Incubator Spaces – A Novel Experience for Sri Lankan Universities

The present competitive, and fast-moving commercial industry entices young entrepreneurs to devise innovative and novel ideas instantly. In order to produce creative and skillful professionals into the job market, universities across the globe are introducing and opening up spaces for their students to revitalize education through innovative and experiential learning. Although the concept of incubators is not a whole new phenomenon in the Sri Lankan context, it is certainly a novel experience to the educational system. Considering the number of incubators in the country, it is observed that only a minimal have been established, and they too are confined within several leading corporate entities.

The need for such learning spaces in the existing higher educational infrastructure has long been overdue. Many universities in the country are yet to break out from their conventional teaching methods and outdated syllabuses. Given the many study streams that are on offer, learners are required to adopt more pragmatic strategies into their learning spaces in mastering specific subjects. Such is the domain of Communication and Media. The lack of facilities for skills training, minimum exposure to hands-on-experience in utilizing new media tools, limitations on on-the-job training, networking with professionals, etc., are considered major draw backs that hinder the development of future professionals.    

What Are Academic Incubators?

Academic incubators are in stark contrast to class room setups or libraries. These are new forums to exchange ideas and are designed to build strategic partnerships between the academia and the industry and open up pathways for students’ success. They were initially set up to generate innovative ideas for entrepreneurship, but now have been extended to the educational network to overcome the aforesaid challenges.

In fact, these incubators provide the pre-requisites in shaping and building up goal oriented proficient individuals while also providing a community, and a plethora of resources to foster entrepreneurial advancement and research.

The most leading universities in the world with incubators offer a myriad of opportunities to the system as a whole. Berkeley, Harvard, Stanford, the University of Pennsylvania, etc., are a few of them, which have incredible access to resources, collaborators and funding. These incubators are designed in such a way that they resemble co-working spaces and start-up offices. Most importantly, they are viewed as progressive places bestowing people-freedom and control over what they want to pursue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4nT6_eLayI&t=8s

Incubator Space for Promoting Information Right and Freedom of Expression (InSPIRE)

The right to information and freedom of expression are fundamental to all human beings. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights upholds this phenomenon of “Freedom of Expression and Opinion.” In view of promoting this “necessity”, the project Incubator Space for Promoting Information Right and Freedom of Expression (InSPIRE) implemented by Sri Lanka Development Journalist Forum (SDJF) together with HELVETAS Sri Lanka and funded by the European Union (EU), look forward to empower and prepare future professional journalists for rewarding careers, through the establishment of Incubator spaces in 3 state universities. The Universities of Sri Jayewardenepura, Peradeniya and the University of Jaffna have been fortunate to be the first to explore the multiple benefits on offer.  

Moving away from the traditional classroom environment and embracing a culture that promotes hands-on-experience, indefinitely adds an immense value to the students who are aspiring to become professionals. These students will gain exposure to numerous learning encounters from capacity building, developing new ideas to generating new media productions, in a more gender sensitive and socially responsible manner.

Benefits

The proposed Incubator Spaces in the aforementioned universities await a holistic learning endeavor for their students.

• Personal and professional growth of members that are empowered to act creatively, innovatively and in a socially responsible manner
• Skills and knowledge for developing new media products
• Influence and collaborate with peers
• Access to resources and new technologies
• Network to build connectivity with subject experts and professionals
• A practical alternative to classroom learning
• Empowered to contribute to the media sector and raise standards moving away from conventional style of media and reporting

Therefore, the need for such facilities in educational institutes is deemed mandatory, given the technologically driven dynamic market place that the young await to venture upon.

“The value of an idea lies in the using of it.”- Thomas Edison

Written by- Marlene Perera