The Sri Lankan government will soon introduce a regulatory framework to standardize and provide quality assurances in higher education in privately-run universities and learning institutions, Deputy Minister of Higher Education Nandimithra Ekanayake said. He revealed that his Ministry is in the process of preparing guidelines to streamline the existing institutions in private higher education. He made this disclosure at the launching ceremony of the Graduate Institute of Science and Management in Colombo on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Higher Education is presently conducting discussions with 23 institutions, he said adding that the government will give tax holidays under the Board of Investment law and free land, provided, there is a 20 % intake of students free and the government gets a stake in the venture. The foreign universities can either lease or buy land and those that set up colleges outside the capital Colombo such as Jaffna, Galle and Kandy, could get more generous tax holidays.
Australia’s Monash University, China's Beijing State University, India's Bangalore-based Manipai Medical College and the London School of Fashion are holding discussions with the authorities at present.
The city campus of the institute is located at Udahamulla, Nugegoda with the institute being the brainchild of Dr. G. G. Senaratne, Professor of Electronics Engineering. He returned to Sri Lanka in July this year after completing 10 years in New Zealand both in academia and in the New Zealand microwave industry. Dr. Senaratne said he returned to the motherland on a request made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to serve the country. |
E-mail
