The Higher Education Ministry is exploring the possibility of setting up a campus of the Sri Jayewardenepura University in the Maldives.
Minister S.B.Dissanayake met with the Maldivian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Hussain Shihab to discuss the feasibility of the project and initial discussions concluded that it was possible to set up several faculties and name it the Maldives Campus of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and to commence academic programmes in the management studies stream, ministry sources told The Island.
The establishment of the campus would be done next year. The
meeting was held at the Higher Education Ministry and was attended by the First Secretary of the Maldivian High Commission Ahmed Mujthaba, Vice Chancellor of the Sri Jayewardenepura University Dr.N.L.A Karunatahne, and the Minister's private secretary Mrs. Tamara Dissanayake.
Both the incumbent and former presidents of the Maldives, a large number of ministers and heads of business establishments had their education in Sri Lankan education institutes the High Commissioner pointed out, adding that the Maldivian people have high regard for the Sri Lankan education system.
In 1998 the first and only tertiary college in the Maldives was established. It is called the Maldives College of Higher Education (MCHE) and offers 28 certificate and seven diploma programmes. The academic staff members have been brought in from other Asian countries such as Singapore and India.
Courtesy - The Island - by Dasun Edirisinghe
