Foreign universities are to open fully-fledged private universities in Sri Lanka in April next year.
Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake said that two to three foreign universities would open up branches in Sri Lanka in April 2011. He said that the government would present the Non State Universities Bill to parliament in January next year for approval and once it is passed, the foreign universities would commence operations in the country from April.
“The Bill is ready to be presented to parliament. It will be presented next month and once it is passed, the private universities will come into effect,” he said. The foreign universities that are to open up in Sri Lanka are expected to be from the UK and India.
“The London School of Business, the London School of Fashion and the Manipal University in India have confirmed that they would open up private universities in Sri Lanka,” Dissanayake said.
The Manipal University in India is a knowledge powerhouse and a brand name in higher education, specialising in the field of healthcare and other essential services.
The London School of Business offers a rich portfolio of masters and non-masters programmes to suit students and executives at every stage of their careers. Both the school’s full-time and executive MBA programmes rank among the world’s best, according to the Financial Times and Business Week business education surveys. Dissanayake explained that officials of these universities have already visited the country and the discussions with the Sri Lankan government were in the final stages.
“There are already 20-30 private universities operating in the country. But they are on a small scale. The private universities that would open in April next year will be fully fledged private universities,” he said.
According to Dissanayake, a large number of foreign universities have so far expressed interest in opening up branches in Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, Dissanayake told parliament last week that he welcomed the views of the JVP, which vehemently opposes the establishment of private universities in the country, when introducing legislation to ensure that state universities were not affected by the establishment of private universities.
The Minister said that a two-day workshop would be conducted early next month for the exchange of views.
Courtesy - The Sunday Leader - By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema
