Click here for video. Mr. Anura Dissanayake, former secretary for higher education, provided insights into the challenges of funding and management of Sri Lanka’s university system and gave a key point of discussion for the forum by describing the Government’s plans for the setting up of an International University Zone in Horana, where up to 10 international universities would be encouraged to commence franchise operations to serve foreign university student in the South Asian region, with specific reference to the increased market demand from Bangladeshi students. He also spoke on plans to establish ten more universities in various provinces in order to reach a wider swathe of the population.
Prof. Bal Chandra Luitel, School of Education, Kathmandu University (Translated from Nepalese by Bineeta Baral) Lock-down has changed every day life’s activity not only mine but everyone else. If I have to talk about me, I used to reach the University around 11 am and stayed there until 6 pm and during evening classes until 8:30 pm. I have now shifted my evening classes to the day time. They no go on from 3 pm to 5 pm.
Prepared by Niresh Eliatamby and Dr. Ruwan Dias, Cogitaro The important contemporary topic of ‘World Class Universities & Universal Higher Education: Can We Have It All?’ was the theme of the latest Education Policy Dialogue, organized by Education Forum Sri Lanka and held on Saturday 15th August 2020. The webinar provided insights and discussed challenges that would of much use to policymakers, university administrators and academics in charting the future of the Sri Lankan university system. It examined challenges to the competitiveness of Sri Lanka’s universities in the world of tertiary education and the way forward for Sri Lanka to enhance the quality of its universities in order to achieve the twin targets of widening the reach of university education throughout Sri Lanka and making the country a regional hub for knowledge.
Held on August 15, 2020, via Zoom Video: Click here PresentationsFunding and Management (Mr. Anura Dissanayake, Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education)Global Rankings (Dr. Nicholas Ruwan Dias & Niresh Eliatamby, Managing Partners, Cogitaro.com)Research and Graduate Education (Prof. Veranja Karunarathna, University of Peradeniya and Vice Chancellor, SLINTEC Academy) Summary: PDF available here (Written by Niresh Eliatamby and Dr. 
Education Forum Sri Lanka (EFSL) invites applications for the position of researcher, part-time or full-time at mid or junior level. EFSL is an independent platform that engages with experts and stakeholders from multiple sectors in order to catalyze policy reforms in education using evidence-based interventions. Our goal is equitable access, child-friendly processes, and quality outcomes in education in Sri Lanka through the accountability of actors and institutions responsible. Founder Members are Sujata Gamage, Tara de Mel, and Nisha Arunatilake. Responsibility: Work with Dr.
අලුà¶à·Š කà·à¶¶à·’නෙට්ටුවේ අධ්යà·à¶´à¶± විෂය පෙර à·€à·à¶» වල මෙන් à¶à·”න් අà¶à¶šà¶§ නොකඩ෠එක් ඇමà¶à·’වරයකුටම බà·à¶» දීල෠à¶à·’යෙනවà·.. ඇà¶à·Šà¶à¶§à¶¸ මà·à¶½à·šà·ƒà·’යà·à·€ à·„à·à¶»à·”ණු කොට ආසිය෠කලà·à¶´à¶ºà·š ඉන්දියà·à·€, බංග්ලà·à¶¯à·šà·à¶º, සිංගප්පූරුව, ඉන්දුනීසියà·à·€, à¶à·à¶ºà·’ලන්à¶à¶º, දකුණු කොරියà·à·€ à·„à· à¶à·à¶ºà·’à·€à·à¶±à¶º යන සෑම රටකම අධ්යà·à¶´à¶± විෂය භà·à¶»à·€ සිටින්නේ ඒක ඇමà¶à·’ වරයකු පමණි. මà·à¶½à·šà·ƒà·’යà·à·€à·š උසස් අධ්යපනය සඳහ෠වෙනම අමà·à¶à·Šà¶ºà¶‚à·à¶ºà¶šà·Š à¶à·’යෙනවà·. අපේ රටà¶à·Š ඒ පෙලට එක් වුනු ඒක ගà·à¶± à·ƒà¶à·”ටුයි.
EFSL held a Policy Dialogue via zoom on Early Childhood Education and the way to move forward on Saturday, the 27th of June 2020. It was attended by primary school principals, researchers, university lecturers and teachers. Presenter: Dr Ravi Nanayakkara, Project Director, Early Childhood Development Project, Ministry of Women & Child Affairs Watch video here. Summary of presentation and discussion: Early Childhood is defined as period between 0-5 years 0-2 is home-based care and the Ministry of Health has on-going programs using Public Health Nurses, Public Health Midwives and the Medical Officers of Health 3 to 5 years is the period that ECE usually operates Golden 1000 Days in a child’s life is critical, because brain growth is maximum during this period. About 85% of brain growth of an entire life happens during early childhood. 
Held on June 13, 2020, via Zoom Video: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1021915811544559 Presentation: Dr. Sujata Gamage presented “An Assessment Framework with Built-in Accountability for Reforming the National Examination System in Sri Lanka”.
In Sri Lanka, with a population of 22 million, 11,000 schools closed on March 12th affecting 4.5 million students. The situation in Indonesia parallels Sri Lanka though Indonesia’s population at 268 million is ten times that of Sri Lanka. According to a World Bank blog, in Indonesia, over 530,000 schools closed affecting 65 million students. The situation is forcing a very fast and broad increase in the country’s use of EdTech, which is expected to have lasting effects on the market.
Held on May 16, 2020, via Zoom. Video: https://www.facebook.com/EduForumLK/videos/726016001268499/ Presentation (Who has Access?): https://lirneasia.