Goal 1: No PovertyGoal 2: Zero HungerGoal 3: Health and WellbeingGoal 4: Quality EducationGoal 5: Gender EqualityGoal 6: Clean Water and SanitationGoal 7: Affordable and Clean EnergyGoal 8: Decent Work and Economic GrowthGoal 9: Industry, Innovation and InfrastructureGoal 10: Reduced InequalitiesGoal 11: Sustainable Cities and CommunitiesGoal 12: Responsible Consumption and ProductionGoal 13: Climate Action Goal 14: Life Below WaterGoal 15: Life on LandGoal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong InstitutionsGoal 17: Partnerships for the GoalsAll 17 Goals
Free and equal opportunities for Higher Education
University admission is a centralized process in Sri Lanka and it is handled by the University Grants Commission (UGC). UGC has adopted a national University Admissions system which takes into account the social and economic disparities within the country. The University of Colombo, a state university in Sri Lanka offers free education to undergraduates aligned with the national university admissions system overseen by the UGC. The University system in Sri Lanka operates within the framework laid down by the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978. Selection of students for admission to undergraduate courses in universities is assigned to the UGC under the above Act. Accordingly, at present the UGC selects students for admission to undergraduate courses for 14 National universities and 4 institutes, which have been set up under the Universities Act.
In addition to admission of students with local qualifications, special provisions have been made for admission of a limited number of students with foreign qualifications also to follow undergraduate courses of study leading to bachelor’s degrees, annually.
- Providing hostels Facilities to the students from families in lower income groups
- Student & Staff Welfare office services
Sustainability through Collaborative projects in State School system Student and Teacher Capacity building programmes
The Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) full-time students at the Faculty of Education of the University of Colombo engage in a co-curricular activity organizing Student/Teacher Capacity Building Programmes to enhance school children’s innovative and creative skills selecting two Sinhala and Tamil local schools. A group of academic staff of the Faculty of Education also conducts capacity building programmes for teachers of the same school, having identified the training needs of teachers. Further, the group also donated instructional materials required for the selected schools in order to uplift the quality of the instructional process in classrooms aligned with SDG 4 quality of education.
Knowledge Dissemination through "ADYAPANA SANVADA"
Another important cocurricular activity assigned for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) full-time students during their one-year academic programme is to publish an annual educational magazine, referred to as “ADYAPANA SANVADA”. The name of the magazine connotes “Educational Dialogues” in English. This magazine attempts to share the latest knowledge in the field of education among school community and other related stakeholders in education. ADYAPANA SANVADA is a joint magazine of education related articles from PGDE students as well as the academic staff of the Faculty of Education. The prime objective of this project is to provide hands-on experiences for the in-service teachers in generating knowledge in their respective field of expertise and disseminating them in an academic manner, thereby allowing them to make it an effective transfer of learning with their students in the schools. The academic integrity of the publication is monitored through an Editorial Board appointed by the Faculty Board. The current volume issued in 2021 is its tenth.
Spurring up entrepreneurial capabilities among students
The Faculty of Management and Finance conducts an Enterprise Based Project as a core course during Semester VI of the BBA curriculum to encourage and provide an opportunity for students to practice theories learnt in the class and gain hands of experience of becoming entrepreneurs. In this course, the students are required to undertake an independent project where they are expected to develop, after research and fieldwork, a business plan for a new business based on a selected product or service.
Supporting for research commercialization through AHEAD project
Under the Accelerating Higher Education Expansion and Development (AHEAD) Project, staff is supported to commercialize projects. The Research and Development of Natural Products Unit (URDNP), under the Department of Dravyaguna Vignana was established to build a strategic alliance of academics, relevant government authorities, the pharmaceutical industry firms and other interest groups to participate in research and development dialogue and evolve strategic development process for research development and commercialization of natural products. This Unit at IIM was approved by the council of the University of Colombo at its 519th meeting, held on 11.01. 2017.
Offering short course modules
Research Methodology Short course is conducted for the education officers across the country in Sinhala and English media, Training of Master Teachers program conducted in Sinhala, Tamil and English for Teachers, Inservice Advisers, Education Officers, National Teachers College Lecturers, who applied through newspaper advertisement to develop teaching competencies to update their professional competence and give leadership to teaching in government, semi-government, private and international schools across the country, Production and staging a drama by postgraduate Drama and Theatre students in a public theatre on theme on a problem in the education system and submission of the drama for National Children’s Drama festival, University provides executive education programmes through Certificate and Diploma courses.
- The Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, extends services to community including mathematics teacher training programs, training programs related to financial modeling, short courses, workshops and seminars on financial valuation and actuarial valuation, and mathematical modeling.
