8th Annual General Meeting of SLANSHEI

SLANSHEI hosted its 8th Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, 26th March 2025, at Cinnamon Life – City of Dreams. The event brought together representatives from all member institutes and was followed by the Annual Fellowship, to enhance networking and collaboration within the non-state higher education sector.

The Executive Committee for 2025/2026 was elected as follows:
·      President: Dr Dayan Rajapakse (ESOFT)
·      Vice President: Dr Nizam Razzaq (BMS)
·      Hon. Secretary: Gamindu Hemachandra (APIIT)
·      Hon. Treasurer: Lakmali Priyangika (CASL)
Executive Committee:
·      Chair Prof Lalith Edirisinghe (CINEC)
·      Major General (retd) Milinda Peiris (SAEGIS)
·      Dr Kithsiri Edirisinghe (IIHS)
·      Prof Rahula Attalage (SLIIT)

Dr. Dayan Rajapakse, President of SLANSHEI, addressing the gathering, outlined the strategic goals for the upcoming year, emphasizing the association’s commitment to strengthening the non-state higher education sector. He highlighted the key initiatives aimed at expanding educational opportunities, enhancing research output, and promoting international collaborations. Dr. Rajapakse also stressed the importance of increasing the sector’s
contribution to Sri Lanka’s economy by attracting international students and positioning the country as a regional education hub, and urged the collective support of all member institutions to achieve these objectives. Prof. Mukesh Limbachiya, Professor of Civil Engineering at Kingston University, graced the event as the Guest of Honour. In his keynote address, he spoke on the theme “TNE for Shaping a Bright Future for Education and

Driving Economic Growth.” underscoring the pressing challenges in Sri Lanka’s higher education sector, noting that despite the country’s commendable literacy rate and progress in basic education, access to higher education remains limited. Prof. Limbachiya emphasized the significant role of transnational education (TNE) in addressing this gap. He noted that TNE has seen remarkable growth in Sri Lanka over the past decade and has the potential to bridge the accessibility divide by offering high-quality international education pathways. Highlighting global trends, he stated that evidence-based impacts of TNE have demonstrated its effectiveness in aligning local higher education systems with international standards.

Concluding his address, Prof. Limbachiya called for greater recognition of the contributions made by transnational education in transforming Sri Lanka’s higher education landscape. He urged stakeholders to celebrate the positive impact of TNE and encouraged continued efforts to develop and expand its role in shaping the future of education in Sri Lanka.

The SLANSHEI AGM 2025 and Annual Fellowship marked yet another milestone in the association’s journey, reaffirming its commitment to encouraging excellence in non-state higher education and driving innovation in the sector.