200 placements for SL students at South Asian University

Speaking at the “Indian Education Exhibition held in Kandy recently, Professor S.B. Abeykoon, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya said two hundred places had been allocated for Sri Lankan students at the South Asian University to be set up in New Delhi.

Professor Abeykoon who took up a posting at the Tokyo University after his period of Vice Chancellorship has returned to the Engineering Faculty of the University of Peradeniya.

He said the idea of setting up a South Asian University –the brainchild of the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singhwith its ‘mother university in New Delhi’ would cater to students from the SAARC region. Mr. Singh originally suggested the university be sited on a 100 perch block of land in New Delhi. He made the proposal at the 2007 SAARC summit in New Delhi.

However as the process of allocating land in New Delhi was a long and cumbersome process, the PM moved the Foreign Of- fice out of its ten-storied premises and allocated the building to the SAU. The university will now be sited in this building he said.

He added President Mahinda Rajapaksa too keenly supported the proposal.

Professor Abeykoon a member of the Governing Board of the university in charge of infra structure, said he expected work on the university to be completed within the next five years.

Tikiri Kobbekaduwa Governor of the Central Province, Governor of North Western Province S. Ballale, Deputy High Commissioner for India in Kandy, S. Natarjan, Chairman of the Indian Education Exhibition B.D.R. Rajan and a host of distinguished guests were present on the occasion.