Technical training aids skill back home
by Rodney Magazinovic
The
introduction of a new curriculum at her Sri Lankan university has
prompted a lab technician to visit UniSA to learn to teach in a new
discipline.
For the past six months, the School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences has hosted a technical officer from Sri Lanka. Shamalie Swarnalatha arrived at UniSA in March as part of a World Bank funded project, which supports educators to travel overseas for study or work placements to develop skills and training that will enhance the development of scientific professionals in developing countries.
Swarnalatha is a technical officer with 20 years’ laboratory experience from the Department of Botany at the University of Kelaniya, just outside Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo.
The new discipline of molecular biology and biotechnology was introduced at her university in 2004 and Swarnalatha is in charge of developing the practical side of the course. She says factors such as the availability of limited resources mean the curriculum back home needs to be adapted.
"There is a vast difference between facilities and infrastructure at my university and those at UniSA," she said, "so we will have to make some modifications to how we teach the course in Sri Lanka."
Swarnalatha said she has very much enjoyed working at UniSA and being in Adelaide, where her sister also lives and works.
"Working here has been very good. The people have been friendly and have gone out of their way to help me," she said.
"The facilities here are excellent as is the organisational structure of educating students, so it’s been an ideal place to learn."
Swarnalatha will return to Sri Lanka later this month.