More foreign campus branches here
To save over Rs 15 billion exchange drain:
Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA
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Minister S
B Dissanayake |
Sri Lanka is spending Rs 15 billion to Rs 20 billion annually on
foreign education, Higher Education Minister S B Dissanayake said.
“The country could save this amount of foreign exchange with the
establishment of foreign university branches in Sri Lanka. This will
enable the students to secure internationally accepted qualifications
locally,” Dissanayake said.
The education system in Sri Lanka will be classified into three
categories under State, Non-State and Professional. Strategies will be
introduced to restructure the process to attract more foreign
universities to the country,” the Minister said.
“The country invites world-recognized universities to establish
branches and discussions are successful in this regard. Sri Lanka will
become a quality higher education centre and the Government will provide
more facilities and a conducive environment,” he said.
The Sri Lanka-Australia-New Zealand Business Council organized a
presentation on Government policy on higher education and education for
the future which was held yesterday.
Sri Lanka hopes to maintain the free education system regardless of
the policies introduced. Sri Lanka is poised to become a knowledge hub
in Asia and the Government is working towards this goal.
“There is a need to regularize and streamline higher educational
institutions. Six universities will be made world class universities
meeting the expected standards. We are already in line to make Sri Lanka
an education centre. The country will be in a position to export
knowledge. The learning centred education will be converted to research
oriented education,” the Minister said.
The Government is carrying out an ambitious education reform agenda.
Australia will support Government efforts to provide education. It has
allocated $ 50 million for development including education, Australia’s
High Commissioner in Colombo Kathy Klugman said.
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