Edith Cowan University campus set to boost Sri Lanka’s critical workforce 

Edith Cowan University (ECU) Australia has opened its doors to over 550 students at the new, highly anticipated, full degree-accrediting campus in Rajagiriya, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

For the first time in Sri Lanka, local and international students can now study Australian university programs in disciplines as diverse as biomedical science, cyber security, design and commerce at a multi-level purpose-designed campus from their first year of study. Vice-Chancellor, Professor Steve Chapman said the new campus demonstrates ECU’s ongoing commitment to higher education in the region and the creation of innovative pathways for more students to obtain a world-class Australian degree in their home country.

“We are proud to have created the opportunity for Sri Lankan students to study our degrees in key growth sectors in a world-class learning environment,” Vice-Chancellor, Professor Steve Chapman said.

The innovative vertical campus features state-of-the-art learning and teaching facilities where students can unlock the skills, experience and knowledge they need to gain employment and secure successful careers, anywhere in the world.

Among the highlights are new biomedical laboratories, designed and fitted out to Australian standards.  These biomedical science laboratories support a range of disciplines such as Anatomy, Microbiology, Genetics, Physiology and Histopathology. The digital hub is also a unique facility, developed for training in high-end digital marketing, as well as game design.

ECU has also announced the launch of a new engineering degree in 2024, which will give Engineering students access to three large engineering laboratories including an Electronic Laboratory, an Industrial Control Laboratory and a Power Laboratory.

The campus offers a dynamic mix of social spaces, collaborative work areas, and quiet spaces for focussed work.  Students will also have full access to Edith Cowan University’s e-library of over 350,000 books and journals.  “Located in the centre of Colombo, in the capital of Sri Lanka, this campus will make a vital contribution to education here,” David Matthews said.

 “We are proud to have created this innovative partnership with Australian-owned global education provider, Navitas, which has a long and successful history of providing transnational education in partnership with universities around the world,” Professor Chapman said.

Currently, ECU has more than 28,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students at its three campuses in Western Australia, with a large international student cohort from more than 100 different countries. In the 2023 The Good Universities Guide, ECU maintained its long-standing 5-star rating for teaching quality for the sixteenth consecutive year.  ECU has a strong focus on industry-relevant courses that are designed in consultation with employers and industry experts. This ensures that graduates are equipped with the skills and knowledge required to succeed.  “ECU is also ranked in the top two public universities in Australia for teaching quality and learning resources in the QILT Survey.”