10,000 foreign students for local Universities
Sri Lanka intends to admit an estimated 10,000 foreign students into local universities by 2015, Higher Education Ministry Secretary, Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne told the Education Times.
“This is part of a plan to turn Sri Lanka into an international hub of excellence in higher education by 2020,” he said.
The Higher Education Ministry has selected seven local universities including Colombo, Peradeniya, Kelaniya and Moratuwa universities to which the foreign students, from any country, will be admitted.
To date, less than 1,000 foreign students enroll into local universities, annually.
The ministry will increase the number of scholarships offered for foreign students, from five in 2011, to 100 by 2015.
The Secretary said that, the new system will not limit the admission of local students, as the foreign students are in addition to the local students admitted.
“By this, we hope to improve global compatibility, global links and exchanges, while converting Higher Education to attract investment and foreign exchange through the new project,” the Secretary said.
The ministry will also build hostels for the foreign students to accommodate 200 students by 2015.
“A foreign student will have to pay about US$ 12,000 per year. This will enable us to be independent of the treasury for funds,” Dr. Nawaratne said.
According to the Ministry Secretary most foreign students come to Sri Lanka to study Buddhism, while others study Medicine, Agriculture and Management.
Dr. Navaratne said that this will be a success because the cost of board and lodging, university fees and other expenses are comparatively lower, making it an attractive advantage for students intending to study in Sri Lanka.
“This will also serve as revenue for the education system of the country, which will improve the standard, resources and facilities of the universities, while expanding the free education system,” he said.
He said, “When local and foreign students work together, their interaction will make them innovative , creative and enterprising,” he said.
“We have many students studying in Bangladesh, Pakistan, China and India because we don’t have sufficient resources and opportunities here. This project will encourage our students who are studying abroad, as well as foreign students, to study in Sri Lanka,” the Secretary said, adding that, there are about 300,000 sitting for the Advanced Level examination annually, of which 130,000 students pass with the minimum qualification , while only some 25,000 students are able to enter a State university.
Dr. Navaratne said that by establishing non-State universities in Sri Lanka, students who fail to enter State universities will be able to pursue their higher education in an equally recognized university.
Also, the ministry intends to improve the quality and upgrade Peradeniya, Colombo and Moratuwa universities to the top 1000 in TIMES and QS ranking list by 2015.
The Secretary said that another objective is to improve global compatibility, global links and exchanges by introducing Sri Lanka Qualification Framework (SLQF) to all State and non-State Higher Education Institutes, to implement a Quality Assurance System and allow lateral and vertical mobility of students by 2015.
Dr. Nawaratne said that by this, they hope to expand the skills and employability of university graduates.
“The overall employability of our graduates, on graduation, is only 56%, of which for Engineering it is 95, while for Arts it is only 28%. This has become a problem to the graduates and the employers,” he said, explaining that, employers look for specific skills when recruiting graduates.
He was of the view that sound communication, teamwork and leadership skills, confidence, and planning and implementation skills are vital.
“We have an outdated education system that needs to be revamped, so that, our graduates are equipped to meet any requirement in the market,” he said.
“We wish to make Education amajor revenue oriented export to improve the higher education of the country, while enhancing the quality of Sri Lankan graduates,” he said.
However, moves to increase foreign students intake, has also met with resistance from student unions and some political parties.
Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) convener, Sanjeewa Bandara, told Education Times that, this will decrease the quality and standard of the country’s education system.
“This programme will enable anyone who can afford a degree to get one. This will merely become a business among the people, where the standard of education will drop,” he said.
- Aanya Wipulasena
Follow @timesonlinelk
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