UK Minister Catherine West visits British Council

 UK Minister Catherine West

• Participates in dialogue on transnational education
• Sri Lanka leads South Asia in the proportion of tertiary-level students enrolled in UK TNE programs 

British Council this week held a dialogue on transnational education to coincide with the visit to Sri Lanka by UK Minister Catherine West – the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Indo-Pacific) at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

British High Commis-sioner Andrew Patrick and British Council Country Director Orlando Edwards were associated with West during the dialogue.

She interacted with a range of transnational education (TNE) stakeholders from across the education sector, in a dialogue that demonstrated the important role that education has in the bilateral relationship, as a driver of growth and opportunity. This dialogue organised by British Council was held at its library in Colombo. It showcased the major success story TNE has had for Sri Lanka and the UK; and emphasised how UK education serves as a global benchmark for quality, accessibility, and innovation while contributing to the development of Sri Lanka’s human capital. 

Key discussion points at the dialogue included discussion on the different modes and channels for the UK and Sri Lanka to collaborate, what the Sri Lankan sector wants from the UK, and how the UK and Sri Lanka can increase ambition in TNE education collaboration, with a focus on internationalisation and how the UK can support Sri Lanka to become an international education hub and to enable Sri Lankan higher education institutes to climb up the global ranking tables. 

The event saw the participation by a mix of TNE leaders, teaching faculty, and graduates. Among them were: Asia Pacific Institute of Technology (APIIT) Chief Academic Officer and SLANSHEI Secretary Gamindu Hemachandra, Business Management School (BMS) CEO Dr. Nizam Razzaq, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Director of Global Education Kenneth Flemming, British College of Applied Studies (BCAS) CEO Prof. Ruwan Abeysekara, Spectrum Campus CEO Dr. Jayanthan Kulasingham and ESoft Metro Campus Chief Executive Officer/Director Nishan Sembacuttiaratchy.

Among the TNE Alumni were: Corporate Trainer Anjalika Wijesinghe, Nanotechnology Expert Dr. Pamoda Perera, Global Engineering Solutions CEO and International Consultant Dr. Ananda Handunge and Hayleys Life Sciences Filed Application Specialist Daniel Ferdinands.

Sri Lanka leads South Asia in the proportion of tertiary-level students enrolled in UK TNE programs.

Compared to other markets in the region like India and the Maldives, Sri Lanka has the highest engagement in TNE as a percentage of its student population.

UK TNE enrolments in Sri Lanka have grown by 113% since 2018, elevating Sri Lanka to the second-largest TNE market for UK universities globally. As of 2021-22 there were 45 UK universities delivering TNE in Sri Lanka, with 15 universities recording over 1,000 enrolments each. Diverse Academic Offerings: UK TNE programs in Sri Lanka offer a wide range of fields, including business management, IT, psychology, biomedical science, and niche areas like digital banking and filmmaking. There is room for more courses, for example supporting the creative sector. 

TNE programs align with market demands while focusing on employability and practical skill development.

- Pix by Lasantha Kumara