What is Infrastructure?
‘Infrastructure’ is a relatively new term though becoming increasingly used. However, there is little awareness of its actual meaning. Infrastructure generally refers to facilities that are offered for public use- as against facilities of a private nature. For example, a car may be a private asset while the highway is a public asset. It will be unrealistic and wasteful to expect each vehicle owner to build his own road. Similarly, a household can have its own power generator, but a power plant would be a public asset that is cheaper and if designed well, a better option for the environment as well. While these examples refer to physical infrastructure also known as economic infrastructure, there is the equally important social infrastructure referring to schools, health care facilities etc. Well developed infrastructure -both economic and social, is a critical necessity in today’s highly competitive markets to ensure productivity and growth. In the next two decades, Asia is expected to double its economic infrastructure in terms of roads, telecommunication systems, water supply, power generation, ports and airports.
Who Can Provide Leadership for Infrastructure Projects?
The provision of infrastructure today is, not a mere technical assignment alone. For example, energy generation is today a highly complex task, with several experts such as engineers, planners, environmentalist, sociologist, economist, regulators, lawyers and a host of others having to work together to plan, design, implement, manage and operate such a project. As such the modern planner, designer, manager of highways, schools or water supply systems has to have a well developed understanding of the contributions of each of these disciplines. The MBA in infrastructure is supposed to become a generalist new style. He is a mediator between private business and governmental regulation while understanding the technological specificities of the infrastructure business. This specialization might either refer to particular sectors, including transport, ICT, energy or water, or to various functional components like infrastructure planning, technical network design, legal and economic aspects of regulation, or infrastructure finance.
MBA Programs at the University of Moratuwa
The University of Moratuwa, which is the only technologically based university in Sri Lanka, has earned a reputation for introducing new courses to meet the ever changing demands in the economy and society particularly those affecting the application of technology. The Faculty of Engineering has been conducting MBA courses in niche technological areas aimed at equipping a manager with a technical background and experience with a sound business footing.
MBA in Infrastructure- A Unique Program
The MBA in Infrastructure is the 3rd MBA program to be offered by the University of Moratuwa. The first intake commenced in January 2004 with students from engineering, legal, management, IT, and economics backgrounds. They also represent the public and private sector in near equal numbers. The program has added value derived from its multi-disciplinarity which enables students to approach complex problems using a multitude of skills spread among team members. The second batch of MBA students in Infrastructure is to be admitted in October 2005. It offers subjects that would provide core knowledge based on the fundamentals of business management and focuses on application areas related to infrastructure. Specialization of particular sectors of infrastructure is provided through optional courses and/or through a research project. Traditionally experts in business administration and engineers are poles apart. They used to have totally different tasks and refer to different objectives and frameworks. This makes communication and cooperation between these areas extremely difficult. Very often the unsatisfactory performance of infrastructure industries is caused by a lack of teamwork and collaboration of business managers and engineers. This is however no longer acceptable in a situation in which infrastructures are increasingly exposed to competition and to critical end users that demand high quality and
low prices. The MBA program was developed with assistance from the Technical University of Delft, Netherlands. A review of the program was also carried out earlier this year with assistance from the ADB.
Where will students find employment?
This course while being a first in the South Asian Region is designed for the needs of developing countries in particular. It focuses on need for infrastructure facilities to achieve strategic economic and social goals as a primary prerequisite to achieve a rapid but sustainable development. With Sri Lanka moving along with global trends, it is expected that the private sector would be increasingly involved in the provision and management of infrastructures. The program is therefore built on the imperative to suitably equip both the State and private sector to plan, provide, regulate and manage the present and future infrastructures. Thus state regulators, ministries, planning agencies will need such expertise, as would financial institutions such as banks, as well as construction companies, consulting companies both in the public and private sector. The post tsunami reconstruction also places both urgency and importance on the need to underpin the infrastructure sector on a business footing of productivity, efficiency and sustainability. Thus students who venture to qualify with a MBA in Infrastructure would stand to gain in being able to get involved in these projects in a role broader than what they would have been able to perform with an undergraduate degree in a specific field.
Eligibility Requirements: Who can apply?
Candidates applying for the MBA or PG Diploma in Infrastructure should have the following eligibility requirements. (i) The degree of Bachelor of Science of Engineering of the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka; OR (ii) Any other degree in a relevant field, the recognition of the degree AND the field, both to be judged by the Faculty and approved by the Senate; OR (iii) At least the Associate Membership or Graduateship (as appropriate) of a recognised professional institute in a relevant field AND a minimum of one year of appropriate experience after obtaining such membership; the acceptability of the Associate Membership or the Graduateship status of the candidate, the recognition of the institute and the relevancy of the field for this purpose shall be judged by the Faculty and approved by the Senate. AND (iv) At least 2 years experience after having obtained the requirements in (i), (ii) or (iii) above.
Details of Applying for the Next Intake (2005/2007)
Application forms will be available at the Department of Management of Technology from 27th June 2005 and will be issued upon a payment of Rs. 500/ to University Shroff (week days from 9.30 a.m to 12.30 pm and 1.30 p.m. to 3.30 p.m). Application forms can also be obtained by sending a self addressed stamped envelop (125×227 mm) to MBA Administrative Officer, Department of Management of Technology, University of Moratuwa with a pay-in voucher to the value of Rs. 500/-, which can be obtained at any Bank of Ceylon branch by paying the relevant amount to the credit of “University of Moratuwa- A/C No. 300101615” Closing date for applications is 29th July 2005. Or else the application forms can be downloaded from the University web site http://www.mrt.ac.lk/.The filled application should be forwarded with the receipt of Rs. 500/-
Course Fees & Contact Details
The course fee for the next intake (2005/07) would be as follows: MBA tuition fee is Rs. 175,000/ or if registering only for the one year PG Diploma tuition fee is Rs. 125,000/. There would also be Registration fee of Rs. 1500/ and Examination fee of Rs. 500/ and refundable Library Deposit of Rs. 2500. Further information on applications for the next intake could be obtained from: the MBA Course Coordinator, Ms Dilani Wijesekera 2650301-5204 (mba@mot.mrt.ac.lk). Further information on the course could be obtained from Course Director MBA in Infrastructure: Prof Amal Kumarage 265 0567 (amal@civil.mrt.ac.lk) Course Director MBA in Infrastructure: Dr Niranjan Gunawardena 265 0567 (ndg@civil.mrt.ac.lk) Course Assistant MBA in Infrastructure: Sulakshi David 265 0567 (sulakshi@civil.mrt.ac.lk)