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Sri Lanka Universities of international standards to attract foreign students
The University of Colombo, the top ranked State university in the country and eighth in South Asia, is preparing to enrol more foreign students, with a proposed international student centre to overlook their welfare, and hostels and cafeteria being developed for their board and lodging, according to a senior University official.
In an interview with Education Times, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Student Affairs), Prof. Premakumara de Silva said, apart from
Prof. Premakumara de Silva
government scholarships, more foreign students are enrolling on a feepaying basis and there is an increase in student exchange programmes.
The international student centre, once established, will handle international student affairs including student counselling, themed events and discussions to promote communication, and will be a model for other universities to follow.
“There is an international students unit that handles academic affairs, which will take care of their welfare by offering counselling support for personal issues and handling social aspects of the students,” said Prof. Premakumara who has been a senior student counsellor for about 15 years.
According to him, at present, the Thelawala and Muttiah women’s hostels are being developed to international standards. The Thelawala hostel will accommodate between 300-500 students.
The Higher Education Ministry allocated Rs 600 million, Rs 100 million each to Colombo, Peradeniya, Moratuwa, Ruhuna, Kelaniya and Sri Jayawardenapura Universities to develop facilities to international standards.
“The conditions within hostels are appalling, the toilets are an eyesore. In this situation, we cannot accommodate foreign students, as they will spread the word on the dire conditions. Therefore, we decided to develop these hostels, so that local students will also be familiar with international standards,” he added.
“For male students, finding accommodation outside the university can be arranged, But we have to assure more security for female foreign students,” he said.
Prof. de Silva said there is a need for a cafeteria with international standards for foreign students.
“At present, we have many Asian students, but if we are to attract students from developed nations, it is necessary to have adequate facilities,” he added.
Prof. de Silva said that international students from the United States, Germany, Australia, United Kingdom, China and a number of other countries come here on student exchange programmes and have to find accommodation for themselves. Under the Higher Education Ministry’s scholarship programme, 100 scholarships were offered to students from 48 countries for undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
Fifty four students are from the Asian region, 22 from Europe and Australia, seven from North and South America, 11 from the Middle-east, five from Africa and one from the Caribbean.
According to the University Grants Commission (UGC), in 2011, 47 foreign students were enrolled for undergraduate courses at Colombo University’s Medical Faculty on a fee-levying basis.
Seven foreign students joined postgraduate courses at the Arts Faculty and two to the Medical Faculty.
The same year, 45 foreign students enrolled for Medical, eight for Dental and one for the Law faculty of Peradeniya University. Thirteen joined Peradeniya University’s Arts Faculty for postgraduate studies.
Ten foreign students joined Sri Jayawardenapura University’s Medical Faculty, while 63 foreign students joined the Kelaniya University’s Medical Faculty and 16 for Arts.
Six students entered Moratuwa University’s Engineering Faculty. In Ruhuna University, five foreign students are at the Medical Faculty and one in the Engineering Faculty. One foreign student joined the University’s Fisheries Biology for postgraduate studies.
One foreign student received a scholarship to the Rajarata University, one each to the Law and Arts Faculties of the Open University and one to the Colombo University’s School of Computing.
| The conditions within hostels are appalling, the toilets are an eyesore. In this situation, we cannot accommodate foreign students, as they will spread the word on the dire conditions. Therefore, we decided to develop these hostels, so that local students will also be familiar with international standards |
- Nadia Fazlulhaq
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