Tertiary education provides benefits to the society in terms of long term returns from basic research, applications of new technology and social cohesion Thus, a students’ choice towards tertiary education must be made accurately to enjoy the benefits of tertiary education, including employment AHEAD Project

1. DEVELOPMENT OF A MECHANISM THAT LEADS TO A
PSYCHOLOGICAL PARADIGM SHIFT IN STUDENTS’
DEMAND AND ENROLMENT FOR VARIOUS ACADEMIC
DISCIPLINES IN THE TERTIARY EDUCATION IN SRI
LANKA
Proposed Project for Accelerating Higher Education Expansion
and Development (AHEAD)
CINEC Campus
Presented by Prof. Lalith Edirisinghe
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2. Research team
Names, qualification, and the role of the members etc.
can be given. Please refer to the guidelines and bring
hard copies of CVs if you have not attached to the
proposal.
New members can be added to make the research
team strong.

3. “Tertiary Education” refers to “a level of education which
is beyond the secondary education, undertakes in tertiary
education institutions but in a wide variety of other
settings, including in secondary schools ( Whitman, 2003,
p. 191)
Tertiary education should not only focus on skills and
abilities of the grandaunts but also how the students may
feel about the educational experience (Abdullah, 2006)
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Literature survey

4. Tertiary education provides benefits to the
society in terms of long term returns from
basic research, applications of new
technology and social cohesion
Thus, a students’ choice towards tertiary
education must be made accurately to enjoy
the benefits of tertiary education, including
employment
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Literature survey

5. Government of a country should assist their tertiary
education institutions by increasing innovation and
high responsiveness to the requirements of a global
education markets (SALMI, 2003).
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Thus, this study is structured to develop a
mechanism that leads to a Psychological
Paradigm Shift in students’ Demand and
Enrolment for various academic disciplines in the
Tertiary Education in Sri Lanka
Literature survey

6. Research Symptoms
• The tertiary education in Sri Lanka is faced with two
fundamental challenges-:
➢Less Number of Students entering government universities-: Out
of those passing the G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination only
17% enter universities while 83% are left behind
➢High unemployment rate-: The highest unemployment rate in
year 2018, was recorded as 5.1 percent and 13.2 percent for
male and female respectively (Department of Census and
Statistics, 2018).
• Consequently, those who have the money go overseas
using country’s valuable foreign exchange and many do
not return to Sri Lanka after qualifying which is another
big loss to the country as well as to the parents
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7. Main research questions
• What are the salient aspects of the
global higher education and what is
their impact on Sri Lankan Higher
education?
• What are the deficiencies and how
those deficiencies be overcome?
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8. Subsidiary
questions
What are the
factors affecting
program choice of
undergraduate
students in Sri
Lanka?
Can these factors
be organized under
a priority order?
Is there any
significant
difference of these
factors between
state sector and
non-state sector
university choice?
What is the
selection process
of a tertiary level
education
program?
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9. TAX AT WORK
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10. AHEAD Program Results Area 1
• Increase Access to Higher Education in priority Areas for Economic
Development
• Objective of results area 1:
To increase enrollment in higher education programs of
strategic importance for economic development
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11. Problem Justification
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▪ Sri Lanka is falling behind many of the other countries that are
progressing at a very rapid level especially in Science and Technology and
skill development
▪ It is reported around 12,000 Sri Lankan students go overseas annually for
higher education opportunities. The drain on foreign exchange is
estimated at $ 50 million per annum
▪ Employability Survey Report 2017 of Wayamba University of Sri Lanka
(ESR – WUSL) reports that employability status of the graduates at the
general convocation of 2017

12. Problem Justification
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Table: Gradate Unemployment in 12 departments of Wayamba University
Source: ESR – WUSL (2017)
According to this
report average
37 percent of
unemployed
graduates in 12
departments at
the time of the
survey

13. Problem Justification
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Table: Gradate employment relevance level of 12 departments
Source: ESR – WUSL (2017)
Among the
respondents, 27
percent of the
students
graduated in
different degree
programs had 50
percent or lower
relevancy to the
job

14. Problem Justification
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According to the figure, a
maximum unemployment rate
of 61% is recorded by the
graduates of the Faculty of
Humanities and Social Sciences
in University of Sri
Jayawardanapura, which clearly
shows that more than half of
the graduates face the problem
of unemployment after
completing tertiary education,
even in a renowned non-state
university in Sri Lanka.
Figure: Employment Status of the Faculty of
Humanities and Social Sciences, in the University of
Sri Jayawardanapura
Source: HETC

15. Significance of the Research
Development of a Mechanism that leads to a Psychological Paradigm Shift in
students’ Demand and Enrolment for various academic disciplines in the
Tertiary Education in Sri Lanka
Social benefits
Solution for
Underemployment
Solution for
Unemployment
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16. CONCEPTUAL
FRAMEWORK
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17. Proposed Research Methodology
SampleDesign
• Target population of
this study is all first-
year undergraduate
students enrolled in
their first semester
of a degree program
at state sector and
non-state sector
higher educational
institutes
DataCollection
• Primary data will be
collected using
questionnaire
survey, observations,
and interviews.
• Secondary data will
be collected through
Central bank of Sri
Lanka, Ministry of
Higher Educational
and University Grant
Commission and the
World Bank, and
UNESCO publications
StatisticalModelling
• Data entry and
filtering will be
followed by data
analysis. Descriptive
analysis and basic
analysis will be done
using SPSS software
• Advanced analysis of
survey data will be
analyzed using
Partial Least Square
Structural Equation
Modelling
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18. Proposed Research Methodology
Advanced analysis of survey data will be analyzed using Partial Least Square
Structural Equation Modelling, which is increasingly been used by social science
researches as a second-generation technique (Hair et al 2017)
The variables in the conceptual framework will be tested using PLS-SEM. PLS-
SEM is used to develop theories in exploratory research (Hair et al 2014)
therefore PLS-SEM is considered as an ideal tool for evaluating the university
choice.
Indicator Reliability, Construct Reliability, Convergent Validity and Discriminant
validity will be used to measure the reliability and validity of the measurement
model. Multicollinearity, path coefficients, Variance explained (R2), Predictive
relevance (Q2) and the effect size (f2) will be used to assess the structural model
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19. Time Sequence of Project Actions
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20. Economic, Social and Cultural Relevance
Approximately 150,000 students those who obtain minimum entry qualification for university education are
compelled to spend substantial money on tertiary education every year
At present, non-state higher education institutes commenced various degree programs through University
Grants commission and Ministry of Higher Education. Therefore, number of graduates is going to increase
significantly in the coming year
However, in contrast, there are considerable number of unemployed graduates already in the country. It was
reported that there were 57,000 unemployed graduates as at 31 December 2016 and this number may have
increased by now with the graduates of 2017 and 2018
If the country produces more and more unemployed graduates the ultimate impact to the economy and
society will be unbearable. This will lead to critical psychological repercussions unless a systematic approach
is introduced through a scientific research
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21. Institutional Commitment
• 30 years in higher education
• 16,000 annual registrations for 185 educational programs (2007)
• Engineering & Management with Foreign Universities
• Own degree with UGC (2012)
• Logistics and Transport + Maritime Sciences
• Research at own cost and Development at own risk
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22. 22
Faculty of Maritime Sciences
Faculty of Marine Engineering
Faculty of Engineering and Technology
Faculty of Management, Humanities &
Social Sciences
Department of Safety & Survival Training
Department of Marine Simulation
Department of Education and Languages
Department of Aviation
Department of Hospitality & Tourism
Faculty of Health Sciences

23. Degree Courses Offered Under Ministry of
Higher Education, Sri Lanka
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1. BSc. (Hons) in Engineering –
Electronic &
Telecommunication
Engineering
2. BSc. (Hons) in Engineering –
Mechanical Engineering
3. BSc. (Hons) in Engineering –
Automotive Engineering
4. BSc. (Hons) in Engineering –
Civil Engineering
1. BSc. (Hons) in Logistics &
Transportation
2. BMgt (Hons) in Retail Marketing
& Branding
3. BMgt (Hons) in Supply Chain
Management
4. BMgt (Hons) in Tourism and
Hospitality Management
5. BMgt (Hons) in Business
Administration
6. BMgt (Hons) in in Human
Resource Management
7. BMgt (Hons) in Industrial
Management
1. BA (English)
2. BA (Hons) in English
3. B. Ed (Hons) in English
4. B. Ed (Hons) in Physical
Science
5. B. Ed (Hons) in Biological
Science
6. B. Ed (Hons) in Information
Technology
17 as at 2019

24. Degree Courses submitted to Ministry of
Higher Education
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(1) Bachelor of Science Honours in Computer
Networking & Cyber Security
(2) Bachelor of Science Honours in Software
Engineering
(3) Bachelor of Science Honours in
Information Management
(4) Bachelor of Science Honours in Data
Sciences
(5) Bachelor of Science Honours Engineering
in Mechatronics Engineering
(6) Bachelor of Science Honours in
Business and Industrial Mathematics
(7) Bachelor of Management Honours in
Industrial Management
(8) Bachelor of Management Honours in
Business Administration
(9) Bachelor of Management Honours in
Human Resource Management
(10) Bachelor of Management Honours in
Accounting and Finance
(11) Bachelor of Management Honours in
Banking and Finance.

25. Degree Courses submitted to Ministry of
Higher Education Contd..
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(12) Bachelor of Arts in Education
(13) Bachelor of Early Childhood Education
(Honours)
(14) Bachelor of Education in Sports and
Physical Education
(15) Bachelor of Arts Honours in English
(16) Bachelor of Science Honours in
Medical and Health Product Management
(17) Bachelor of Science Honours in
Industrial Pharmaceutical Science
(18) Bachelor of Science Honours in Bio
Medical Sciences
(19) Bachelor of Science Honours in
Cosmetics Science
(1) Postgraduate Diploma in Management
(2) Master of Business Administration by Coursework
(3) Master of Business Administration
Bachelor of Science Honours in Artificial Intelligence
Bachelor of Science Honours in Internet of Things
Bachelor of Science Honours in Ecommerce
Bachelor of Management Honours in Supply
Network Management
Planning to submit in 2020

26. Interest Free Loan Scheme
300 students in 2019 for 8 undergraduate programs
Scholarships for expensive Programs
75% off for 3 A, 50% off 3 B
Best facilities, Transport, Quality assurance
Winner of ‘World Class’ – Global Performance Excellence Award – 2012 – Education Organization
Winner of International Asia Pacific Quality Award -2010 – Best in Class – Education Organization
Winner of Sri Lanka National Quality Award – 1999 & 2004 & 2009 & 2014
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