Those studying abroad should serve Motherland - Export Development Minister

Walter LIYANARACHCHI

COLOMBO: Specially at a time like today, when Government is striving to achieve the development goals, the duty and responsibility of those who seek tertiary education abroad should make it a point to prioritise serving the motherland after the completion of such education, said Export-Development and International Trade Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris.

Prof. Peiris said so after opening the Australian Educational fair recently at the World Trade Centre, Colombo.

Every country is proud of this available resources that are at its disposal. In this case of Sri Lanka it’s this human resource that is supreme.

Hence we have to create and employ various and different mechanisms and strategies to harness this unique resource in our efforts at nation-building.

Therefore a major emphasis must be placed on education, the Minister said. It has to be proved that a larger volume of students opt to study in Australia. This is purely because the ties that exist between educational institutions in Sri Lanka and Australia for a long-time.

There is also a sizeable community of Sri Lankans who had had their university education in Australia. Such alumni of Australian universities serve with distinction in diverse fields in Sri Lanka, he said.

Basing this cultural ties that bind the two countries, Australian Government acts with pleasure to help Sri Lanka and to attract South Asian students.

Flexibility displayed in matters related to curriculum, such as ability to change this mid stream must also be playing a major role, the Minister said.

The two countries maintain close rapport in education, trade and industry, said Australian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Greig French.