The Ministry of Higher Education has announced a full review of foreign-funded projects at universities in Sri Lanka to determine if the initiatives are strategic or merely ad hoc.

Foreign partnerships, particularly in higher education, must be designed with a clear purpose, a systematic and strategic plan and comprehensive benefits. However, recently, there have been numerous instances where scholarship and fully-funded project applicants have wasted funds on projects that lack an efficient strategic plan and a timeline.

Focusing on this matter, Deputy minister Madura Seneviratne commented, ” There have been instances where new study courses have been started without proper evaluation to see if there are adequate academic members available, and if facilities such as classrooms and resources are available.”

“We have instructed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to reevaluate all the foreign-funded projects and give us a report. Based on that, we will decide what programmes should continue and what should be stopped,” he said.

He emphasized that these initiatives should align with national development priorities and contribute to sustainable growth within Sri Lanka’s higher education system while also welcoming international collaboration.