Sri Lanka’s first multinational textile manufacturer Teejay Lanka PLC has expanded its collaboration with academia by entering into a partnership with the University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJ), the country’s second oldest university.
A five-year Memorandum of Understanding formalised by the two organisations paves the way for creating mutually beneficial opportunities for collaboration in training, research, employment generation and greater alignment of course content with corporate sector requirements.
Teejay Lanka has undertaken to offer internships and training opportunities to undergraduates of the university’s Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce (FMSC); to provide guest lecturers to the university on request, to explore opportunities for research projects and field visits, to provide feedback on the university’s course content if requested, and to consider financial support for activities that improve the skills and attitudes of undergraduates.
The University of Sri Jayewardenepura will provide opportunities and facilities for Teejay to interview undergraduates for available opportunities, and has agreed to conduct training programmes for Teejay if requested, and to get involved when required, in the preparation and evaluation of business cases and special projects of Teejay Lanka.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Teejay Group CEO Mr Pubudu De Silva and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura Senior Professor Pathmalal Manage. It envisages that the collaboration will engage students in different areas of study including Supply Chain, Research and Development, Customer Development, Marketing, Finance, Information Technology, Management Information System Studies, Accounting, Business Administration and Human Resources.
Commenting on this latest collaboration with academia, Mr De Silva said: “A founding value at Teejay is collaboration, and we continuously seek opportunities to establish mutually beneficial partnerships that align with our shared goals, objectives, and overarching purposes. Teejay actively engages with leading academic institutions, playing a dynamic role in nurturing, mentoring, and guiding the next generation of leaders who will shape the company’s future and the broader business landscape. These multifaceted collaborations synergistically leverage the strengths of each party.”
Ranked the third best university in Sri Lanka in the World University Rankings for 2024, the University of Sri Jayewardenepura was founded in 1873 as Vidyodaya Pirivena, and officially adopted its present name in 1959. The university was listed as a reporter-status university in the 2023 rankings and currently holds a world ranking of 1501+. With its rich heritage and newfound recognition on the international stage, the University of Sri Jayewardenepura stands poised to continue making valuable contributions to both local and global academia.
Teejay Lanka also has a long-standing partnership with the University of Moratuwa which is in its 11th year. Teejay provides industrial placements and fostering schemes for Fashion Design and Product Development and Textile Engineering students of the University, facilitates short-term industry placements for foreign students affiliated to the University through academic linkage programmes, provides knit fabric, yarn samples and hangers free of charge to the University for education purposes, and sponsors the Annual Graduation Fashion Show of the graduates of the Bachelor of Design in Fashion Design and Product Development.
The Teejay Group owns manufacturing facilities in Sri Lanka and in India, along with a state-of-the-art printing facility in Sri Lanka. An ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and OHSAS 18001:2007 compliant company and the first in the industry to develop green fabric, Teejay Lanka was also the first textile manufacturer in Sri Lanka to receive membership of the US Cotton Trust Protocol. Teejay is a public quoted company with 40 per cent public ownership and the backing of Sri Lanka’s largest apparel exporter Brandix Lanka which has a 32 per cent stake in the Company. Pacific Textiles of Hong Kong, whose key shareholder is the Tokyo Stock Exchange listed Toray Industries Inc., owns 27 per cent of Teejay Lanka.
Teejay Lanka was ranked the No 1 corporate entity among 100 public listed companies in Sri Lanka for Transparency in Corporate Reporting in the TRAC 2022 assessment carried out by Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL), the local arm of the international corruption watchdog. The TISL assessment was carried out on three areas crucial to fighting and preventing corruption: reporting on anti-corruption programmes, transparency in company holdings and the disclosure of key financial information in domestic operations.