Four– year, 25 full scholarships for IDSD Diploma and BIT Degree from Openarc

OpenArc School of Business and Technology (OSBT), under it’s ‘Navodaya’ Scholarship Programme, this year also had made arrangements to offer four year full scholarships, consisting of one year Diploma in Industrial Software Development course (IDSD) and three year BIT Degree Programme of the University of Colombo with employment to 25 students who have born talents in IT and aptitude for computer software development. The scholars are selected from school leavers who have passed the G.C.E. (Advanced Level) Examination with minimum of three simple passes. Students from any part of the island who have passed their G.C.E. (Advanced Level) are eligible to apply for these scholarships.

OpenArc ‘Navodaya’ Scholarship Programme is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Project of the OpenArc School of Business and Technology aiming at generating world class Software Engineers demanded by the software industry worldwide. The ‘Navodaya’ Scholarship Programme was launched six years ago according to a memorandum of understanding the OpenArc School of Business and Technology signed with the Ministry of Education and it is a government approved scholarship project.

Speaking about the ‘Navodaya’ Scholarship Project, the Chairman of the OpenArc Group, Daya Hettiarachchi said, “The local software industry cannot be developed without truly talented software engineers. Most of the IT graduates coming out of conventional study programmes in the universities haven’t got the born talents and hands on excellence in proper practice of software writing. Therefore, in order to produce our own human resources, we introduced our “work first, degree next” concept which is the standard practice of ‘Navodaya’ scholarship programme. Initially, we provide scholarship recipients the opportunity to follow one year Computer Software Development Diploma Course. After imparting the necessary theoretical knowledge for a period of about nine months, we direct them to hands on software development work at the software development arm of our Group, the OpenArc Systems Management (Pvt) Ltd. After three months of successful practical training and project work, we employ them as Computer Software Developers at OpenArc Systems where we develop world class software for many industries such as Banking & Finance, Manufacturing, and Security markets. While engaging them in practical software development, we give them the necessary education and further training to complete the BIT Degree Course of the University of Colombo and we bear the total cost including examination fees to be paid to University.

“Initially, we are giving complete education in basics of computer science in the one year Computer Software Development Diploma Course by covering London Advanced Level Syllabus of the UK. Furthermore, students are given essential knowledge of the usage of English language and soft skills as well. We teach most popular programming languages for computer software writing such as Java, PHP, and .Net from the beginning. The Bachelor of Information Technology (BIT) Degree of the University of Colombo is an internationally recognized degree which covers a broad spectrum of computing, information and communication technology subject matter. The balance three years of the four-year scholarship is dedicated to teach the content of that degree” Daya Hettiarachchi further said, “The specialty of this OpenArc “Navodaya” Scholarship Project is that students are getting a theoretical knowledge of the most modern technology pertaining to computer software development and the opportunity to practically apply that knowledge simultaneously which is unique to OpenArc because we are the only institution running a software development company and a IT school within the same building. This is what we call “IT Industrial Campus” At the end of four years the students of OpenArc who obtain the BIT Degree become Software Developers with broad theoretical knowledge, sound practical experience of three years in software development a methodical training and professional experience. On top of all these we are maintaining a methodical programme to develop their innovative ideas, leadership qualities, positive attitudes, discipline and behavior as well. Students of no other internal or external degree programme in any university of Sri Lanka will give the students a marvelous opportunity such as this.”

The primary objective of the OpenArc “Navodaya” Scholarship Programme is to identify students with an inborn talent and aptitude for software development and helping them to develop into worldclass Software Development Engineers. The biggest problem in this sphere in Sri Lanka is the lack of human resources. Only by developing the necessary human resource can Sri Lanka lead in global information technology.

OpenArc is a pioneer educational institution that has been conducting lectures for the University of Colombo’s BIT Degree Programme from its’ inception in the year 2000 and it has shown best of results throughout the history. OpenArc that had been involved in IT higher education continuously for a period of over 20 years, has produced over 2000 Software Professional who are presently working for leading companies in Sri Lanka and overseas holding very high positions.