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If you’ve never considered Sri Lanka a study abroad destination, you should.
Since 1999, the town of Malabe has been the grounds for the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), the nation’s #1 non-state higher education institute. It’s perched on the outskirts of the capital city of Colombo and is a one-stop shop for finding pathways to a global future.
Sri Lanka is a great, affordable pit stop for higher studies in Australia, the UK, Canada, New Zealand, and the USA. With SLIIT, you can spend the first few years of your degree in this country described as “irresistible” by Lonely Planet before transferring to the world’s best universities.
“I always have dreamed of studying abroad and travelling to unfamiliar places. My uncle suggested to me quantity surveying and Sri Lanka,” says Meer Hamza Khalid, a student who hails from Pakistan. “A few of my family members and father’s friends had visited Sri Lanka; they praised Sri Lankan people and culture. All this encouraged me, increased my curiosity, and motivated me to study in SLIIT and Sri Lanka.”
He’s pursuing a BSc (Hons) in Quantity Surveying, having garnered a deep interest in the field through his father’s work in construction. There were many challenges when he first arrived, as every international student faces. The culture, food, weather, and especially the language were far different to his own. But that all dissolved with the warm welcome he received from the school. He’s one of 25,000 students, and will graduate to join a graduate network of 40,000.
“The journey is more beautiful than the destination,” says Khalid. “ SLIIT provided me every possible support, especially the international office, from the moment I landed here until now.”
Through the diverse community at SLIIT, students gain a global perspective, starting with the peers around them. Source: Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology
One of the most encouraging factors for Khalid to attend SLIIT is their transfer pathways.
Students can start the first couple of years of their undergraduate degree fields like computing, business, engineering, and humanities and sciences at SLIIT before continuing at top universities worldwide.
These include the University of Queensland in Australia, ranked #40 globally. This is a pathway that offers 25% in scholarships to all transfer students. Other highly-ranked universities that SLIIT students can transfer to are the University of Western Australia, #77 in the world, and the University of Edinburgh, #27, to name just two.
Regardless of whether students choose a transfer pathway, or to complete their degree at SLIIT, the university ensures they graduate ready for a successful career.
“I chose SLIIT because of its strong reputation for offering high-quality IT education,” says Jesmeen Mohammad Ben Abjsar, a student pursuing the BSc (Hons) in Information Technology. “The curriculum at SLIIT is well-aligned with industry needs, which provides a solid foundation for a successful career in technology.”
SLIIT is both a global gateway to study in different continents, and a pioneering university in its own right. Source: Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology
And this is true for SLIIT on the whole; 95% of graduates secure employment before graduating.
Ben Abjsar is originally from Bangladesh, and chose to specialise in software engineering for her degree. She’s always been curious about solving complex problems through logical principles and mathematical concepts. At SLIIT, one of her favourite classes is Introduction to Programming (IP), due to both her passion for coding, and her lecturer presenting the material in an engaging way.
The university has over 400 faculty members, in-house and visiting, local and international. They’ve got facilities dotted all over Sri Lanka that are modern and filled with resources. Students benefit from the schools’ over 50 industry partners, which means access to industry placements and internships. They’ve built a strong reputation that makes them stand out.
“SLIIT is actively supporting my career through various means,” says Ben Abjsar. “The university’s strong industry connections and career services provided valuable networking opportunities and guidance on job placements.”
And that’s just what the university itself offers.
Sri Lanka as a country is a warm, inviting place for students to live in and explore. The fact that the air is cleaner than most of its neighbouring countries is an added plus. The people are warm and friendly, and it’s such a colourful country exploding with culture that students never have to scrounge for something to do.
The city of Colombo is filled with local attractions — museums, local cuisine, and a beachfront promenade called Galle Face Green. Malabe itself is a spiritual, loving community that opens up stalls to give free food and drinks to the public during Poya days and Wesak celebrations, and there’s a beautiful Buddhist temple around the corner. The campus itself has a transport service where students can travel between Malabe to the Metropolitan Campus in the city.
“I met people belonging to diverse cultures and races …The different multicultural events at SLIIT show a beautiful example of religious and cultural harmony,” says Khalid.
Studying at SLIIT is an open door to great opportunities around the world. To experience a transformative journey in two countries, apply to the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology today.
