Sri Lankan university education despite being available only to the brightest students ranks well below its peers in Asia although academics vow to improve syllabi and facilities to climb the rankings.
"Yes, none of the Sri Lankan universities is in the Asian top 100 list," said Gamani Samaranayake, chairman of the University Grants Commission which supervises the universities.
He attributed the reasons for the low ranking to two leftwing youth rebellions in the past 40 years which turned universities into hotbeds of insurgency, and long neglect of facilities and academics. Sri Lankan universities, due to limited intake capacity, by default only open their doors to 20,800 students or the top five percent that sit for the Advanced Level exams. The rest join the work force, pursue their higher-education in foreign universities or their satellite branches in Sri Lanka. A large number also enroll into professional qualifications in accounting, finance, management and marketing.
These are mainly professional British qualifications like the Chartered Institute of Management Accounting, Chartered Institute of Marketing and Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Sri Lanka has one of the largest pool of people with these qualifications outside the UK. Foreign universities rank themselves to attract overseas students that have to pay more than local students, Amunugama said.
He said French universities are not ranked, because they are also financed by the state.
DM
"Yes, none of the Sri Lankan universities is in the Asian top 100 list," said Gamani Samaranayake, chairman of the University Grants Commission which supervises the universities.
"Yes, none of the Sri Lankan universities is in the Asian top 100 list," said Gamani Samaranayake, chairman of the University Grants Commission which supervises the universities.
He attributed the reasons for the low ranking to two leftwing youth rebellions in the past 40 years which turned universities into hotbeds of insurgency, and long neglect of facilities and academics. Sri Lankan universities, due to limited intake capacity, by default only open their doors to 20,800 students or the top five percent that sit for the Advanced Level exams. The rest join the work force, pursue their higher-education in foreign universities or their satellite branches in Sri Lanka. A large number also enroll into professional qualifications in accounting, finance, management and marketing.
These are mainly professional British qualifications like the Chartered Institute of Management Accounting, Chartered Institute of Marketing and Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Sri Lanka has one of the largest pool of people with these qualifications outside the UK. Foreign universities rank themselves to attract overseas students that have to pay more than local students, Amunugama said.
He said French universities are not ranked, because they are also financed by the state.
DM
"Yes, none of the Sri Lankan universities is in the Asian top 100 list," said Gamani Samaranayake, chairman of the University Grants Commission which supervises the universities.
