He was accompanied by a delegation of officials, including Dr. Harsha Alles, Chairman, Gateway International School Group.
The delegation was welcomed by Thulci Aluwihare, Deputy Managing Director, and other representatives from CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd.
Professor Stirling’s visit to Port City Colombo was preceded by Flinders University’s milestone meeting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe regarding the set-up of an offshore international campus, which took place earlier that day.
The Flinders University delegation also met with Anura Dissanayake, the Secretary to the Prime Minister, and recently appointed Commission Member at the Colombo Port City Economic Commission, and Hon. Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health.
The visit encompassed a curated tour and detailed presentation at the Port City Colombo Sales Gallery, where the delegation was briefed on the scope of the project, construction progress, and future projections as an upcoming regional business hub and financial centre within South Asia.
The presentation also elaborated on how Port City Colombo would incorporate a dynamic cross-cultural network for international and local students to build connections, foster impactful skillsets, and pursue a rewarding academic tenure, which would prepare them for challenging careers in the future.
The Flinders University delegation was further provided an experiential tour of particular locations at the project site, including the Marina Promenade, the Downtown Duty-Free Mall development, and the 2.5 Ha land plot allocated to the International University campus.
According to a recent press release by the President’s Media Division, Flinders University is expected to ‘significantly enhance the country’s educational offerings and provide local students with greater access to world-class education.’
Port City Colombo warmly welcomes a potential successful partnership with Flinders University, upon approval and finalisation by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Colombo Port City Economic Commission.