The government has already given the go ahead to establish private universities in Sri Lanka. While commenting on this, Higher Education Ministry secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne told AdaderanaBiz that plans are afoot to establish 10 private universities in Sri Lanka by 2020.

“Our plan is to establish 10 private universities in Sri Lanka by 2020. We expect 50,000 foreign students to attend these universities by that time.

“There are proposals to establish these foreign universities in Hambantota, Gampaha, Deniyaya, Kandy and Trincomalee,” said the Higher Education Ministry secretary.

He added that a large number of foreign universities have sought permission to establish their branches in Sri Lanka and India’s Manipal University and Singapore’s Raffles University are among them. Apart from these, Sri Lanka Telecom too has sought approval to establish a university.

Meanwhile, Britain’s Central Lancashire University laid the foundation stone for its branch at Gampaha recently.