Emphasizing SLIIT’s commitment to scholarly excellence, it has achieved a historic milestone by being the only Sri Lankan educational institution shortlisted for the prestigious THE Awards Asia 2024, widely regarded as the ‘Oscars of Higher Education’ in Asia.

Originating in the UK and expanded to Asia in 2019, THE Awards Asia celebrates academic excellence and innovation in higher education across the Asian continent. This year’s edition attracted well over 600 entries from leading universities in Asia.

The university’s outstanding accomplishment lies in being the sole Sri Lankan university shortlisted for the Research Project of the Year in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences category. This recognition is attributed to the project titled ‘Elderly Population and Global Economies,’ Supervised by Prof. Ruwan Jayathilaka, and authored by undergraduate students Thaveesha Jayawardhana, Sachini Anuththara, Thamasha Nimnadi, and Ridhmi Karadanaarachchi from the SLIIT Business School, The research project produced three Q1 Scopus publications, achieving a rare and unprecedented recognition and showcasing SLIIT’s growing influence on the global academic stage.

Furthermore, SLIIT has secured a unique position as a Sri Lankan institution alongside renowned world-ranked universities such as Hong Kong Polytechnic and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, thereby elevating its standing. Other prominent universities shortlisted across various categories include the National University of Singapore, Hiroshima University, and the University of Hong Kong, further highlighting the caliber of institutions SLIIT is competing against.

The foundation of this special achievement lies in the SLIIT Business School, which endeavours to nurture academic research and publications at the undergraduate level in top-ranked journals – an unparalleled activity, especially when compared to other national universities. Importantly, SLIIT’s entry for the THE Asia Awards has achieved a unique feat even globally, particularly in non-medical fields, by having undergraduate students publish three Scopus journal papers.

SLIIT Business School boasts 14 PhD holders and nine professors among its 32 tenured positions. With approximately half of the tenured faculty holding doctorates and extensive industry experience, the SLIIT Business School offers a robust full-time faculty compared to other universities that heavily rely on visiting faculty. The faculty composition also positions SLIIT Business School as a premier institution providing high-quality, research-driven education, further strengthening its reputation as a leading academic and research entity in the region.

The shortlisting of SLIIT for the THE Awards Asia 2024 is a testament to the university’s dedication to academic distinction and its growing impact on the global stage. As the university prepares to participate in this prestigious event, the significance of the achievement cannot be overstated, marking a critical moment in SLIIT’s academic journey.