Govt approval granted for international higher education zone

The Government has granted approval to establish an international education hub comprising educational institutions, including universities, in a Free Trade Zone.

Higher Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena said some 500 acres would be allocated for the establishment of the hub which would have Board of Investment approval.

The location to be selected from existing Free Trade Zones should be able to provide the basic infrastructure facilities including IT facilities, the minister said.

Institutions to be set up in this zone would enjoy tax incentives and would be open mainly to foreign students.

Sri Lankan students willing to enter the education hub institutions would have to pay the fees in foreign currencies, but they would not be allowed to follow medical degrees, the minister said. Apart from medicine, the institutions and universities would offer IT and engineering courses, among others.

The country annually loses about Rs50 billion, with students leaving the country to pursue foreign education. Some 6,000 Sri Lankan students leave annually to Australia alone.

Only about 1,500 foreign students, most of them from the Maldives and Bangladesh, arrive annually to study in Sri Lanka.

Minister Gunawardena said discussions were underway with international universities based in China, Korea, Malaysia and Australia.

(By Damith Wickremasekara)