The Cabinet of Ministers has given the green light to a series of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between leading Sri Lankan universities and foreign academic institutions, aimed at strengthening international cooperation in higher education and research.
The approvals cover partnerships involving the University of Peradeniya, the University of Kelaniya, and the University of Vavuniya with institutions in China, Japan, and India. These agreements focus on areas such as climate change, environmental pollution, antimicrobial resistance, informatics, and the exchange of students and academic staff.
Among the approved agreements is a project partnership between the University of Peradeniya and the Alliance of National and International Science Organizations for the Belt and Road Regions (ANSO) to jointly organise the International Water Summit on climate change and environmental pollution.
The Cabinet has also endorsed a research collaboration and material transfer agreement between the University of Peradeniya and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. This initiative will focus on studying the transmission of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) across humans, animals, and the environment, including research into antimicrobial resistance and genetic diversity.
In addition, approval has been granted for an MoU between the University of Kelaniya and Japan’s Kyoto College of Graduate Studies for Informatics (KCGI). The partnership seeks to expand educational cooperation, promote professional and cultural exchanges, and facilitate joint research projects, conferences, and workshops.
The University of Vavuniya will also enter into an MoU with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) to develop collaborative education and research initiatives, enable the exchange of academic resources, facilitate staff and student mobility, and organise joint academic events. Furthermore, an agreement between the University of Vavuniya and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations has been approved to secure visiting lecturers on a contractual basis.
These approvals were granted following a proposal submitted by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya in her capacity as Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Professional Education, underscoring the government’s commitment to expanding Sri Lanka’s global academic engagement.
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