The University of Canterbury New Zealand, ranked within the top 200 in the world, will be one of the first universities to offer its programmes in Sri Lanka under the Government's invitation to leading International Universities to offer their services in the country.

Minister of Higher Education S. B. Dissanayake,, Professor Nigel Healey, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Commerce, University of Canterbury, Mr. Senaka Silva, the Consul for New Zealand, Dr. Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne, the Secretary, Higher Education, Dr. Harsha Alles, Director Gateway and Mr. Michael Dobson, Head, Gateway Graduate School at the signing of the MoU.

The University of Canterbury, established in 1873 by scholars of Oxford and Cambridge, has gained an international reputation for academic excellence in teaching and research. Its first (undergraduate) and higher (postgraduate) programmes are well recognised worldwide, and aim to foster intellectual independence, critical thinking, and professional excellence in every field. Teaching and supervision up to PhD level is available in every discipline.

The University offers programmes in Arts (Humanities and Social Sciences) Commerce (Business and Economics), Education (including teaching), Engineering, Fine Arts, Forestry, Law, Music, Science, Social Work, Speech and Language Therapy and Sport Coaching. The University community currently comprises 17,000 students and an academic staff of 850. The current Prime Minister, John Key is a Graduate of this University.

The University is situated in Christchurch, the Garden City that offers the world - the best of New Zealand. Located on the east coast of the South Island, Christchurch is a city of contrasts. It is a place where its residents continue to enjoy a healthy, active lifestyle amidst a natural environment world-renowned for its beauty. The cost of accommodation both within Campus and out of University is far cheaper than many other cities in the world.
University of Canterbury,...

The city also has a very supportive Sri Lankan community consisting of Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims.
Having studied the Sri Lankan education market, the University of Canterbury, in furtherance of their mutual interests, decided to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Gateway, the leading education provider in Sri Lanka. Through this MoU, there will be increased international co-operation between them. They will also develop structured articulation agreements to provide pathways for study at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. As a goodwill measure, last year the College of Business and Economics at the University of Canterbury decided to offer a full undergraduate scholarship annually to a Gateway College student for three years of full-time study. The first recipient of this scholarship, Akmal Fazleen, a Gateway Kandy student, is currently engaged in his first year of undergraduate studies in New Zealand.

Having strengthened their position in the Primary and Secondary sectors, Gateway Colleges - Rajagiriya, Kandy and Negombo have now embarked into the tertiary sector. With this initiative, Gateway College brings a new dimension to the institution where they provide education from Play Group (2 ½ years+) to Degree Level, with a new focus and theme - "Foundation to Graduation". Gateway College Bambalapitiya, the newest member of this premier International School network, has recorded considerable success at Primary level. In 2008, Gateway opened new horizons in tertiary education through its Graduate School that has links with reputed universities in UK, USA and Australia. With the new partnership, Gateway's main focus in the future will be New Zealand.

Mr. Senaka Silva, the Consul for New Zealand in Sri Lanka and the President of the Sri Lanka-Australia-New Zealand Business Council, is of the view that New Zealand is going to be the most popular international study destination in the future. With increased tuition fees and visa restrictions in many countries, New Zealand, with its reasonable tuition and accommodation costs along with its academic and research excellence would be a preferred choice for higher education. Further, parents will have the necessary peace of mind when their children study in a safe and secure country such as New Zealand. The one year job search visa that is offered to students who graduate from universities in New Zealand, and the possibility of obtaining permanent residence status thereafter, also makes New Zealand a favourable destination.

The Minister of Higher Education S. B. Dissanayake welcomed the University of Canterbury to Sri Lanka. He said he is delighted to see the entry of a high quality University such as the University of Canterbury to Sri Lanka and that they have made the right decision in partnering a reputed organization such as Gateway that is known for its high standards and credibility. Both he and Dr. Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne, the Secretary assured their maximum support for this new venture. Professor Nigel Healey, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Commerce who was in Sri Lanka recently to attend to the formalities, mentioned how pleased he is to have signed an MoU with Gateway. He said he looks forward to a long and fruitful relationship with Gateway where they can offer students of Sri Lanka the opportunity to build on their outstanding academic performances and achieve their career goals.

This new venture will initially see the establishment of a new City Campus in Colombo at the cost of several hundreds of Millions. The programmes expected to commence in February 2012 include BE (Hons) Engineering (Electrical & Electronic, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Computer, Civil, Natural Resources, Forest and Chemical & Process Engineering), BSc Science majors (Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Computer Science) and Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting, Economics, Finance, Human Resource Management, Information Systems, International Business, Management, Management Science and Operation Management, Marketing, Strategy and Entrepreneurship, Taxation & Accounting).