Sri Lanka now UK’s second largest partner in transnational education

• British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka highlights TNE growth in Sri Lanka has almost entirely expanded organically
• Ambassador advises Sri Lankan graduates to focus on Asia for career opportunities, in particular India, instead of West 

By Nishel Fernando

Sri Lanka has overtaken Malaysia to become the second largest transnational education (TNE) partner for United Kingdom (UK)- based universities by accounting for a whopping 10 percent of overall UK TNE enrollments last year.

This indicates that TNE is increasingly becoming a key avenue for higher education in Sri Lanka, as it addresses longstanding issues prevailing in Sri Lanka’s higher education sector including accessibility, skills mismatch and quality of higher education in the country.

There are 6 types of TNE partnerships observed in Sri Lanka. Most UK TNE enrollments are delivered through collaborative provisions between UK Universities and local Sri Lankan institutions.

“During the time I have been here, just in one year, Sri Lanka elevated from the third largest transnational education partner to the second. Considering the (population) size of Sri Lanka, that’s a n e x t r a o r d i n a r y statistic,” British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Andrew Patrick said.

He was speaking at Pearson BTEC Higher Education Forum 2024 held in Colombo on Wednesday.

In 2022-2023, Sri Lanka was also the fastest growing country in the top ten host countries for UK TNE. From 2020-2021 to 2022-2023, the number of Sri Lankan enrollments increased significantly by 50 percent to 53,915 students.

Patrick highlighted that TNE growth in Sri Lanka has almost entirely expanded organically without much support from the British government.

With a mere quarter of eligible students gaining admission to public universities in Sri Lanka, a recent study carried out by British Council outlined that TNE partnerships emerge as a crucial path for the majority of students who would otherwise find themselves unable to pursue tertiary education.

“ B e y o n d m e r e l y expanding access, TNE arrangements bridge the quality chasm prevalent w i t h i n S r i L a n k a ’s educational framework. By leveraging partnerships with UK institutions, TNE not only offers students opportunities but also fills curriculum gaps,” it added.

Another study showed that TNE plays an essential role in training skilled professionals for the local labour market.

In Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, for example, many members of the judiciary have law degrees from the University of London.

TNE initiatives eliminate the lengthy wait times typical of state university admissions, allowing students to enroll without delay.

“This addresses the backlog predicament, wherein students frequently endure a wait of 1-2 years before commencing their studies. Innovative pedagogical strategies to TNE enhance the learning experience, augmenting traditional educational approaches with contemporary methodologies,” it pointed out.

However, there is currently very little research carried out on the TNE aspect of higher education in Sri Lanka. Under the previous government, there was a move to formalise TNE through definitive regulation and monitoring. A legal framework was in the works for the private higher education sector, to support private higher education institutes (both foreign and local) through incentives and guidelines for establishment.

“I hope we will continue to grow organically. I will be working with you to ensure that they also understand the benefits of this continuing growth,” Patrick said.

With the competitive edge from TNE, the High Commissioner advised Sri Lankan graduates to focus on Asia for career opportunities, in particular India, instead of West.

“The reason I am saying this is because the places that are going to grow are not Europe, United States, Canada or Australia. The epicenter of growth in 21st century is going to be just north of here, Tamil Nadu,” he added.