Foreign students will be encouraged to pursue their higher education in Sri Lanka, as the country moves towards transforming itself into an international education hub in the region, Higher Education Minister S.B.Dissanayake told Parliament today.
The minister said with the opening up of the foreign non-state universities in the country, five per cent of the students admitted to them will be foreigners while the government will give scholarships to 150 foreign students to pursue their education.
They will come from countries such as China, India, Pakistan and Vietnam, he said.
“We want to raise the standard of our universities to an international level. This is the only way that our students can broaden their knowledge and become competent to meet international standards”, he said.
Minister Dissanayake said the large number of students who qualify for university admissions, but cannot find placements in local universities will benefit from the non-state universities as 20 per cent of the students will be admitted free of charge based on merit.
He said fears that the entry of foreign universities will be a disadvantage to local universities are unfounded.
“The private universities will help make the government universities more competitive,” he said.
The Minister said when private hospitals were allowed , similar fears were expressed, but today government hospitals have also improved their standards.
He said this was the same with the telecom as well as the transport sector. “Can you imagine how it would be without private buses today”, he queried.
The minister was speaking during the Committee stage debate of the Ministry of Higher Education.
Times Online
