Lasantha De Silva in Close Contact with Multiple Sri Lankan Education-related Organisations

Between 6 and 23 November, Wittenborg Head of Operations Lasantha De Silva was in Sri Lanka, with the purpose of strengthening existing bonds and forming new partnerships with student agents and higher education institutions. In total, De Silva met with eight agencies in the cities of Nawala, Pita Kotte, Rajagiriya, Maharagama, Bambalapitiya, Battaramulla and Wellawatte, all located in the Colombo district.

While visiting the Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT), Eduko Pathways and Ahasa Consultancy, Wittenborg’s representative had the opportunity to conduct individual sessions with prospective students, answering their questions and gave them information about the school and the Netherlands. Most questions concerned life in the Netherlands and at Wittenborg, market trends and employability, specialisation options and finding accommodation.

“In Sri Lanka, English is our second language, so most Sri Lankans who want to study abroad choose English-speaking countries. As a result, the Netherlands is not yet a popular destination. So, during my meetings with agents and one-to-one sessions with students, most of my work focused on highlighting the quality and international recognition of higher education in the Netherlands.”

At the Informatics Institute of Technology, discussions centred on the joint pathway established by Wittenborg and IIT. This initiative enables Sri Lankan students to directly enter Wittenborg’s BBA programmes after completing the institute’s foundation programme.

“On top of that, we also discussed the possibility of implementing an Accreditation for Prior Learning (APL) or exemptions for IIT students who are already studying the bachelor’s first year. We believe this will further strengthen Wittenborg’s partnership with the institute and optimise the pathway for Sri Lankan students,” the Wittenborg representative explains.

Another highlight of the trip was De Silva’s participation in Eduko Pathways’ podcast Eduko Lounge, in which he talked about his academic and professional journey in the Netherlands, his work at Wittenborg and changes and innovation in education, among other topics.

De Silva, who has been part of Wittenborg since 2007 and has travelled to Sri Lanka to promote the school on other occasions, expressed his positive outlook on the trip’s outcome. “I’m very optimistic about the results of this trip. Since my return, more agents have reached out to me, asking about potential collaborations. Additionally, prospective students have contacted me via social media platforms such as LinkedIn to ask for information,” he points out.

WUP 28/12/2023
by Ulisses Sawczuk
©WUAS Press