The University of Colombo which received the Executive Presidency of the Asian Universities’ Alliance, a flagship of 15 premier high-ranked Asian universities, will host the Executive Meeting and the AUA Youth Forum from November 18 to 22, Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. Chandrika N. Wijeyaratne said.
At a media briefing held at College House of the Colombo University yesterday, Prof. Wijeyaratne said that it was honour for the university and for the country to host the Executive Meeting in Colombo.
The Executive Meeting and the AUA Youth Forum will see the participation of university students from each of the universities in the alliance along with senior academic staffers, totalling over a 100 delegates who would converge in Colombo.
The University of Colombo is a founding member of the AUA, an academic collaboration established in 2017 among 15 flagship Asian universities mandated to jointly address regional and global challenges facing the higher education sector. Colombo University is slated to host the Executive Meeting on November 21, while the AUA Youth Forum will be held from November 25 to 29 under the theme ‘Health and Wellbeing’.
Prof. Lakshman Dissanayake, Senior Professor of Demography, said the collaboration is pertinent to the exchange of knowledge, information and experience. He remarked that such initiatives will amplify efforts to enhance the state of higher education in the Asian region. He also said that international exposure and students’ mobility has greatly increased within the alliance. “The AUA Youth Forum will see a gathering of undergraduate student leaders from AUA member countries to address developmental challenges in the rgion and promote cultural and academic exchange.
We believe these empowered youth will be the nucleus of change agents, for health, economic and social development of the region.”
To coincide with the hosting of the AUA Youth Forum and the Executive Meeting, the Colombo University will also host its Annual Research Symposium. The research symposium is the foremost event of the university. This year the symposium is hosted parallel to the AUA Executive Meeting under the same theme.
Prof. Naazima Kamardeen, Chairperson of the annual research symposium said that research is one of the foundations of higher education institutions such as the Colombo University and this symposium would serve as an opportune occasion to present research which is in line with the theme this year. “The purpose of every research ultimately is to ensure and promote wellness and wellbeing. Under this context, research work will be presented to show the link that various faculties make to this theme.”
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