP and CCSP) under the regional Cisco Network Academy in Sri Lanka. SLIIT is also one of the Microsoft Academies in Sri Lanka offering Certification Courses.[44]

Controversies[]

Ownership[]

The Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) was established as a government owned but privately managed institute and was built on a property that belonged to the Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund. In 2015 SLIIT Board of Directors had transferred the assets of SLIIT to a company limited by guarantee, which was set up to manage SLIIT. The government auditor department said such a transfer was in contravention of the law and resulted in Mahapola not getting the correct amount of funds from SLIIT. In September 2018, Dr. Rajapakshe submitted a Cabinet paper, attempting to establish SLIIT as a fee-levying institution under the Government, but this has so far been unsuccessful.[45][46][47] In 2021, SLIIT has been asked to appear before the Committee On Public Enterprises (Sri Lanka) for the investigations but SLIIT refused to appear before the Committee citing it was not state-owned and COPE expressed its displeasure.[48][49][50] In 2020, the Sri Lankan parliament appointed a committee to investigate the misuse of public funds by the SLIIT; this committee included 22 members of the Sri Lankan parliament, and its final report was released in April 2021. According to this report, the top management of the SLIIT has taken a series of informal steps to vest state resources in private ownership. Hence, this committee recommends that legal action be taken under the Public Property Act against parties who alienated state ownership and management of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology without proper authority.[51]

Rankings[]

Publications Category 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2020
Lanka Monthly Digest Higher Education[52] 1 - - - - -
Webometrics Ranking of World Universities Sri Lankan Universities[53][54] 11 9 9 14[55] 14[56] 12[57] 12[58]
Higher Education Institutes in Sri Lanka[20][59] - 1 1 1[55] 2[56] 2[57] 1[58]

Sport[]

The Malabe campus has a range of sporting facilities including cricket, rugby, basketball, netball, volleyball, tennis, table tennis, badminton, chess and carrom. SLIIT sporting teams compete in a range of local and national competitions.[7]

See also[]

  • Information Technology in Sri Lanka

Further reading[]

References[]

  1. ^ "The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Extraordinary)" (PDF). Department of Government Printing. documents.gov.lk. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  2. ^ Universities Act of Sri Lanka Archived 1 August 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "THE UNIVERSITIES ACT, No. 16 OF 1978" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (1785/22). 21 November 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2015.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Private or Stat". Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  5. ^ http://www.documents.gov.lk/files/egz/2015/10/1936-51_E.pdf
  6. ^ Silva, Anusha. "SLIIT to launch UGC approved Engineering degrees". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c 2014/2015 Student Guide (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  8. ^ "Moulding The Future". BUSINESS TODAY. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  9. ^ "Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund - 2017" (PDF). Auditor General's Department. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  10. ^ Adhikari, Deepthi Pramitha (7 August 2016). "Mahapola & SLIIT". Divaina. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  11. ^ http://www.documents.gov.lk/files/egz/2016/2/1955-20_E.pdf
  12. ^ "Alphabetic Search". Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  13. ^ http://www.documents.gov.lk/files/egz/2012/11/1785-22_E.pdf
  14. ^ SLIIT offers UK recognised BBA Degrees Archived 25 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine, ITpro.lk
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management
  16. ^ "Globally recognized Hospitality Management degree now offered for the first time in Sri Lanka at SLIIT".
  17. ^ "History of SLIIT". Archived from the original on 2 May 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b Indrajeewa, Ajith. "SLIIT as PhD and MPhil Awarding Institute". Observer Education. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  19. ^ "Government Notifications" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. 1933/13: 25A. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  20. ^ Jump up to: a b "Webometrics ranking of World Universities, picks SLIIT number one". Daily News. 6 April 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  21. ^ "Faculty of Computing".
  22. ^ "Business School".
  23. ^ "Faculty of Engineering".
  24. ^ "humanities and sciences". Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  25. ^ "sliit academy". Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  26. ^ "sliit". Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  27. ^ "School of Architecture".
  28. ^ Jump up to: a b "La Trobe University, Australia Offers New Programmes For Business As Well As IT/IS Students". businesstoday.lk. Business Today. October 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  29. ^ "Media Releases". announce.curtin.edu.au. Curtin University of Technology. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  30. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Australian Universities". sliit.lk. Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology. Archived from the original on 21 January 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  31. ^ "SLIIT ties up with Canada's Algoma University". ft.lk. Daily Financial Times. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  32. ^ Jump up to: a b "Canadian Universities". sliit.lk. Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology. Archived from the original on 27 February 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  33. ^ "SLIIT strengthens ties with Deakin University". sundaytimes.lk. The Sunday Times. 27 December 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  34. ^ "SLIIT and Memorial University of Canada sign MoU". sundaytimes.lk. The Sunday Times. 10 February 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  35. ^ "SLIIT Computing signs MOU with Aston University UK". ft.lk. Daily Financial Times. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  36. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "British Universities". sliit.lk. Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology. Archived from the original on 22 April 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  37. ^ "SLIIT in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University". dailynews.lk. Daily News. 11 December 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  38. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Transfer options to prestigious foreign universities through SLIIT". ft.lk. Daily Financial Times. 24 October 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  39. ^ "Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, Sri Lanka". Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. rmit.edu.au. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  40. ^ "American Universities". sliit.lk. Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  41. ^ "Sri Lanka". The University of Newcastle Australia. newcastle.edu.au. 11 June 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  42. ^ SLIIT Research Symposium, SLIIT Archived 30 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  43. ^ SLIIT Research Symposium to focus on making Sri Lanka the future hub of knowledge
  44. ^ "Keynote Address to the hSenid 10th Anniversary Celebration, 22 March 2007". Embassy of the United States. 22 March 2007. Archived from the original on 15 August 2007.
  45. ^ http://www.auditorgeneral.gov.lk/web/images/audit-reports/upload/2017/Funds/3_VIII/Mahapola-Higher-Education-Scholshp-Trt-Fund---E.pdf
  46. ^ https://srilankamirror.com/news/16533-probe-underway-to-identify-fraudulent-slit-scam-directors-in-trouble
  47. ^ https://www.newsfirst.lk/2019/05/01/assets-of-mahapola-owned-sliit-worth-billions-swindled/
  48. ^ https://menafn.com/1101422318/Sri-Lanka-COPE-expresses-displeasure-after-SLIIT-rejects-summons
  49. ^ https://www.dailynews.lk/2018/09/01/local/161349/sliit-will-be-taken-back-minister
  50. ^ https://www.newsfirst.lk/2019/04/10/wijeyadasa-rajapakshe-to-make-statement-on-misuse-of-suraksha-and-mahapola-funds-at-pcoi/
  51. ^ Second Report of the Committee on Public Enterprises Special Report Presented by the Committee on Public Enterprises on The Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Invested and Established by the Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund (PDF) (Report). 30 July 2021.
  52. ^ "LMD ranks SLIIT No. 1 in Higher Education". Daily News. 12 December 2013.
  53. ^ "Sri Lanka".
  54. ^ "2013 July".
  55. ^ Jump up to: a b "Sri Lanka Private University Ranking 2016/2017 Official". Lanka University News. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
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  57. ^ Jump up to: a b "Sri Lanka". www.webometrics.info. Ranking Web of Universities. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  58. ^ Jump up to: a b "Sri Lanka". www.webometrics.info/. webometrics. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  59. ^ "SLIIT ranked SL's highest private educational institution in Webometrics 2015 Rankings". Daily FT. Retrieved 15 June 2015.

External links[]

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