Fulfilling the regional demand for undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in engineering, information technology, business studies/management, finance, marketing and medicine, the multi-services Special Economic Zone aims to contribute positively towards the reversal of brain drain and reduction of the current skill gap in the local employment market.

Soon to be showcased at Port City Colombo, the international university, commanding a premier record in research and development, is expected to position Colombo into a strategic regional hub for tertiary education.

It will be located adjacent to the international school on a 2.5-hectare land plot, housing a number of key faculties staffed by acknowledged subject matter experts facilitating both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. The international university is estimated to accommodate a capacity of 3,000 to 4,000 students.

The university will offer a projected academic programme in the field of medicine, which will support Port City Colombo’s vision of providing world-class learning and training facilities that would encourage prospective medical students to pursue their studies locally.

“With several medical students migrating overseas, due to limited university placements in Sri Lanka and attractive postgraduate work permit programmes, the university will create a thriving ecosystem, where these students could equip themselves with the skills and competencies required for a successful career in medicine.

“This will also include a potential partnership with the teaching school at the proposed international hospital in Port City Colombo,” Port City Colombo said.

By providing undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in technology, the international university will further enable the growth of Sri Lanka’s IT sector, which is currently the third largest foreign exchange earner for the country.

Degree programmes in the STEM field will also be a focus of the international university at Port City Colombo. With the goal of making Sri Lanka more globally competitive, the university will underscore the production of more STEM graduates that will contribute towards the progress of this ever-crucial sector.

As Sri Lanka is being currently outpaced by STEM graduates from countries such as Singapore, India and China, the international university will enhance the employability and development of a highly skilled workforce that would drive Sri Lanka’s ambitious growth targets in the next few decades, Port City Colombo said.

DM