RESEARCH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN AN ERA OF GLOBALIZATION BY DR.HARSHA ATURUPANE LEAD EDUCATION SPECIALIST HUMAN DEVELOPMENT UNIT SOUTH ASIA REGION THE WORLD BANK ANNUAL RESEARCH SESSIONS FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF COLOMBO 05 AUGUST, 2011

ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION EXPLOSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION ENROLMENT CONSIDERABLE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL DIVERSIFICATION MULTIPLE PATHWAYS INTO HIGHER EDUCATION MULTIPLE PROVIDERS OF HIGHER EDUCATION CROSS-BORDER PROVISION

THE MODERN GLOBAL HIGHER EDUCATION LANDSCAPE

KEY CHALLENGES TO RESEARCH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES RESOURCES THE INCENTIVE FRAMEWORK THE VARYING STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AND THE BRAIN DRAIN THE TECHNOLOGICAL DIVIDE THE GREAT LANGUAGE BARRIER

SRI LANKA’S INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION IS LOW. PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE GOVERNMENTBUDGET

LINKING HIGHER EDUCATION RESEARCH WITH THE ECONOMY UNIVERSITY – INDUSTRY LINKAGES IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (E.G. TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION OFFICES, TECHNOLOGY BROKER PROGRAMS, BUSINESS CENTERS) EMPLOYER PARTICIPATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION (E.G. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT, CAREER GUIDANCE) CAN FEED BACK INTO RESEARCH A STRATEGIC RE-ORIENTATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN FAVOR OF PROGRAMS IN LINE WITH ECONOMIC NEEDS PROMOTING THE ICT, ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND SOFT SKILLS OF STAFF AND STUDENTS

A HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR THAT LEADS CULTURAL, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CREATING A FAVORABLE CLIMATE FOR A PEACEFUL, MULTI-ETHNIC, MULTI-RELIGIOUS AND MULTI-CULTURAL COUNTRY PROMOTING PLURALISM, SOCIAL TOLERANCE, RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY AND HIGH STANDARDS OF CIVIC CONDUCT GENERATING THE ENLIGHTENED CITIZENS NEEDED FOR DEMOCRATIC SOCIETIES

 HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT REQUIRES SUSTAINED LONG- TERM COMMITMENT FROM POLITICAL AUTHORITIES  THE MEDIA NEEDS TO BE ALLIES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES  THE HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR CONTAINS THE CREAM OF A COUNTRY’S INTELLIGENTSIA AND HAS UNIQUE POTENTIAL TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ECONOMIC AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT OF A COUNTRY