Interest in International Universities A New Norm or a Necessity?

By Imaaya Perera 

In recent years, with globalisation and cultural integration, there has been an increasing trend of students seeking to fulfill their higher education abroad. Many  students seek not only education but employment abroad, having received opportunities that they believe benefits their qualifications. This article intends to touch upon student perspectives and the factors that they believe facilitates this issue.  Sri Lanka, like many countries, places a great emphasis on education. Despite this, there is a lot of skepticism surrounding the local syllabus, resulting in a more favourable attitude towards private and foreign universities.  We spoke to a few students studying abroad and in Sri Lanka who provided their experiences and opinions on the subject. 

There is an increasing interest in international qualifications from the school level itself, with several private schools offering London O/L and A/L Examinations as an option. When asked about the benefits, several students noted that the main difference between the National and International Syllabus is its belief that the latter provides more progressive and optimal teachings. “For the most part it is beneficial because the London syllabus is more flexible and less demanding on students, providing opportunities for those unable to blossom in the local syllabus and giving them better chances for their higher education,” said one student who sat for the London A/L Examination. Another student now studying in a private university in Colombo endorsed the claim by stating that, “the international curriculum is more updated, covering a far smaller area of study but with more in-depth learning as opposed to the local curriculum where it is an array of surface level knowledge on various modules.” This line of thinking can be countered by another viewpoint provided by a student who studied under the local syllabus stating, “the national syllabus has a lot of heavy content in comparison to the international syllabus, while this is not a negative analysis it can be said that having been subjected to a more widespread learning capacity it prepares you for university life better.” A  lot of students, primarily younger academics prefer this globalised style of learning, focusing on specialised and in-depth learning over the wide-spread  local syllabus with regards to the higher education provided. One such student stated, “Certain international qualifications do have a better grasp on progressive learning, in the sense that they focus more on implementing skills learned through the course rather than our country’s traditional education system which focuses more on memorisation and the bulk of content without considering its practical applications. Though I do believe that it is based on the qualification rather than a generalisation.” While this can be said about all educational qualifications, student perceptions lead us to examine the argument between quality over quantity and how this can be applied to our education system itself. 

So just how relevant is our current local education system in today’s context? And how  has it influenced the new generations' views on international universities? When asked, the answers given were quite similar, circulating around the idea that state universities still fall towards a more traditional way of learning. As one student currently studying in a state university said, “The syllabus itself is quite fulfilling but small differences can still be made. Like allowing calculators for examinations and reference books for the necessary subjects.From my experience studying under the national syllabus, I realise we waste a lot of energy on memorising material that is readily available to anyone else. Our education system still hasn’t moved away from methodologies that waste students' energy on unnecessary technicalities.”  However, the state university system seem to still be highly reputed and considered to hold more weight and affiliation than many other private universities. 

 “The syllabus itself is quite fulfilling but small differences can still be made. Like allowing calculators for examinations and reference books for the necessary subjects..I realise we waste a lot of energy on memorising material that is readily available to anyone else. Our education system still hasn’t moved away from methodologies that waste students' energy on unnecessary technicalities.” 

Himesh, a student who studied under both the local and IAL systems, was able to speak more extensively about the two experiences stating, “I do not believe that there is some magic formula that all international universities have cracked that state universities haven’t. Especially when comparing course material that touch upon many of the same topics, especially in more specialised fields such as Engineering, Law, Medicine etc. A state university graduate will be able to hold their own when measured by various accreditations like the Washington Accords or the equivalent to things like the IESL memberships. This is also reflected when state university graduates endeavour to pursue Masters and PhDs abroad, landing placements in top international universities. This indicates that these universities understand the quality of education and deem them on par with their own standards.” 

When you look at the root of the problem one can identify reasons which lead students to pursue international qualifications. This is to do with the limited resources and restricted capacity when compared with private universities and other institutions abroad. The robust commitment to full student funding defines the national university system reflecting its privilege of education. This predictably creates a great deal of competition for limited seats and also restricts the availability of resources due to its reliability on state funding. This is yet another major distinction between both university environments due to private and international universities being separate from the government.“Yes I believe that the highly competitive environment and nature of the exam structure is a major reason for their apprehension against the system” said Natasha, when asked about this issue. “The existence of alternative pathways like international and private universities or Foundation courses provide students with a chance to access a similar quality of education at a lower barrier of entry.”  Another major issue touched upon by students is the delay of exams that occur due to economic and political situations in the country, setting back their academic paths. 

As one student currently in a state university said, “I finished my A/Levels in 2024, I entered university in November 2025, began my first semester in January 2026 and I will be set to finish my degree by 2030 at minimum. My peers in the London section who have gone on to attend UK universities will finish their degrees in 2028.” 

Another such factor that must be taken into consideration is the misgivings surrounding the social environment of certain state universities, the ragging culture in particular. Though it has subsided in recent years, following legal frameworks and awareness programmes by the University Grants Commission, it still remains a concern and key factor against student admission to those universities due to its reputation surrounding the issue.

The influx of interest in international education seems to stem from state universities’ inability to adapt to the times and student perceptions. In a world where practicality and facilitation of labour is prioritised over long hours and hardwork, if we intend to hold student interests in what our country has to offer then we must take steps towards acknowledging the weaknesses of the local university system and rectify them. Creating an education system that is receptive and adaptable to the times, putting out graduates that are both assertive and prepared for career opportunities in the context of their timeline. It is also noted that this interest is also fuelled by Sri Lanka’s encouragement of students pursuing international universities for their education due to its limited local capacity. International universities and qualifications are a necessary inclusion in our country's educational reformations. Acknowledging international standards and incorporating them into our state university systems will garner student interests and may result in more students opting to study locally.