ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s state-owned universities will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the world’s top universities to raise the ranking of local universities and develop higher education cooperation, the government said.
World ranking of Sri Lankan universities has declined sharply in the past few decades with University of Colombo topping the latest world ranking list with a rank of 1591 followed by University of Peradeniya being ranked in 2017.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal to enter into an MOU between local universities and foreign universities, a cabinet document said.
“These Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation Agreements have been prepared according to the observations and recommendations of the Ministry of foreign affairs, Department of National Planning and Department of External Resources,” the cabinet document said.
“Accordingly, Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by Minister of Education to obtain the covering approval for signing the Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Peradeniya and Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois in United States of America for mutual participation in the field of education and research sectors.”
University of Jaffna will sign the MOU with Oxford University of the United Kingdom with the objective of capacity building, training programs and conducting research, while University of Peradeniya and University of John Hopkins in the U.S. will sign a deal to conduct joint research in the field of Nursing. educational student transfers between two countries and / or development of educational programs relevant to the field.
Memorandum of Understanding between University of Sri Jayewardenepura and Hunan Chinese Medical Faculty of People’s Republic of China will be signed with relevant to the exchange of student-academic staff with the objective of strengthening the cooperation in the field of education.
University of Moratuwa and University of Maryland in the U.S. will enter into joint agreements on mutual agreements with the objective of exchanging scientific knowledge and cultural tradition on a global level.
University of Sri Jayewardenepura will sign the MOU with University of Meiji in Japan with the objective of exchange academic staff for the progress of education and research sector, while University of Peradeniya and Association of Commonwealth Universities of the United Kingdom will sign a deal for the higher education scholarship program implemented under the Maritime States Cooperation Program.
An MOU between University of Kelaniya and Nalanda University in India will be signed to develop academic cooperation and strengthen the historical, cultural and intellectual relationship between two parties.
Buddhist Pali University and Vietnam Buddhist Academy will sign an agreement with the objective of developing cooperation in the field of academic research, the cabinet said. (Colombo/August 13/2024)