Investment in education is for life. The money and the time invested should contribute towards the individuals and the societies well being. Tertiary education in Sri Lanka is available from the national tertiary institutions and from private tertiary education providers such as IIHE established in 1996.
The qualifications offered by the private tertiary education institutions are generally foreign qualifications awarded by the parent universities. Some are “top up degrees” where the first two years are based on exemptions and the last year is a distance learning program from the awarding institution.
The qualifications offered by most of the private tertiary education institutions are either external franchised, top up degree or distance learning. These awards are mostly general degrees and not awarded with Honours.
Honours degrees are developed on a sound foundation of the first year and nurturing through years 2 and 3. The syllabi are designed and structured to enable horizontal and vertical integration between and within subjects. Therefore, the only way in which the full potential of a good honours degree can be achieved is by enrolling on an validated degree of the parent university or on a validated degree of the parent university offered at an acknowledged institution overseas.
The degrees offered at IIHE are validated degrees of a world renowned university. Students from year 1 are subjected to a rich in class and outside class learning environment which cannot be substituted by distance learning or other similar modes. The quality of the program is also very much dependent on the teaching faculty and the methods of assessment. At IIHE all Lecturers have to be approved by the UOW. The assessments and delivery of the program are subjected to the UK Quality assurance system. The direct association with the University of Wales and the continuous surveillance by the validation unit of UOW ensures that IIHE maintains the same or higher standards of quality.
