The Cabinet of Ministers has approved several Sri Lankan universities to enter into memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and project agreements with foreign higher education and research institutions.

The proposal was submitted by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya with the aim of strengthening international academic collaboration, research exchange, and capacity building in local universities.

Under the approved agreements, the University of Peradeniya will partner with the Alliance of National and International Science Organizations for the Belt and Road Regions (ANSO) to conduct the International Water Summit on Climatic Change and Environmental Pollution. In addition, the University of Peradeniya will enter into a Research Collaboration Agreement and a Material Transfer Agreement with the Chinese University of Hong Kong to study the transmission of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in humans, animals, and the environment, focusing on antimicrobial and biological resistance and genetic diversity.

The University of Kelaniya will sign an MoU with the Kyoto College of Graduate Studies for Informatics (KCGI) in Japan to enhance educational cooperation, strengthen professional and cultural ties among staff and students, and conduct joint research, conferences, and workshops.

Meanwhile, the University of Vavuniya will partner with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) to promote education and research collaboration in mutually agreed fields. The MoU also covers the exchange of students and academic staff, sharing of educational materials, joint conferences, and sponsorship for workshops. Additionally, the University of Vavuniya will enter into an MoU with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations to obtain the services of professors as visiting lecturers on a contractual basis.