600 foreign students for Lankan varsities

by Uditha KUMARASINGHE

The Higher Education Ministry has decided to admit nearly 600 foreign students to Sri Lankan universities this year for basic degree, masters and PhDs.

The Ministry is targeting mainly foreign students from SAARC and European countries including Japan, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and some African countries, Higher Education Ministry Secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

He said the students will be enrolled in the Colombo, Sri Jayawardhanapura, Kelaniya, Peradeniya, Ruhuna, Sabaragamuwa, Uva Wellassa and South Eastern universities.

Several key subject areas such as engineering, Information Technology, management, Buddhism, irrigation, history, archaeology, biodiversity, conflict resolution and combat terrorism will be introduced for these students.

Dr. Nawaratne said students from various countries have shown a keen interest to follow their degrees, Masters and the PhDs in Sri Lanka.

A group of 188 foreign students is now studying at the Buddhist and Pali University.

The Ministry will enroll the students by October this year. The Ministry hopes to enroll at least 1,000 foreign students in local universities from next year, he said.

The Ministry has set up seperate foreign students' divisions in universities to enroll foreign students. In addition, foreign students divisions have also been set up at the Ministry and the University Grants Commission.