AIT President Prof. Pai-Chi Li led a senior delegation team to Colombo, Sri Lanka, on April 4–5, 2025, to advance academic and industry partnerships with key Sri Lankan institutions. The delegation included Mr. Sanjeev Jayasinghe, Executive Director of the Office of Advancement & Alumni Affairs (OAAA), and Prof. P. Abdul Salam, Dean of the School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD). The two-day mission was marked by MoU signing, in-depth discussions on capacity-building programs, and strategic collaborations, reinforcing AIT’s commitment to regional development. Below are detailed highlights of the visit:
AIT and University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, Sign MoU for Academic and Research Collaboration
On April 4, 2025, the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and the University of Kelaniya (UoK) formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Hotel Hilton Colombo. The MoU was signed by AIT President Prof. Pai-Chi Li and UoK Vice-Chancellor Senior Professor Nilanthi de Silva, witnessed by Mr. Sanjeev Jayasinghe, Executive Director, AIT OAAA.
The University of Kelaniya (UoK), Sri Lanka, stands as a leading institution in Sri Lanka, dedicated to academic excellence, research, and innovation. With faculties encompassing Humanities, Social Sciences, Science, Medicine, Computing & Technology, and Commerce and Management Studies, the university continues to play a key role in higher education, research, and national development. Through its rich legacy spanning over a century, the University of Kelaniya remains committed to fostering knowledge, cultural heritage, and academic excellence.
AIT President Prof. Pai-Chi Li and Snr. Prof. Nilanthi, Vice-Chancellor, University of Kelaniya, warmly acknowledged AIT and UoK’s long history of collaboration, dating back decades, and emphasized how this MoU strengthens ties for mutual benefit in higher education and research.
The MoU aims to initiate and explore a partnership for two-year MPhil and Master’s degree programs across AIT’s School of Engineering & Technology (SET), School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), and School of Management (SOM). It also lays the groundwork for joint research projects, conferences, workshops, and seminars, fostering academic exchange between the two institutions.
As part of the implementation, UoK committed to identifying qualified assistant lecturers to enroll in AIT’s programs, targeting the January 2026 intake and beyond. Concurrently, faculty from both institutions will collaborate on research topics of shared interest, enhancing knowledge sharing and innovation.
AIT President Meets with the Chairman, University Grants Commission (UGC), Sri Lanka
On April 4, 2025, AIT President Prof. Pai-Chi Li and the delegation held a productive discussion with Senior Professor Kapila Seneviratne, Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), to review and discuss the signed MoU between AIT and UGC and plan the implementation of the Capacity Building MPhil (research-based) and Master’s (with thesis) Partnership Program for national universities in Sri Lanka.
AIT President outlined AIT’s academic strengths, emphasizing the institute’s postgraduate offerings tailored to regional needs, while UGC Chairman underscored the timeliness of this initiative amid Sri Lanka’s current positive developments.
The Chairman mentioned that the UGC will request the Department of Inland Revenue of Sri Lanka to release the necessary funds, expressing optimism about their approval. This funding will enable the UGC to send candidates—for Master’s degree programs and for MPhil programs—to study at AIT starting from the January 2026 intake and beyond. The UGC will initiate its selection process to identify these candidates, who will be faculty members from Sri Lankan state universities under the UGC’s purview. Upon meeting AIT’s admission requirements, these candidates will receive a special tuition scholarship from AIT, with the remaining funded by the UGC and the respective state universities under the UGC’s purview. AIT OAAA will continue to coordinate and follow up with UGC, as well as with AIT’s Admissions Unit and schools, to ensure a smooth enrollment process for the selected candidates.
AIT President Meets with Director/CEO of Seylan Bank PLC
On April 4, 2025, AIT President Prof. Pai-Chi Li and the delegation met Mr. Ramesh J. Jayasekara, Director/CEO of Seylan Bank PLC, and Ms. Amanthi Motha, Head of Human Resources, to discuss tailored short-term professional development training programs for the bank’s senior branch managers through AIT Extension. The discussion turned out to be of good potential, aligning with Seylan Bank’s current requirement to train their top-performing senior branch managers.
The AIT President proposed leveraging the School’s and AIT Extension’s expertise, recommending specialized skills on “AI and Digital Transformation” to equip managers with practical, technical knowledge for modern banking challenges.
The Seylan Bank responded positively to collaborate on a tailored program designed by AIT Extension to meet their specific requirements and also explore existing “shelf programs” from AIT Extension, covering areas like AI and digital transformation, for broader staff development. Additionally, Seylan Bank extended support in sharing the AIT Extension tailored short-term professional development training programs with other state and private sector banks in Sri Lanka to promote these programs, amplifying their reach across the banking sector.
AIT President Meets with Minister of Science and Technology, Government of Sri Lanka
On April 4, 2025, AIT President Prof. Pai-Chi Li and the delegation had a high-level meeting chaired by Prof. Chrishantha Abeysena, Minister of Science and Technology, Government of Sri Lanka, with Mr. Y.L. Mohamed Navavi, Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Sri Lanka. The meeting included around 20 participants, comprising senior officials from the National Science and Technology Commission (NASTEC), and focused on the proposed Capacity Building MPhil Partnership Program at AIT, targeting research officers and scientists from four Sri Lankan partner institutes: the National Institute of Post-Harvest Management (NIPHM), University of Moratuwa, Central Environment Authority, and NASTEC.
The AIT President provided a comprehensive overview of AIT, emphasizing its strengths as an international, English-speaking postgraduate institution focusing on engineering, sustainability, and management studies through its three schools: SET, SERD, and SOM. Mr. Seyed Shahmy, Senior Scientist at NASTEC, presented the ongoing discussions between AIT and NASTEC regarding the proposed MoU for this partnership program.
The meeting outcome was positive, as the Minister of Science and Technology agreed in principle to the proposed scope of collaboration outlined in the MoU, with minor changes to be communicated by NASTEC shortly. Under the MoU’s scope, NASTEC will seek external international donors to sponsor research officers and scientists from the four Sri Lankan partner institutes—the National Institute of Post-Harvest Management (NIPHM), University of Moratuwa, Central Environment Authority, and NASTEC—to enroll in a 22-month MPhil degree program at AIT starting January 2026 onwards, over five years period. Additionally, the MoU will include a Professional Development Training Programs section, featuring two short-term, tailor-made programs through AIT Extension, such as “Mastering Project Management in Science Administration” and “Promoting National Science Policy through Collaborative Pool Patents.”
AITAA Sri Lanka Chapter Hosts Dinner in Honor of AIT President’s Visit
On April 4, 2025, AITAA Sri Lanka Chapter hosted an alumni dinner gathering in honor of AIT President Prof. Pai-Chi Li and the senior AIT delegation visit to Colombo, Sri Lanka. The alumni dinner gathering was organized at the Monarch Imperial Hotel, Sri Jayewardenepura. The gathering brought together the AITAA Sri Lanka Chapter President, Executive Committee members, and senior distinguished alumni, including Mr. W. J. L. S. Fernando, AIT Hall of Fame Inductee 2019.
The AIT President expressed his appreciation for the warm hospitality and the continued support of the alumni network, emphasizing the vital role of AIT alumni in advancing AIT’s mission of the sustainable development of the region.
The alumni dinner gathering provided an opportunity for the senior AIT delegation to engage with AIT alumni who have contributed to academia, industry, and society in Sri Lanka. The gathering also reinforced the continuing bond between AIT and its Sri Lankan alumni community.
AIT President Meets with Chairman and Group Managing Director of ESOFT Sri Lanka
On April 5, 2025, AIT President Prof. Pai-Chi Li and the delegation concluded the mission with a productive meeting with Dr. Dayan Rajapakse, Chairman and Group Managing Director of ESOFT Sri Lanka, exploring collaboration in three areas: short-term professional development training, unified Bachelor’s degree programs leading to a Master’s degree, and direct-entry Master’s programs.
ESOFT highlighted that their Bachelor’s degrees in Information Technology/Computer Science and Business Management/Administration are approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Sri Lanka, with additional engineering programs currently in the process of obtaining approval. AIT and ESOFT will explore collaboration on this front: unified Bachelor’s leading to Master’s degree programs, where undergraduates will spend their first 3.5 years at ESOFT, followed by a 1.5-year Master’s at AIT in aligned fields, such as SET’s Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Computer Science, or Information Management programs, or SOM’s Master’s in Business Administration (MBA).
The AIT President also discussed preliminary thoughts about the possibility of establishing an AIT Center in Sri Lanka with ESOFT’s support, modeled after AIT Center Vietnam. This center would offer a range of short-term, tailor-made professional development training programs and vocational training programs, available both online and on-site, as well as academic programs such as certificates, diplomas, and master’s degrees.
AIT’s commitment to sustainable development and regional collaboration synergizes with ESOFT’s reach—serving 30,000 students across 40 branches in Sri Lanka.
