• The need to address the increasing numbers of students turning to overseas higher education

On 22 May, Deputy Minister of Defence Aruna Jayasekara announced that the Medical Faculty of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) would henceforth be limited to cadet officers and international students. 

The decision sparked a debate on the Government’s affiliations and educational policies, particularly in view of the brain drain caused by professionals opting for opportunities abroad.

Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Madhura Senevirathne, responding to a question on the decision, stated that he could not respond on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, noting: “The KDU is not under the jurisdiction of the University Grants Commission (UGC) or the Ministry of Higher Education. Therefore, we do not have regulatory authority over its admissions.

“However, we have had discussions with the relevant parties. It appears to be a temporary or transitional measure while further deliberations take place. A more conclusive decision will be made following these consultations. The KDU is a Government institution, but it operates under the Ministry of Defence and its framework differs from the mainstream higher education system.”

Whilst attempts were made to contact the Ministry of Defence for a comment, Ministry Spokesperson Col. Nalin Herath claimed that the matter was under review, adding that a decision was yet to be taken on the matter by the ministry despite the announcement in Parliament. Deputy Minister Jayasekara chose to ignore calls.

Nevertheless, Dr. Senevirathne, commenting on the possibility of reforms within the KDU, informed The Sunday Morning that discussions were ongoing and changes to the structure of the university could be expected with a formal announcement anticipated in the coming weeks. 

However, an official attached to the KDU, choosing to remain anonymous, claimed the decision was political and was purely made to appease the whims of the Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF), which had long protested against the KDU’s Faculty of Medicine and any other privately held medical educational structure.

“The Faculty of Medicine at the KDU is functional and complies with the high standards expected of a medical faculty. There is no reason for such political interference to disrupt an excellent set-up except to appease groups with ulterior motives. It is only the Medical Faculty they have a problem with and they may complicate how this university is run,” the official said.

Sri Lankans going abroad

Further to the attempts to politically ostracise the KDU Medical Faculty, an associated concern is the growing number of Sri Lankan students opting for education overseas, drawn by the promise of globally-recognised degrees and broader career prospects. This trend, however, has caused alarm among policymakers considering the long-term implications of brain drain and economic outflows.

Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister of Health Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa claimed that over 4,600 health workers had migrated overseas since 2022, including over 700 specialists and over 1,100 medical officers. Trade unionists have highlighted a worsening situation with no recruitments in the past three years. 

It is also estimated that over 20,000 IT professionals have also departed from the country, while other sectors such as agriculture, construction, finance, and banking also reported significant shortages resulting from migration.

According to Dr. Senevirathne, the Government has responded with an ambitious set of reforms aimed at retaining students, improving local education quality, and strengthening the country’s academic institutions.

For decades, Sri Lanka’s State universities have been unable to accommodate all eligible students who qualify for higher education through the GCE Advanced Level examination. According to the UGC, only about 65% of qualifying students secure admission to State universities annually. The rest, though equally competent, are left with limited alternatives, such as vocational training provided by the Government, and often turn to private institutions or foreign universities.

Statistical data, provided by UGC Deputy Secretary – Academic Affairs Rasika Karunarathna on undergraduate admissions to higher educational institutions in 2023, highlights that a total of 166,967 candidates qualified for university admission, yet only 144, 805 were selected. Among the selected, 15,657 were admitted through standard intake, while the Open University of Sri Lanka accounted for an additional 11,964 admissions. The document also underscores that 29,199 students were enrolled in universities overseas as of 2022.

Dr. Senevirathne explained the scale of the challenge, noting: “We recognise that a considerable number of students pursue what is referred to as transnational education and we do not have accurate data to indicate how much is being spent, especially in sectors like medicine where local opportunities are limited.”

This phenomenon has led to a massive outflow of financial resources. Families invest heavily in sending their children overseas, often incurring substantial debt or liquidating assets. These expenses encompass not just tuition fees but also living costs, travel, and other expenses, placing long-term financial strain on households. 

More critically, a significant portion of these students do not return to Sri Lanka after completing their studies, contributing to a brain drain that impacts nearly every sector, from healthcare to engineering to IT.

“Our overarching policy is to ensure equal access to quality education, from primary to tertiary levels, within Sri Lanka. As part of our education reform agenda, we are working on expanding local opportunities, especially in vocational and tertiary education. 

“Many students go abroad due to limited spaces in State universities or due to a lack of courses in specific fields. We aim to bridge this gap by creating more streams and avenues within our education system,” Dr. Senevirathne said.

“Currently, about 65% of students who qualify are absorbed into the State education sector. The rest either turn to vocational pathways or seek education overseas. To address this, we are not only enhancing local capacity, but also offering 200 scholarships annually to high-achieving students to study abroad, with the condition that they return and contribute to the country,” he added.

Policy reforms

The push to improve tertiary education also comes with a parallel effort to elevate the status of vocational and technical education. 

Historically, vocational training has been viewed as a fallback for those who do not gain university admission. That perception is now being challenged. The ministry aims to afford vocational institutions the same level of recognition and prestige as universities, encouraging students to pursue paths aligned with national development priorities.

“Our approach is not just about offering more white-collar opportunities, but rather about creating a more diverse array of opportunities for young people to contribute meaningfully to the country,” Dr. Senevirathne explained.

The Government has also pledged to expedite curriculum reforms to better align academic programmes with industry demands and research goals. “University rankings are determined by a range of factors, but Research and Development (R&D) plays a major role. That is why, in the current Budget, we have allocated significant funding towards research,” the Deputy Minister added.

UGC Deputy Secretary Karunarathna further emphasised that quality, not just quantity, was the new focus, noting: “We are shifting our focus from simply increasing output to improving the quality of education and research. The new roadmap includes performance evaluations, academic audits, and enhanced collaboration with industry and international research institutions.”

Medical education: To expand or not?

The University of Colombo was featured in the QS World University Rankings 2025 within the 951-1,000 band. Similarly, the University of Sri Jayewardenepura was ranked in the 1,201-1,400 band. 

These rankings may seem modest, but they mark important milestones for the country’s academic institutions and underscore the need for further investments in research, faculty development, and global engagement.

Yet challenges remain, particularly in the medical education sector. Each year, approximately 2,000 doctors graduate from local universities while an estimated 500 return from foreign medical schools. While this might seem a healthy number, Dr. Senevirathne warned that further expansion in medical admissions could dilute quality due to insufficient training infrastructure.

“Expanding numbers without adequate facilities and training infrastructure would compromise quality,” the Deputy Minister cautioned. “Therefore, our focus now is on maintaining the quality of medical education rather than expanding the quantity.”

To further address brain drain, the Government has introduced bonded scholarships. Students who benefit from State-sponsored foreign education are now required to return and serve in Sri Lanka for a stipulated period. In addition, remote engagement platforms are being developed to allow Sri Lankan professionals living overseas to contribute to local institutions through guest lectures, mentoring programmes, and advisory roles.

“Even if our teachers or nurses go abroad, we want to ensure they are contributing back, whether financially or through knowledge-sharing platforms,” Dr. Senevirathne said. “It’s not always about physical presence. Intellectual contribution matters, too.”

Strategy moving forward

Deputy Minister Senevirathne further commented on the Government’s strategy towards retaining skills and also ensuring that such skills measure up to global standards. 

“We are working on a national skills strategy aligned with both domestic needs and global demand. For instance, in areas such as CPR training, maths, and production line management, where we foresee both local and international shortages, we are tailoring new training programmes and expanding access. 

“We are also planning to realign education streams with labour market needs to ensure graduates are both employable and competitive, locally and internationally,” he said.

As part of the Government’s broader human resource strategy, mechanisms are being developed to formally recognise and accredit the skills of Sri Lankans before they leave the country for work or education. According to Dr. Senevirathne, this process will cover a wide range of professions, including mechanics, plumbers, and caregivers, ensuring that those seeking employment abroad do so as certified skilled migrants. 

“By giving them recognised certifications, they become skilled migrants, which not only allows them to earn higher wages abroad but also enhances foreign remittances,” he explained. The long-term objective, he added, was to ensure that every citizen who left the country contributed meaningfully to the national economy, either through financial remittances or by transferring their skills back to Sri Lanka.