ScholarX — Dohitha Yapa
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Dohitha is a final year at the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Moratuwa.
What motivated you to join the ScholarX program?
I had followed the Facebook page of “Sustainable Education Foundation” and that’s where I first got to know about the program. As a person who believes and values education, I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to get some guidance from a person who has achieved greater heights in the field. My self-interest was the main factor which made me apply to this program.
Your Top 3 learnings from the ScholarX program?
A lot of things about going for post-graduate studies (applying, funding, selecting a country/university, etc)
What’s next after post-graduate studies (career paths)
Solving differential equations numerically.
What are your plans after graduation?
My main objective is to get a placement for an M.Sc. and/or PhD in an area related to Electrical Engineering
It’s 2029, what are you up to?
Having completed my PhD, working as a research engineer
You have an unlimited pot of money. How would you invest this to improve the education system in Sri Lanka?
In my view, there are several areas in the education system of Sri Lanka that need major reforms. It has been revealed that 13-year school education is not as effective as in other developed countries. One of the main areas that require investments is the use of technology in the education system. At present, the memorizing ability of the students is evaluated mostly and not critical thinking. By using electronic devices for education more, shifting from memorizing to critical thinking would be enhanced. Also, the Sri Lankan student community lacks a practical approach to problem-solving. This has been a result of loading the students with an unnecessary amount of theoretical knowledge and lesser practical knowledge. The main barrier to the improvement of practical education is the limited amount of funds available. So, that is another area where more investments should flow into. Another program that I would like to implement is to create a space for the young students to get familiarized with the jobs in the field of their preference before actually start studying for that. In that way, the number of students that end up frustrated about their field of study can be minimized and hence the money invested in education would be utilized more effectively. One of the main problems related to the education sector is the huge pay gap across different professions. Even though it is not directly a drawback of the education system, it has numerous adverse effects on society. Most of the students would not follow their passion, being afraid to end up with a low-salary job. So it’s vital that funds are managed such that the pay gap across various professions become less intense.
Finally, I would like to invest in a proper financial education program as most of the students (not only in Sri Lanka) lack financial literacy.
