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Dialog Axiata with Manusath Derana extends Data Scholarships to 100,000 school children
In its continued efforts to ensure that no child is left behind in continuing their education, Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider, together with TV Derana is providing Data Scholarships to 100,000 deserving school children under the ‘NanaDiri Data Scholarship’ program to facilitate their online learning from home.
Through the NanaDiri Data Scholarship program, which is part of the ‘Dialog Axiata with Manusath Derana’ initiative, each student will be offered 10GB Data for online learning and educational purposes for three months. Under this initiative, NenaDiri Data Scholarships were awarded to students at Angulugaha Maha Vidyalaya, Galle on June 14 with the participation of Ministry of Education officials and Dialog representatives.
“We cannot allow the pandemic to deprive our children of their education and development,” Minister of Education, Prof. G. L. Peiris stressed.
“We are grateful to Dialog and Manusath Derana for stepping forward during these turbulent times and providing these school children in need the opportunity to continue their online learning while also providing some form of financial relief to parents in the process”, he said.
“We are pleased to be a part of this great initiative driven by the collective aim of providing children that are most in need with a chance for a brighter future”, he added.
Prof. Kapila Perera, Secretary of Ministry of Education said, “I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Dialog and the Manusath Derana team for supporting the continuation of the education of these students who face many financial difficulties and don’t have the means to go online and learn. Thanks to this initiative, these students from rural schools now have equitable access to education along with the worldly opportunities and development that accompany it. We are pleased to be part of this initiative that will help those hit hardest by the pandemic get the support they need, while facilitating our students, who are the future of this country, with the necessary resources.”
Speaking at the event, Supun Weerasinghe, Group Chief Executive of Dialog Axiata PLC said, “In the wake of the pandemic, one of our primary objectives is to secure the educational opportunities for children across the country with an emphasis on students who cannot afford to continue their education as the world shifts online.
“To bridge this divide, Dialog is pleased to present the ‘NenaDiri Data Scholarship Program’ as another proactive solution to this emergent need. We remain committed to helping mitigate the impact to education due to Covid lockdown and support our schoolchildren to excel during the pandemic.”
This is yet another initiative by Dialog in its continued efforts of supporting students across the country with their educational endeavours. In addition to this initiative, Dialog powers a range of educational platforms under the Nenasa initiative; Nenasa TV, Nenasa Smart School, Nenasa App and the toll-free Nenasa 1916 distance learning helpline.
Dialog also extended free access to its education bouquet Nenasa Sinhala, Nenasa Tamil and Guru TV channels through Dialog Television and ViU App. Furthermore, the company extended free access without any data charges to e-Thaksalawa, the National Learning Content Management System (LCMS)/Learning Management System (LMS), and to all official e-Learning platforms of State Universities under the purview of the University Grants Commission.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
