University Leadership Academics or Administrators?

by Gaja Lakshmi Paramasivam

(March 15, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) I write in response to the article in Sri Lanka Guardian, by Dr. Sumanasiri Liyanage, under the heading ‘Is degrading Academia way to make SL a knowledge hub?’

In support, Dr. Liyanage says ‘The working conditions of the university academics are substantially lower than their counterparts in India and Pakistan and those in other research organizations in the country, like the Central Bank and the TRI. As my colleague from the University of Moratuwa revealed a couple weeks ago, a fresh graduate from the UOM receives higher pay than his senior professors! The private universities are not substitute for state universities. They may be glorified colleges that train people for market-oriented activities. If the government thinks that the goal of education is to create ‘commodified hands’ for the job market, the consequences of such policies would be detrimental to the country in the long run. My second surmise is that the government may be treating the weakening of state university system as part of a deliberate policy of balancing fiscal deficit.’

Having not invested directly in Sri Lankan politics, I am not able to identify with the last statement about the government trying to weakening the University system as part of a deliberate policy. But taking that to be the case – and seeing it through my wisdom in managing University Resources, I see nothing wrong with that. This article has been written by an academic who demonstrates that he is driven by benefits rather than costs. That to me is ‘private sector syndrome’. On the basis of my observations of graduates of Sri Lankan Universities, most of our academics are driven by the benefits of their work rather than ownership of the institutions and the professions that facilitated that earning. Hence privatization is a natural outcome of that guna/quality.

Benefits to Academics is cost to the Government including Administrators in Higher Education. If Universities become independent of the Government – by reducing their benefits the levels allocated by the government and/or by earning more money through Research and Teaching through various business arms of the Universities – then the University community would govern itself. Sri Lanka needs to move towards self governance at various levels but without damaging the Administrative structures and values of the Government that uphold Dharma. All structures through which people are able to invest in a system uphold Dharma.

The author states ‘Let me begin with the statement by the Secretary to the Ministry of Higher Education. He has recently invited Sri Lankan academics living abroad to come back to Sri Lanka and serve the country. He has also stressed that a mechanism can be worked out to ease the burden in the case of the violation of bonds. It is commendable, but it is an incorrect starting point. In order to lure expatriates into coming back, an environment should be created for the academics to return and live with dignity with adequate facilities to continue their work. Does such environment exist in Sri Lanka? What has been done during the last three years by the government to create such an environment? How much money has been allocated to research and development from the last three budgets? It would be a gross mistake to assume that setting up of private universities in Sri Lanka would resolve these issues and change the whole academic environment in Sri Lanka. I am not against private universities as these institutions would broaden and expand higher education in Sri Lanka.’

Bringing them back home is not an easy job. In the case of the University of Jaffna for example, both sides – the expatriates on one side and locals on the other seem to lack strong common faith. Former seems to want the status and the latter, the money. Neither wants to sacrifice one to have the other. This is likely to be the case with other Universities too. In today’s email received in regards to Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam TGTE) for example – Professor Selvanathan of Griffith University in Australia, is reported to have traveled to Malaysia in relation to TGTE affairs. There are many others from the Tamil Community who have shown preference to work on developing political groups rather than institutions of Higher Education – including University of Jaffna. This is likely to be more so the case with Sinhalese expatriates who do not feel as pushed as Tamils to confirm their ownership claims in Sri Lanka.


Universities need to feel independent first - here and now – rather than in the future. Sri Lankans working overseas keep confirming that our standards are good. In that consciousness, we need to do our best to become independent at institutional levels and be in a position to claim our dues from the Public – through the Government – by showing objectively measurable outcomes of our work. That is the core purpose of democratic systems of management. Towards this, academics would need to share power with Administrators on Equal basis. If they are not able to do this, they have the responsibility to accept the Government’s reluctance to devolve power - as being the return of their own karma. Once they change – their karma changes.