The World Bank is to assist Sri Lanka’s higher educational sector with its requirements and plans for expansion in the next five to ten years, the World Bank’s Lead Economist Harsha Aturupane said recently. Such assistance is to be brought into effect through the Human Capital Development programme and other World Bank programmes that Sri Lanka is part of. “The World Bank, through its collaboration with higher educational staff and the University Grants Commission (UGC) is to assist the country with meeting higher educational needs for the next five to ten years,” Dr Aturupane said. Dr Aturupane also said the Human Capital Development Project that Sri Lanka joined in November would assist the country to meet its ambitious plans to expand its public universities.

Programmess such as the Human Capital Development Project and other programmes such as AHEAD would provide assistance to Sri Lanka to expand the numbers of students admitted into universities and vocational training institutes, by expanding lecture theatres and equipment. Regarding the assistance to be given in the Human Capital Development Project, there are plans to admit foreign undergraduates and graduate students into Sri Lanka’s higher educational sector, Dr Aturupane said.

While emphasis would be given to Sri Lanka’s private educational sector, state universities would also be allowed to join such efforts. The Lead Economist also said the Human Capital Development Project would also be part of the World Bank annual meetings, which are currently done online and would invite country finance ministers and educational officials. Consequently those attending such meetings can analyse the various strategies of different countries in terms of human capital investment strategies.

An additional financing of US$25 million from the AHEAD programme would be used to enhance the STEM subjects of Science, IT and Technology. Support would also be given in the form of knowledge and technical assistance. Dr Aturupane also said the Sri Lankan higher educational sector is to be assisted with research and innovation and opportunities will also be provided for foreign and Sri Lankan academics to jointly publish, conduct joint research programmes and publish papers in research journals. Financing and policy coordinating would be done by the UGC, Dr Aturupane added.

(By Priyath Wijewardena)