President wants to improve standards at state universities to attract foreign students

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said the standard and reputation of the universities should be restored and improved once again in the country’s university system to attract students overseas.

He said already the standards of the Sri Lankan universities were high on the list of Asian universities.

These remarks were revealed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe while addressing the “CVCD Excellence Awards” held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo on Friday (9).

He said the move to attract foreign students would also help to improve the development of the country’s economy.

The president stressed that he is satisfied with the education received during his era compared to the present day. “For many of the people during his time, the United Kingdom was a second choice, if not the first, after the University of Ceylon. However, when asked by the young generation today about the satisfaction of today’s education system, the answer would be negative. Even if they are selected for a university, they are trying to go abroad,” he said.

The President highlighted the need for fixing the issues with the educational system in this nation and added that conditions should be put in place so that everyone can complete their education at the appropriate age and move on.

President Wickremesinghe stressed the importance of being attentive to the South Asian population. In 2050, India will have about another 3–400 million, rising to 1.7 billion. The poverty level will decrease, while the better income number will increase. He anticipated that this change may occur in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar, and the East African nations.

They alone can’t be building universities. India will have nothing else to do if they are going to provide education for all of them, so they will either use other techniques. Therefore, Sri Lanka must be vigilant in these areas. If Sri Lanka has a sufficient number of universities, it would help to cater to some of them from those areas.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe attended the “CVCD Excellence Awards” ceremony as the Chief Guest and was welcomed by the Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Directors Sri Lanka (CVCD), Professor Sujeeva Amarasena, the Vice Chancellor of Ruhunu University.

Prof. Nilanthi De Silva, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, introduced the award ceremony in detail.

Full Speech of the President :

https://pmd.gov.lk/news/reaffirming-the-prestige-and-global-standing-of-the-countrys-university-system-president