Charles Higher Education website guide

and using Sri Lanka only as a case.

without fast access to the internet would have an easy set of reference material. This would have involved getting the permissions from the different websites, to use their material on the CD version, but to use only the links in the web version (or if the parties concerned agreed to it, to use both ...suggesting one goes to the original site)

of two UK universities. That gave me the opportunity to study related material in depth, as well as to develop the experience of working with the system ... and then be confident that much of such reform was possible even in Sri Lanka.

the UK system and the Sri Lankan one. In that context, the reforms adopted in the UK appear appropriate for and feasible in Sri Lanka

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

	Note from Charles on his Higher Education Website


	I began this website towards the end of 2003 and updated it somewhat in 2004. It was to have been developed further ... first of all: completing all sections secondly: making it something more international, reducing the comments on Sri Lanka and using Sri Lanka only as a case. thirdly: planning it to be such that academics, students and planners from countries without fast access to the internet would have an easy set of reference material. This would have involved getting the permissions from the different websites, to use their material on the CD version, but to use only the links in the web version (or if the parties concerned agreed to it, to use both ...suggesting one goes to the original site)
	However the fact is that one could not move into those stages, as yet.
	Currently the address is: www.sjp.ac.lk/careers/edreform/edreform_main.html It may be shifted to another location later.
	The site has been popular, even though it may not have had any impact on the Sri Lankan Policy/Decision makers. (The annex to my latest paper --- accessible from the main menu of the CCD --- provides some extra information.) It is interesting that now 2-3 years after I started posing questions about the way the reform effort was being designed to move, there are academics who say "Charles, we could not understand what you were saying ... but that apparently is what is happening today". Without having used any technique to increase the hits (in fact I have not even inserted a hit counter), even today if one types “Charles Fernando” into Google my website comes up as the first item. I can be proud of that. The entire study on the subject (I have been involved in that for a number of years), and the preparation of the webpages (including the graphics etc) has been a totally solitary effort. Our university has no faculty of education and there are no research students interested in the theme. Yes, it was a terrific investment of time and effort ... simply because I was convinced, on the basis of my earlier experience, as well as due to my involvement with study programmes run in Sri Lanka for degrees from foreign universities, that higher education had to go in a different direction if the problems of youth were to be solved. That conviction was the driving force.
	One can get into the site from the standard entry point. (Please note that while this link is functional on the CD version, it is not at the website. One can always visit the website at the URL shown above.) It will be noticed that the "Career Guidance Unit (CGU)" section of the site is not yet developed. I will be developing an initial version of the CGU website during the months ahead leaving room for the unit to build it up beyond that.
	Or one can get straight into the Higher Education Reform and Renewal section from here. (Note: For illustration purposes, only a graphic version of the main page of the section is shown at this free website.)

	A fair amount of material on the UK (branch off from here Note: For illustration purposes, only a graphic version of the main page of the section is shown at this free website.) is available at the website. That is due to two reasons: 1. I have contributed in very special manner to franchised and validated programmes in Sri Lanka of two UK universities. That gave me the opportunity to study related material in depth, as well as to develop the experience of working with the system ... and then be confident that much of such reform was possible even in Sri Lanka.
	2. Given the historical background, and later developments there is a fair amount of parallel between the UK system and the Sri Lankan one. In that context, the reforms adopted in the UK appear appropriate for and feasible in Sri Lanka

	A number of Australian Universities too are promoting Higher Education programmes here and are recruiting local students. Thus a section on Australia is present. (Please note that while this link is functional on the CD version, it is not at the website. One can always visit the website at the URL shown above.)

	The US programmes (Note: For illustration purposes, only a graphic version of the main page of the section is shown at this free website.) are few over here. However it was clear there were lessons to be learnt from the US too. The Boyer Report, Carnegie Foundation and the Centre for International Higher Education of Boston College etc are referred to.

	Some material with reference to the UNESCO, the World Bank etc were added. As stated much more was planned to be added.

	The Career Guidance Unit organised a conference by Prof Ulrich Teichler of the University of Kassel in Germany. Some of the material made available to participants (some courtesy Prof Teichler) are available here too. (Please note that while this link is functional on the CD version, it is not at the website. One can always visit the website at the URL provided earlier.)

	Charles hopes he will be able to complete the project during his sabbatical.