University of California-Berkeley to set up undergraduate programs in SL

The Government has signed an agreement to set up a Higher Institute of Technology, with the University of California in Berkeley — ranked among the top ten in the world. Dr Nalin Walpita, chairman of the Prime Ministerial Committee on the Centre of Excellence for Higher Education, told a news conference that they had signed an agreement with this prestigious university for the first phase of the partnership to setup an undergraduate business and engineering school in Sri Lanka.

Announcing the entry of the US university to Sri Lanka. Pic by Athula Dewapriya

 Dr. Walpita said 25 percent of the intake would be for Sri Lankan urdergraduate students on scholarships.MBA programmes for those who were working as executives would also available The Higher Institute of Technology would be set up as a no-profit private-public partnership (PPP) and would enable South Asian students to receive world class education, he said.

At a news briefing in Colombo, Adam Berman, who is the Executive Director of the Project for the New Academic Ventures unit at the University of California, said they were excited about the new collaboration to design a 21st century school. He said they were working closely with the leadership of the Higher Institute of Technology and corporate sponsors to develop a world class university that would deliver high quality education at an affordable cost.

Yasoja Gunasekara, Director General of the SAARC Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the new venture could make Sri Lanka an education hub in South Asia. The project, the brainchild of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, was approved by the cabinet on a proposal made by the Ministries of National Policy and Economic Affairs, Higher Education and Science and Technology.

Officials said the Government would allocate land in the Port City area and the new university would lease a land at Keragala in Biyagama to develop a Technology Township, a technology park and innovation hub, housing and common facilities and infrastructure.

(Sunday Times)