Charles Sturt University, recently hosted a roundtable discussion on the future of higher education in Sri Lanka at its Colombo campus. The event brought together representatives from Charles Sturt University and Prospects College of Higher Education (PCHE) to discuss how internationally recognised Australian degree programmes can play a long-term role in strengthening Sri Lanka’s higher education landscape.

The panelists included dignitaries; Professor Renée Leon PSM, Vice-Chancellor of Charles Sturt University, Mr. Mike Ferguson, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Charles Sturt University, Mr. Somesh Perera, Founder and Chairman of Prospects Education, and Ms. Yasaara Kaluaratchi, Co-Founder and Director of Academics at PCHE. Following the launch of the Charles Sturt University Colombo Campus, the roundtable served as a platform to chart the way forward for Australian education pathways in Sri Lanka, with a focus on access, affordability, and long-term workforce development.

Speaking at the roundtable, Somesh Perera, Founder and Chairman of Prospects Education, said, “Our partnership with Charles Sturt University is built on a shared commitment to widening access to quality higher education in Sri Lanka. Over the years, we have seen many capable students leave the country not because of a lack of ability, but due to limited access to internationally recognised education at home. This discussion allowed us to focus on how international universities and local institutions can work together to create pathways for students to receive the same world-class education locally, while retaining talent and strengthening Sri Lanka’s higher education ecosystem.”

Adding to the discussion, Professor Renée Leon PSM, Vice-Chancellor of Charles Sturt University, said, ‘Through Charles Sturt university Colombo we are making world class education more accessible, enabling Sri Lankan students to obtain an internationally recognised degree close to home.  The campus will support the next generation of Sri Lankan leaders, creating skilled professionals that will be equipped to succeed both locally and overseas.’

The Colombo campus will commence operations with bachelor’s degree programmes in Early Childhood Education and Business, with plans to progressively expand into Information Technology, Psychology, and Engineering at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Notably, this marks the first time an Australian Early Childhood Education degree programme is being offered in Sri Lanka. In enabling students to pursue internationally benchmarked education locally, the partnership addresses several long-standing challenges in the higher education sector, including limited state university capacity, workforce development gaps, and the outflow of foreign exchange linked to overseas education.

Beyond serving local students, the establishment of Charles Sturt University Colombo is expected to support Sri Lanka’s longer-term ambition of becoming a regional higher education hub. The campus is poised to attract students from neighbouring markets such as Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nepal, and Pakistan, generating inward foreign exchange while strengthening Sri Lanka’s position within the international education landscape.

Image Caption: (Standing from L to R) Trent Pohlmann, Head, International Partnership Development, CSU; Ruth Baird, Deputy High Commissioner, Australian High Commission, Colombo; Yasaara Kaluaratchi, Co-Founder & Director of Academics & Somesh Perera, Co-Founder & Managing Director of PCHE; Prof. Renée Leon PSM, Vice-Chancellor, CSU; Mukund Naryanamurti, General Manager, Austrade; Prof. Mike Ferguson, Pro Vice-Chancellor, CSU and Sandi Seneviratne, Director – Education, Australian High Commission, Colombo.