How to identify good foreign qualifications delivered in Sri Lanka

Coventry University collaboration stands out from the rest?

The current educational trend in Sri Lanka demonstrates many qualifications being delivered by private education institutes in collaboration with foreign universities through various forms of partnerships. At a time private higher education is becoming increasingly popular, arguments for and against have created much controversy about the credibility of this sector.

However considering that private higher education is here and is only going to develop further in the future, it is the responsibility of the policy makers, academics in both state and private sector and all other stake holders to ensure that the quality of the education and other services provided by these organizations are on par with the international standards they claim to possess. Thus this article is going to provide information to the general public on how to identify qualifications with higher standards of academic quality and how a relatively new and a medium scale private educational institute in Sri Lanka has achieved these standards with the support of its partner university.

International ranking systems – Where does the awarding body stand?

There are several internationally accepted ranking systems for international universities, where they are rated on several academic and research related parameters. Popular ranking systems include QS World ranking, Times Higher Education World ranking and Guardian University Ranking. When you select a higher education institute in Sri Lanka it is crucial to check the ranking of their partner. Firstly, where you graduate from matters, therefore if your qualification is awarded by a high ranked university, the international recognition your qualification carries is also higher. Especially in a world where people look for opportunities world- wide, your qualification should not only be recognized in Sri Lanka but elsewhere as well. Secondly high ranking universities would not usually collaborate with any partner. Since their international partners affect their reputation, they would be very careful whom they select and maintain collaborations with. Therefore the rank of the partner university reflects the quality and international reputation of the local institute as well.

CIRP takes pride in having a strong collaboration with Coventry University, the highest ranking British University to offer complete qualifications in Sri Lanka. Coventry University was ranked 12th by Guardian University Guide for 2018, ranked as the Modern University of the Year by Times Higher Education ranking in 2016 and also retained the top modern university title in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Coventry University has received a Gold rating in a new British government ranking of how well students are taught across UK universities. The university achieved the top accolade in the Teaching Excellence Framework ( TEF), published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

Form of partnership and collaboration – External, internal, validated or Franchisee

The type of partnership between Sri Lankan colleges and their international partners vary from distance learning partners to validations and franchisee agreements. Out of these different types of partnerships, franchisee is the most rigorously monitored partnership. As per the international academic standards when there is a franchisee agreement, the parent university is responsible for the entire process of education from selecting lecturers, academic policy, quality assurance mechanisms, curriculum, assessments and the quality of marking of assessments. Students of a franchisee are considered as internal students of the university and the only difference that there could be is the site of delivery. Therefore, you should check the form of arrangement the international university has with the local partner, as it demonstrates the responsibility of the international partner towards the students. On the other hand an internationally reputed university would not sign a franchisee agreement with an institute that is unable to ensure the quality and standard expected.

CIRP students have the opportunity of obtaining an internal degree from Coventry University under the franchisee agreement with the university. University staff visits CIRP once every 3 months for the examination boards to ensure the quality of assessments and marking. Lecturing staff are approved by the university before they start teaching, the teaching curriculum is pre-moderated and the assessments are post moderated. This would ensure that the marks and the awards students receive at CIRP are exactly the same if a student were to receive it in the UK.

Sustainability of the partnership – Reliability of quality

You should also check the ability of the local institute to sustain the partnership with its international partner. A strong long term partnership is a good indication of the quality of the local partner. Unless the local partner has found a better and more reputed partner, losing a partnership in most of the cases is a result of poor quality or some form of a problematic encounter. Therefore, if you see a local college changing its international partners frequently, this should be a red flag and you should find out the reasons before you invest in a qualification.

CIRP’s first international partner was Unive r s i t y of Hertfordshire ( UH) and then Coventry University ( CU). CIRP maintains its relationship with UH as a progression partner where student who complete 2 years of their undergraduate studies could transfer to complete their degree there. And with CU, CIRP is having a very strong partnership for last 6 years and the number of programs delivered through this partnership has increased every year, demonstrating the mutual trust between CU and CIRP. Apart from CU, CIRP also has initiated new partnerships with reputed international universities such as Deakin University and University of Western Australia.

CIRP takes pride in having a strong collaboration with Coventry University, the highest ranking British University to offer complete qualifications in Sri Lanka. Coventry University was ranked 12th by Guardian University Guide for 2018, ranked as the Modern University of the Year by Times Higher Education ranking in 2016 and also retained the top modern university title in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Coventry University has received a Gold rating in a new British government ranking of how well students are taught across UK universities

External Examiners – Watchdogs of Quality

Any internationally reputed academic institute must have external examiners, individuals who are not attached to the organization, who provides independent and objective feedback on the quality of teaching and assessing. For any British University that delivers qualifications abroad, the Quality Assurance Agency in UK makes it compulsory to have reputed external examiners. They should visit the local institute frequently, talk to students and go through student work and provide feed-back. They are the ones usually approving the marks following exam boards. Before you join a private institute, inquire about the external examiners, how often they come and if the current students have spoken to them. Most partners minimize the visits of external examiners for cost cutting and this may lead to serious issues with quality as no one from outside is monitoring the process.

CIRP is proud to have external examiners with excellent academic reputation, experience and credentials. Currently there are two senior academics from UK, Prof. Ho Low from University of Cambridge and Dr. LisaDoodson from Regent University UK, who visits Sri Lanka for every exam board. CIRP allows them to freely talk to students and the feedback is utilized for the continuous improvement of the quality and standards. Our students are fortunate to have their qualifications signed off by these senior academics which is also a further confirmation that their grades are in par with the greatest academic institutions in the world. - Dr. Darshan Perera – Academic Director CIRP School of Psychology.