Student Sri Lanka Educational Network » study abroad

Foreign education – study abroad opportunities for Sri Lankan students

Achintha Bandara — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 02:56:08 +0000

If you are unable to get into a local university or if you need a foreign exposure then you can select educating in one of the best foreign universities. Even though this is bit expensive and more competitive, the number of students who move abroad for their studies has not declined. Australia, United Kingdom, United States of America, India, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Russia and New Zealand are said to be the most convenient countries to study. In some countries, you can find a part time jobs while studying and even possible opportunity for the residency too.

In this post we are going to identify the typical places you want to access in finding study abroad options. These institutions and people directly deal with the international universities and colleges as well as with embassies and High commissions, where you can keep faith on them.

Australia; the Asian hotspot in southern hemisphere, is the most popular destination of Sri Lankan students where the life is better than here and cheaper than Europe, as they believe. We suggest the IDP Education which provide free educational information. It will cater from initial stage of applying to the airport reception at Australia and even after that. IELTS examination arrangements, pre visa applications, selecting universities, TAFE collages and other institutions, selecting study courses, arranging accommodation in Australia are some of the benefits you might get from IDP. Apart from IDP some other institutes such as Australian New Zealand Education Consultants PVT Ltd, Australian Consultancy Centre for Higher Education (PVT) Ltd (ACCHE), Jeewa Australian Educational Centre, and many other group and individual consultants are also available.

UK, is the other popular place that students tends to go. Because of the strict visa procedure introduced by the UK government the tendency to move to England has been bit reduced but still the numbers are higher compared to the other countries. British Council plays the direct link to the UK where it is believed to be the most stabilized institutional body in Sri Lanka. If you are interested in studying in UK you might visit British Council to find better and credible details. Also there are some other UK affiliated institutes and collages found in Sri Lanka such as Thames College, Oxford College, Royal Institute (RI) and British International School (BIS), which are popular among Sri Lankan students. Even there are many possibilities to study the first half of the degree locally and then you might be able to move to UK for the rest. Apart from degree programs you can also move abroad for the diploma level studies such as TAFE, which can also carry out by these institutions.

USA provides some of world’s finest higher education. U.S. degrees are recognized all over the world and are considered to be one of the best in the world. Most of the universities allow students to work on their campus as either part-time or full-time employees. Unbiased information on USA study abroad programs can be obtained by Education USA, the official U.S. Government-affiliated student advising centre , American Centre of Colombo and by the Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission. Fulbright Commission at 22, Flower Terrace, Colombo 07 (Tel: 011-2564176) conducts free seminars, university meet-ups, and provide free and independent advice to both students and parents. ANC (American National College) is one of the other places which might help you in finding study abroad courses and opportunities. Other hundreds of students are also moving out of the country using private counselors, which is in one hand a risk but on the other hand an economical way.

India, the neighbor of us is the other popular destination of Sri Lankan students, as it is more economical than going to a western country. Bangalore, Chennai, and Pune are some of the most Sri Lankan abundant places in India, and locations for best universities too. India has courses in aesthetic studies that of Music and Dancing, and also in science (Microbiology) and technology (Engineering).

Singapore has become the other best place for study abroad programs. Most of my friends were tend to move to Singapore where they even settled there after finding good jobs after the study. Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand are also good places to study. We hope this post will direct you to move to a right place through right people or institutions, which will be ended up with a highly successful end point.

Following is the summary of things you should consider in selecting foreign education:

Where to study: Country (in USA, UK, India or another country), climate, semi-rural, city etc)
What to study: Medicine, Engineering, Science, Arts, Management
Entrance Requirements (Bachelor degree in same field, work experience etc.)
What degree : BA, BSc, MBBS, MSc, MBA, Ph.D., etc
Cost — Tuition, living expenses etc
Availability of Scholarships to International Students
Tests needed to enter into these courses and universities: SAT, TOEFL, ILETS
Visa procedures
Facilities — Library, housing, student associations etc.

A seminar on U.S. Student Visa

Hiran — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:57:08 +0000

United States – Sri Lanka Fullbright Scholarship commission presents a Seminar of U.S. Student visas at the US-SL FULBRIGHT COMMISSION AUDITORIUM, 22, FLOWER TERRACE, COLOMBO 7, on Monday November 7th 2011 from 3.00 pm. (Signing-in begins at 2.30 p.m.)

The seminar will be conducted by a Consular Officer from American Embassy, Colombo.
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Prior registration needed. Please contact 2564153/2564176
or eduinfo@fulbrightsrilanka.com

This will be a great opportunity for students who plan to study in USA.
Related:

Study in UK, India
Foreign Medical Degrees
Toefel, SAT, GRE exams
Scholarship programs to study abroad
USA degrees

Free presentations on educational opportunities in USA

Hiran — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:17:49 +0000

Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission organzied presentations by Admission officers from 7 American universities on 5th October 2011 from 3.00 to 4.30 pm at Fulbright Commission 22, Flower Terrace, Colombo 07.

Following topics will be discussed:
• How to apply to US Universities, how to find a good fit, how to apply and how to get in.
• Undergraduate college application essay workshop
This seminar will be a good starting point for those who want to study abroad in USA.

Following USA universitites will be participated:
Vanderbilt university, Pepperdine University, Washington and Jefferson College, Penn State University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Tufts University and Northeastern University.

Admission is Free. But seat reservations are made on a first-come first served basis,
Contact : eduinfo (at) fulbrightsrilanka.com / 0112564176 /0112564153

This is organzed with Education USA, the official U.S. Government-affiliated student advising centre which provides accurate, comprehensive, current and unbiased information on educational opportunities in the United States.

Life of a post-graduate student in USA university .
Bachelor’s degree programs in USA
ELTS, TOEFL, GRE Examinations
How to obtain Educational Student visa to study in UK
Study in UK| USA
Study in India

International Schools in Sri Lanka

Hiran — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 17:06:05 +0000

In addition to government schools, there are International and Private schools in Sri Lanka. International Schools charge fees and they have separate curriculum and education is usually in English medium.

International Schools are popular among families who want their children to study in English medium, possible with a view to continuing their studies overseas. Some parents have to put their child in a private school when they are not selected to a popular government school.

Curriculum and Teaching
Most international schools teach according to British national curriculum ending in GCE Ordinary level and Advanced level examinations administered through various examination bodies in United Kingdom, such as London or Cambridge. Some offer UK-based GCSE system of assessment for for O/L students and some offer International Baccalaureate (IB) system. Some schools teach some parts of Sri Lankan national curriculum and many schools offer Sihnala or Tamil as second language. Different schools follow different types of curricula, some of the curricula are designed internally by school authorities. These schools do not provide knowledge relevant to national needs but they provide opportunities to enter a new world globally and may secure good employment. Students from these schools cannot enter the government-funded Universities with their qualifications. However if the students sit for government local A/L examination then they are also eligible to free University education in the country.

Many schools have traditional teacher-led approach, especially even in very young ages children are forced to learn heavy subject contents. These schools aim at teaching to help pass examinations, so they can claim that they produce students with best grades. However some sholls offer student-oriented inquiry based teaching methodologies.

Cost
Many popular intentional schools charge very high enrollment fees and tuition fees are also very high, especially when they are in Advanced Level classes. Also look for other hidden costs, as some of these places are established to earn huge profits.

Facilities and Quality
Some schools have excellent in-house facilities for extra-curricular activities, while others require children to travel to sports facilities in school buses. Quality of education and teaching also vary. Many teachers do not have any teacher training and many teachers do not have proper knowledge in education Psychology. International schools are registered under the Companies Act, and there is no government or private sector authority to monitor quality of these Institutes.

List of some International Schools in Colombo:

Colombo International School
The Overseas School Colombo
Gateway college
Asian International School
Elizabeth moir international,
Stafford international
Belvoir college international
Wycherley International School
Louvre International, Nugegoda
Lyceum International School
Royal Institute International School of Higher Education
Vidura College – Based on National English Medium Curriculum
Alethea International School-col
American International School
Amal International School
Asian International School
Belvoir College International
Buddhist Ladies College International
The British School in Colombo
Colombo South International College
Elizabeth Moir School
Gateway College, Colombo
J.M.C. International School
The Overseas School of Colombo
Oxford College International
Rotary International School
Royal Institute,
Stafford International School
St. Nicholas’ International School

Relaxed Australian visa norms will help Sri Lankan students

Hiran — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 05:23:03 +0000

Australian government has decided to relax visa norms further, and now international students will have greater opportunity to work in the country and enjoy easier access to student visas.

Under the new regulation, international students who graduate from a bachelor or masters by coursework degree, and have studied for at least two years in Australia, will be able to remain in Australia and work (do a job) for two years after the completion of their course. Meanwhile, graduates of masters’ by research degree will have three years post-study work rights and PhD graduates will have four years post-study work rights.

These changes, which streamline visa access, will benefit students from many countries including Sri Lanka India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh and China.

This decision has taken to attract foreign students, as rising Australian dollar and global financial crisis have dealt a serious blow to the universities and vocational education colleges in the country as international students, including Sri Lanka.

Based on Report on Times of India.

Scholarship programs to study abroad
English Tests GRE, IELTS, TOEFEL and SAT needed for Foreign Studies
Study In UK
Study in USA
Study in India
Foreign Medical Degrees

Exam finished. Now what? Career and Higher study options after A/L

Hiran — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:46:38 +0000

A free seminar on Career and Higher education options after A/L will be organized by studentlanka.com web site, in collaboration with Young Biologists’ Association, Sri Lanka for those who have completed GCE Advanced Level examination in 2011 August.

Aim – to give accurate and unbiased information on selection of degrees, courses and careers after GCE Advanced Level examination, especially if you are not selected to a course in a National University.

student-lanka seminar

This will be held on 6 September 2011 (Tuesday) at 2.30 pm at National Museum Auditorium, Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo 7.

Speakers:

Prof Hiran Amarasekera, Professor at University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda. Patron of Young Biologists Association.

Dr Sujatha Gamage - Sujata Gamage, PhD, is a scientist who specializes in knowledge management. She heads the Knowledge to Innovation project at LIRNEasia. Previously she has served as the Director General of the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission of Sri Lanka. Her consultancies include a “Faculty Quality Report” for public university system in Sri Lanka and the “Corporate Plan for 2003‐2008” for the University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka.

J Charitha Ratwatte – Mr. J. Charitha Ratwatte Jr. has five years’ experience in the software industry in Sri Lanka. Charitha earned an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2009 with concentrations in the Public Management and Global Management Programs. Charitha co-founded and leads Rural Returns (Guarantee) Limited in Sri Lanka, a non-profit company that addresses rural poverty. He volunteers with SL2College, a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to connecting students with free, high-quality advice on higher education options.

Tentative Agenda:

Higher education and career options in Science, Medicine, Agriculture by Prof Hiran Amarasekera

Local Private degree or diploma options by Dr Sujatha Gamage

Foreign Higher study options by SL2College by Charitha Ratwatte

Admission is free. Register facebook event ‘උසස් පෙළ හැදෑරීමෙන් පසු” Career and Study options after A/L
Videos and details of Last year Seminar on After A/L options

More Study Options:
Courses you can do after Advanced Level
Online degrees in Sri Lanka
External degrees in Sri Lanka
CIMA – a quick guide
Educational Loans by Sri Lankan banks
German Technical Training Institute Moratuwa
National Institute of Business Management-NIBM
Sri Lanka Law College
Degree -John Kotelawala Defence University Academy
Open university of Sri Lanka

Private Universities and Degree courses in Sri Lanka

Hiran — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 04:42:48 +0000

What Private degree to select?

A large number of private universities and institutions in Sri Lanka that offer foreign degrees or an equivalent qualification calls upon students and parents to be more concerned in their university programme selection. Furthermore there are many undergraduate equivalent courses available for students. What do you know about these universities? Are they actually the same institutes they claim to be or advertise?

National Universities

There is a well established National Universities in Sri Lanka, offering Bacheulars and Post-graduate (Masters, PhDs) degrees in Sri Lanka. However as the government is offering degrees as a free education you need good Z-scores to get into these degree programs.

Degrees recognized by UGC

Also there are Degrees offered by Private and Semi-government Institutes such as SLIIT, NIBM and NIFE Ocean University. Some of these degree programs are recognized by University Grants Commission (UGC). Follwoing are those degree programs recognized by UGC (Extracted from UGC web site on 7 June 2011)

Degrees of Institutes Recognized under Section 25 A of the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978
Degree	Date of Recognition	Institute	Private / State
Bachelors Degrees in Computer Science and in Computer Systems Design	15.12.1988	Institute of Technological Studies	Private Limited Liability Company Incorporated under Company Act
Bachelor of Science (Surveying Science)	24.07.1990	Institute of Surveying and Mapping	Established under Act No. 21 of 1969
Bachelor of Science in Information Technology*	17.10.2000	Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (Guarantee) Limited.	Private, incorporated under Companies Act
Postgraduate Diploma in Information Technology	30.03.2004
Postgraduate Diploma in Information Systems
Postgraduate Diploma in Information Management
M.Sc in Information Technology
M.Sc in Information Systems
M.Sc in Information Management
Postgraduate Diploma in Public management and Financial Management	24.04.2003	Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration	Established under Act. No. 9 of 1982
Master of Public Management
B.Sc in Fisheries and Marine Science(General And Special)	16.12.2003	National Institute of Fisheries and Nautical Engineering	Established under Act. No. 36 of 1999.
B.Sc in Marine Engineering(Special)
B.Sc in Boat Building and Naval Architecture(Special)
Bachelor of Social Works Degree	01.06.2005	National Institute of Social Development	National Institute of Social Development Act, No. 41 of 1992.
Master of Social Works Degree (MSW)	07.07.2008
Bachelor of Arts General Degree (BA)	2005.10.10	Aquinas College of Higher Studies	Aquinas College is registered with the Tertiary and vocational Education Commission of Sri lanka in 1954
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Religious studies (BA in Religious Studies)
Bachelor of Information Technology Degree (BIT)
Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and Counseling (BSc)
B.Sc. in Business Management (Areas of Specialization: Human Resource Management, Logistics, Project Management and Industrial Management)	20.10.2009	National Institute of Business Management	Established under National Institute of Business Management Act, No. 23 of 1976.
B.Sc. in Management Information Systems

Note: * Prior to this, this degree programme was recognized as Bachelor of Information Technology on 17th October 2000.

Degrees offered by Foreign Universities

There are many foreign university degree qualifications including those from UK, Australia, Russia, India, US and many other countries are offered by different institutes in Sri Lanka. Or you can go abroad to do degree programs. According to UGC web site, it recognizes foreign Universities/ Higher Educational Institutes based on international acceptance. Universities/Higher Educational Institutes that are listed in the following International Publications which are authentic sources of information on Universities and Higher Educational Institutes in different countries, are recognized by UGC.
1. Commonwealth Universities Yearbook – (Published by Association of Commonwealth Universities)
2. International Handbook of Universities – (Published by International Association of Universities)

When selecting a Private degree look for following aspects:

There are many more private Degree programs and Degree awarding institutes in Sri Lanka. Rather than recommending any degree program, we advice you to look for following aseptics before selecting a degree program.

What is the ranking of the degree awarding university in its home country?
Refer globally recognized university rankings such as Times Higher Education-QS World University Ranking, US News and World Report’s World’s Best Universities.

What are the academic quality assurances?
All national and regional accredited universities are listed in the UNESCO handbook of universities. This is used as the guideline by all government higher education authorities including UGC (University Grants Commission) in Sri Lanka.

Who will teach you?
Make sure you select the right institution that has lecturers who are qualified to do the job.

What are the local campus facilities?
A good library and student resource centre with adequate reading and study material, computer labs with up-to-date hardware and software configurations and high-speed internet connections, fully equipped engineering and science labs, classroom with proper seating, space and basic facilities such as multimedia and internet are considered as the absolute minimum for any international university student.

Other Higher Education Options:

Local vs foreign education
Foreign Medical Degrees
Cost of University courses in Sri Lanka
National Institute of Business Management-NIBM
Sri Lanka School of Agriculture – Diplomas
External Degrees In Sri Lanka
Online-degrees AND Online courses in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Law College
Degree -John Kotelawala Defence University Academy
Open university of Sri Lanka
Courses you can do after Advanced Level

EDEX Education & Careers exhibition at BMICH Colombo and Kandy

Hiran — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 04:28:56 +0000

EDEX 2011, Education & Careers exhibition will be held in Colombo & Kandy for the 8th consecutive year with the participation of over 300 Local & Foreign Universities, Education Institutes and other Organizations. Participants will be able to meet representatives from different educational institutes in Sri Lanka and abroad (such as UK, USA, India) and select courses and degrees.

EDEX Expo at BMICH Colombo will be open from 10 am to 7 pm on 22, 23, 24 January, 2011.
EDEX Expo at Kandy City Centre will be open from 9 am to 6pm on 26, 27 January.
Related:
Courses you can do after Advanced Level
Select universities and courses in Sri Lankan Universities
Local vs Foreign education
Higher education choices for 18+ (after A/L)
Things to consider when choosing a foregn medical degree

A Vision of Students Today – A video by USA university students

Hiran — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 17:41:48 +0000

This video, title ‘A Vision of Students Today’ details some of the most important characteristics of students today – how they learn, what they need to learn, their goals, hopes, dreams, what their lives will be like, and what kinds of changes they will experience in their lifetime.

It seems as in Sri Lanka, students in US universities also do not read, use laptops for fun rather than learning, facebook, pay for classes and textbooks that they don’t go to or don’t use, etc.

Things to consider when choosing a foregn medical degree
Bachelor’s degree programs in USA

Life of a post-graduate Sri Lankan student in USA university

Hiran — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 05:58:31 +0000

By Thilina Surgana Jayarathna, The University of Iowa, a major public research university located in Iowa City in southeast Iowa, USA.
This is one of the biggest universities in USA. This is very famous for Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Chemistry and Engineering. There are 21 Sri Lankan students. 15 grad students, 2 post doc, 2 under-grads and 2 doctors (hospital). Sri Lankans are well reputed in the university. They believe Srilankans are honest and hard working. Therefore all most all supervisors like to have a srilankan grad student in their research groups. Aruni is trying to join to a research group which is dealing with the Nano-particles in the environment. Basically this will be related to environmental chemistry.

These days we are preparing for a Srilankan cultural night on 6th of Nov. This will be the first major event which will organize by the SL community in this university. Im working hard for this. And also Im working with a student organization in the school of engineering called “Engineers without boarders” who are dealing with the environmental issues. At the moment we are doing waste management, rain water harvesting and pollution control projects. I am also studying hard for TOEFL and GRE. Other than these volentary activities im doing nothing at the moment.

Not like SL; these TAs (teaching assistants) should work hard. Not only TAs but also students, lectures and non-acadamic staff is working harder than in SL. The students are asses by 15 tutes, 3 mid semester exams and one end semester exams. When grading, 5% for the attendance, 35% for the tutes, 35% for the mid semester exams and 25% for the final exams. There are two TAs for each subject. They should conduct tute classes, prepare answer keys for the tutes, grade answer sheets of tutes and help the students during their office hours. Therefore now I am thinking; we, as demonstrators have done nothing when comparing to the work load of them.

All most all the Sri lankans here are taking ESL classes. The american accent is very much different from British. These people hate british accent and they want us to speak english like natives. This part is called mid west. American natives are living here. Very proud about themselves. Just like “Udarata” people in Sri Lanka. only a few black americans can be found.

Thilina Surgana Jayarathna, is a Graduate of University of Sri Jayewardnepura, Sri Lanka is now in IOWA University, USA. He is an International Lead Auditor, FSC FM/CoC Certifications.