Transforming nursing beyond borders - Dr. Kithsiri Edirisinghe’s vision for a global nursing workforce

As the world faces a shortage of more than 15 million nurses, healthcare systems across the globe are struggling with workforce shortages, aging populations, rising healthcare demands, and rapidly changing models of care. Long before this became an international crisis, Dr. Kithsiri Edirisinghe, Founder and CEO of IIHS Multiversity, envisioned Sri Lanka becoming a major contributor to the global healthcare workforce through internationally focused nursing education. For more than two decades, he has led the transformation of nursing education in Sri Lanka by introducing the concept of the “Work-Ready Global Nursing Professional,” producing nurses who are academically strong, clinically competent, globally adaptable, and internationally employable. Under his leadership, IIHS Multiversity pioneered Sri Lanka’s first International Nursing Diploma, the first International Nursing Top-Up Degree, the first International Master’s Programme in Nursing, and the country’s first Doctorate pathway in Nursing, creating opportunities for more than 4,500 Sri Lankan nurses, including large numbers of government nurses, to obtain internationally recognized qualifications and global career pathways.

Dr. Edirisinghe also established Sri Lanka’s first articulated international nursing pathways with globally ranked universities such as Deakin University in Australia, Metropolia University in Finland, Coventry University in the United Kingdom, and the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, all of which are internationally respected institutions ranked within approximately the QS 200–280 global rankings. Through these collaborations, thousands of Sri Lankan nursing students gained access to international transfer opportunities, globally recognized nursing degrees, advanced healthcare systems, and international employment pathways. Today, more than 2,500 IIHS-trained nurses are working across Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, and other developed healthcare systems, supporting global healthcare services while contributing valuable foreign income to Sri Lanka’s economy and strengthening national dollar reserves.

IIHS Multiversity has further strengthened its international standing through collaborations and recognition associated with globally respected healthcare and regulatory organizations including the NHS UK, Care England UK, the General Medical Council (GMC), the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) UK, APHRA Australia, and Valvira Finland. Through these achievements, Dr. Kithsiri Edirisinghe has positioned IIHS Multiversity not merely as an educational institution, but as a pioneering Global Health University committed to addressing international healthcare workforce shortages, advancing healthcare education, and developing compassionate global healthcare professionals capable of serving humanity beyond borders. His vision has elevated the status of nursing education in Sri Lanka while demonstrating that Sri Lanka can play a significant role in supporting the future sustainability of global healthcare systems.

International Nurses Day 2026 - IIHS Multiversity - Inspiring Excellence. Shaping Futures. Creating Global Healthcare Professionals.