THE Chairman of Sri Lanka’s Consumer Affairs Authority, Dr Lalith Senaweera, was the director general of the Sri Lanka Standards Institution before he retired after 36 years of service. His fields of interest are certification and standardisation, management and human resource management.
Dr Senaweera who is beginning studies for a second PhD, will be focusing on sustainable practices and their impact on business performance. The new postgraduate student at Management and Science University’s (MSU) Graduate School of Management (GSM) tells us his reasons.
He said: “The world changes so fast, and we are faced with unprecedented diversity. We need diversity to develop our industries. Countries develop through innovation, which comes from diversity and creativity. Students in a changing world need relevance and practicality, which must be met by the curriculum of our universities. They should be driven towards innovation so new products may be developed, and bring in foreign exchange
“Cross-border research benefits both sides of the border. The Sri Lankan culture is entirely different from the Malaysian culture, and vice versa would be observed when Malaysians visit Sri Lanka, but interactions with the people we come to know will enlighten us on how the other side sees things – the understanding as well as the interpretation of those things. Research collects and passes them on. New lines of thinking develop, along with new collaborations.
“My motivation for a second PhD is that learning is a never-ending journey. I am about 60 years old and retired, but I will start a new life through my retirement.
“As chairman of my institution, I have over five hundred graduates under me, all with different perspectives. If I stop learning, I may not be in a position to give new input in future, whereas others can always learn from my experiences.
“My first PhD advanced me to director general before I reached 50, a good six to ten years ahead from the usual [timeline] expected in the government sector of Sri Lanka.
“My criteria in selecting a university for my second PhD has been met a hundred percent by MSU. It is a dynamic university, forward thinking in what more can be done for the world. My experience of quality management and standards at MSU has been good, and the academic support I receive has been excellent. MSU is Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) and Times Higher Education (THE) ranked, and its rankings keep soaring.
“Such rankings provide for evaluation of a university’s research papers and research students, so I know MSU is doing well in that direction.
“Determination, commitment, and dedication are needed for success, and a PhD helped me go up the ladder. To young people out there in sports or volunteering, these are also important. You want to be a professional with something to give to society, so pursue your education. MSU has it all to offer, not only to the people of Malaysia and Malaysian students, but also to international students and the global community.”
MSU is one of Malaysia’s top universities, with a focus on developing and delivering quality human capital in national and global critical-need areas; among these are Medicine, Health Sciences, Pharmacy, Information Sciences, and Engineering, besides Business Management & Professional Studies, Education & Social Sciences, Hospitality & Culinary, and Music & Fashion.
As Malaysia’s best teaching and learning university, MSU prioritises quality education; incorporating 21st century learning in the teaching delivery focused on producing holistic graduates.
Real world scenarios are adopted into classroom learning experience. Strategic thinking and thought-provoking case studies exposés and equips students with a higher level of practical problem-solving abilities. All modules are rigorously designed with strategic industrial and corporate input, an opening vignette to major events and real-world issues around the globe.
The postgraduate programmes at MSU are carefully crafted to cultivate leadership and a real research contribution that address industrial hands-on challenges at the highest management level.
Due to the tremendous and exciting state of flux within business and management communities, top management must adapt rapidly to stay competitive, relevant and strategically positioned to tackle global trends by possessing the relevant postgraduate qualifications.
The postgraduate studies at MSU offer advanced degrees at MBA, MSc and PhD levels covering wide areas including Business Administration, Accounting/Finance, Management, Educational Management and Leadership, Education (Teaching English as Second Language), International Business, Master in Fashion Business, International Hospitality and Tourism Management, Early Childhood Education, Counselling and Guidance, Computer Science, Food Service Technology, Biomedicine, Biomedical Sciences, Information Technology, Clinical Pharmacy, Engineering, Pharmacy, Applied Science, Design and Medical Physiology. These programmes are offered under the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) and the Graduate School of Management (GSM).
For more information on postgraduate programmes offered at MSU, call 03-5521 6868, email enquiry@msu.edu.my or visit www.msu.edu.my.
