Sri Lanka Collaborates With India, Maldives in Higher Education

In its aim to expand higher educational opportunities for the country’s youth, the Sri Lankan government in collaboration with the Indian High Commission is offering 40 scholarships for Sri Lankan students to attend undergraduate and graduate programs at various Indian universities.

The scholarships will cover the costs of tuition for the complete duration of the course, accommodation, books and include a monthly stipend. Students will also receive healthcare, transportation fees and grants for educational tours.

The High Commission and the Ministry of Higher Education will be selecting students based on merit.

The ministry is also exploring the possibility of establishing a management faculty in the Maldives that would be affiliated to Sri Lanka’s University of Sri Jayewardenepura. The Minister of Higher Education S.B. Dissanayake discussed this idea with Hussain Shihab, the High Commissioner of Maldives, Thursday. The two officials also talked about expanding the scholarship exchange program between the two countries.

Higher education has been a controversial topic in Sri Lanka in recent months with the government’s plan to establish private universities in the country. Those who support the proposal say it would give more students the opportunity to pursue a university degree. Opponents say introducing private universities would cause state universities to be neglected and that the quality of education in those institutions would further decline.

Some members of the academia are vociferous in pointing out flaws in the current system such as outdated curricula and programs that don’t prepare students for employment. Many qualified Sri Lankan students are unable to obtain a university degree at all due