Representatives from Sri Lanka and the Maldives are exploring closer cooperation between their universities. The Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the Maldives, M. Rizvi Hassen, held discussions with Maldives National University (MNU), led by its Chancellor Dr. Mahamood Shougee and other senior officials.

The goal of these talks is to prepare formal agreements, MoUs, that would enable academic collaboration across both countries. This includes student and faculty exchanges, joint research projects, shared symposiums and publications, and other cooperative academic activities for mutual benefit.

MNU is the oldest and largest higher-education institution in the Maldives, currently enrolling about 15,000 students.

This move adds momentum to the broader efforts by Sri Lanka to internationalize its higher-education system. Sri Lankan authorities have recently signed several MoUs with foreign institutions to promote global academic partnerships.