A workshop on Innovative Teaching Methodologies was held at the British Council Auditorium in Colombo on Tuesday July 13 2010. This workshop was conducted by Angela Rae, Programme Director of the School of Education at Durham University.

Twenty eight academic staff members from 13 (out of 16) Sri Lankan universities participated in this workshop. The participants ranged from junior lecturers to senior lecturers and represented a wide spectrum of academic disciplines such as medicine, computer science, chemical engineering, textile and clothing, engineering, biotechnology, economics, business administration, visual arts, language, agriculture, religious studies, education etc.

The participants gained practical knowledge on a selection of innovative classroom teaching methodologies through interactive teaching and learning scenarios such as the Ozzobulla Exercise and the Boal Technique. Twenty % of the participants said the workshop exceeded their expectations while the rest of the participants said their expectations were met.

Durham University plays a very active role in Sri Lanka through the student mobility programme and the Higher Education partnership with Sabaragamuwa University both of which are funded by the UK Prime Minister's Initiative (PMI 2).

Durham University also has an active post-tsunami development project running in southern Sri Lanka.