British Council unveils research on transnational education in Sri Lanka

The report makes recommendations to bridge the gap in higher education quality and drive economic growth. 

The British Council released a pivotal report today that offers valuable insights into the current state and future potential of transnational education (TNE) in Sri Lanka, underscoring the opportunities and challenges faced by students and educational institutions.

The report was launched at the BMICH and was attended by the British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Andrew Patrick, education ministry officials, education policy makers, officials from the University Grants Commission, state and non-state university officials.

The Hon. Minister of Education, Susil Premjayantha said: “Despite Sri Lanka’s high literacy rate and impressive strides in basic education, higher education capacity remains a significant challenge, with only 44,000 of the 171,532 qualified students gaining admission to state universities in 2022. This shortfall has driven a growing demand for private higher education and transnational education which has proliferated in the last few years. 

“We hope that this report will shed light on how TNE can bridge the gap in Sri Lanka’s higher education landscape.”

The Country Director of British Council Sri Lanka, Orlando Edwards said: "The report is testament to our ongoing commitment in South Asia where we collaborate with governments and stakeholders to enhance access and quality of international education, while fostering cross-border partnerships and collaboration. Sri Lanka is rapidly becoming a hub for transnational education. In 2022-2023, it emerged as the second-largest country for UK TNE, accounting for 10% of all UK TNE enrolments globally with a 50% surge in UK TNE—totalling almost 54,000. This research report highlights the immense potential of TNE in bridging the gap in higher education access and driving economic growth for the country."

"By addressing key challenges such as quality assurance and regulatory frameworks, Sri Lanka can fully capitalize on the benefits of transnational education and create a world-class higher education ecosystem.”

The report, commissioned by British Council to Times Higher Education emphasises the significant role of TNE in providing Sri Lankan students with access to international qualifications and the benefits of cross-border educational partnerships. The report offers recommendations to further strengthen TNE in Sri Lanka. Some of these recommendations include:

 Establishing a public repository for TNE activity in order for all to have access to transparent and comprehensive information on the TNE landscape, its scale, quality and success. It would also aid decision making for students to identify appropriate programmes, and for policy makers/providers in designing future programmes and strategic alignment to country's needs. 

 Establishing a public repository for TNE activity to help in decision making and strategic TNE development.  

 Developing a unified nation-wide quality assurance system applicable to all higher education programmes and integrating TNE programmes into a national qualifications framework to ensure consistency with local higher education standards. 

 Encourage public-private partnerships for a stronger support system in enhancing TNE related services.

 Expansion of UK TNE offerings beyond Colombo, with the consideration of better geographical distribution and establishing more branch campuses to make higher education more accessible. 

 Enhancing academic and non-academic features, such as diversifying assessment schemes and providing comprehensive student support services which are crucial for improving the overall student experience. 

The Country Director of British Council Sri Lanka, Orlando Edwards added: “British Council’s report is pivotal in the development of Sri Lanka’s TNE landscape. We will be studying its recommendations closely and seeing how we can use the information provided to influence our TNE policies moving forward.”

The full report can be downloaded at: https://www.britishcouncil.lk/programmes/education/comprehensive-report-transnational-education-sri-lanka

About the British Council: 

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We work with over 100 countries in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Last year we reached over 65 million people directly and 731 million people overall including online broadcasts and publications. We make a positive contribution to the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust. Founded in 1934 we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. We receive 15 per cent core funding grant from the UK government. www.britishcouncil.org 

Captions(L-R)

British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Andrew Patrick, Hon. Minister of Education Susil Premjayantha, British Council Sri Lanka Country Director Orlando Edwards, British Council South Asia Education Director Salvador Lopez Carbajal, University of Kelaniya Vice-chancellor Prof. Nilanthi de Silva and University Grants Commission Chairman Prof Sampath Amaratunga

Hon. Minister of Education Susil Premjayantha and British Council Sri Lanka Country Director Orlando Edwards

British Council 3 - Dr Nishat Riaz - Head Higher Education Systems and Internationalisation, British Council

Dr Ishan Cader, Director Consultancy, Times Higher Education

Panel discussion with stakeholders – Dr Athula PitigalaArachchi - CEO Curtin Colombo – TNE Provider, Arunajith Nandada - Head of Human Resources for Retail Sector of John Keells group, Prof Nilanthi De Silva - Vice-chancellor, University of Kelaniya, Dr Ishan Cader – Director Consultancy, Times Higher Education and Sandeepa Sahay - Head, Insight and Engagement, British Council South Asia