SRI LANKA: Moves to step up foreign student intake

Dinesh De Alwis 03 July 2011

Sri Lanka's Higher Education Ministry has taken steps to award 150 scholarships to foreign students to study in local universities, as part of its plan to turn the country into a higher education hub and attract up to 50,000 international students in the next decade.

Students from 60 countries will be admitted for the coming academic year scheduled to start in October, Higher Education Minister SB Dissanayake (pictured) said last week in parliament after the cabinet approved the scholarships plan, which is now being put before the assembly.

Students from China, Japan and Southern Asia including India and Pakistan, are the most likely to benefit from the scholarship scheme.

"Under this programme, foreign students get full scholarships and have a chance to study medical, management, law, engineering and arts degrees. Students will also be assisted with living expenses. This is the first time that Sri Lankan universities [will] get the opportunity to have foreign students," he said, adding that it would also help universities to achieve international standards.

"The aim is to make Sri Lanka the hub of knowledge in Asia," Dissanayake said.

The government is hoping to attract around 10,000 foreign students to local universities and another 50,000 by 2020, according to projections by the Department of National Planning, in its development policy framework for Sri Lanka.

It is hoped this will be achieved by allowing private universities to be set up under a new bill that has been approved by the cabinet and is expected to be presented to parliament soon.

At the same time Sri Lanka's University Grants Commission has decided to increase the admission of fee-paying foreign students at local universities from just 0.5% of the overall intake to 5% from the next academic year. The ministry said it hoped that around 1,000 fee-paying foreign students would be admitted.

The annual course fees for a medical degree would be some US$12,000 while a degree in management would be around US$4,000. The closing date for applications for the next academic year has been extended to 15 August, to encourage foreign students to apply.

Sanjeewa Bandara, Convener of the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF), told University World News that the Federation opposed the government's decision to increase the foreign student quota.

"Earlier, only 0.5 % of the quota was for foreign students but now they have increased it. This move will block the higher education opportunities of local students."

Bandara said many local students lose out on a university place because of the competitive entrance examination, and that many university places are not filled because disadvantaged students cannot afford to study.

Related links

SRI LANKA: Delayed foreign universities bill imminent
SRI LANKA: Private universities bill sparks protests
SRI LANKA: Government to attract foreign students

Receive UWN's free weekly e-newsletters

Sponsored Article

Getting to net zero, one community at a time

University of Victoria staff

Accelerating Community Energy Transformation is a University of Victoria-led collaborative initiative that brings together over 40 partners, including Indigenous knowledge keepers and community leaders, to create innovative place-based solutions for energy system transformation.

Promoted by the University of Victoria.

Sponsored Article

Africa pays a premium for global climate change sluggishness

Stellenbosch University staff

Africa needs to stop paying the price for the rest of the world’s recalcitrance to act fast enough in response to the irrefutable conclusions that climate change is real and that the impact of global warming could be devasting, says Professor Guy Midgley, interim director of the School for Climate Studies at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

Promoted by Stellenbosch University.

Sponsored Article

Innovations to ensure energy savings in a hot, arid climate

UAE University staff

Researchers from the United Arab Emirates University have shown that the potential benefits of building energy savings and a cooler indoor environment, as well as improved cooling effect on air temperature at pedestrian level, strongly indicate that a cool roof with high solar reflectance and albedo is a promising strategy for buildings in regions with hot, arid climates.

Promoted by United Arab Emirates University.

Sponsored Article

A new global university ranking with an ethical mission

Aftab Dean

A new university ranking system aims to serve as a catalyst for positive transformation in higher education, ensuring that universities create an environment grounded in integrity and sustainability that inspires and supports students and staff in the development of novel solutions to global challenges.

Promoted by Globethics.net.

Sponsored Article

SDG progress report launches university into new territory

University of Pretoria staff

In the publication of its first progress report on its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, the University of Pretoria is navigating new territory at the same time as it is acknowledging its clear stewardship role in protecting the environment and biodiversity.

Promoted by the University of Pretoria.