British Council Country Director Keith Davies OBE attended the event alongside the Chief Guest, Chair of British Council Christopher Rodrigues OBE and Honorary Guest Rohan Gunatillake a trustee of the British council.
The Chief Guest, the Chair of the British Council noted that ‘The objective of the British Council is to be an indispensable asset to the British nation in the third decade of the twenty first century.
This will be done in partnership with nations around the world, and we are in over 110 of them, in which we make connections, bring education, arts, culture, civil society and work on what’s important to the nation as well as what is important for Britain.
These buildings are evidence of our commitment to Sri Lanka.’
With a focus on enhancing opportunities in mastering the English language alongside expertise in arts, education and society, the British Council has positioned itself as a leading facilitator in these fields with long term commitments and significant investments in related programmes.
These programmes are focussed but diverse, often celebrating the country’s strong community of creative professionals with in house residencies and workshops.
In education, programmes such as Connecting Classrooms have linked over 300 schools in the UK and Sri Lanka, provided training to 250+ teachers and developed the leadership skills of over 150 head teachers in the country.
Earlier this month, the British Council was also recognised as Brand of the Year-Education in the English language category by the World Branding Forum.
Since its opening, the library has withstood the test of time and technology to establish itself as one of the main libraries in the country.
In addition to its three libraries in Colombo, Kandy and Jaffna, the British Council also recently launched its first offsite library at Orion City.
Recognising that a library must offer both a refuge from the outside world but also a connection to it, the British Council has continuously sought to modernise its systems to accommodate new technology and ways of learning for a smoother, more efficient and a much more connected library experience.
The Colombo, Kandy and Jaffna libraries offer a remarkable collection of over 70,000+ books and access to numerous online sources and resources to improve language skills and prepare for a range of exams including IELTS, Cambridge English, IGCSEs, O-levels and A-levels.
Speaking at the opening, British Council Country Director Keith Davies said ‘The completion of the premises project has been a key milestone and we at the British Council as well our customers and partners have a lot to celebrate. However our work in Sri Lanka is more than focus on real estate and premises.
Our work in Sri Lanka is about collaborative projects, it’s about bringing the best of the UK in Sri Lanka through sustainable relationships with our stakeholders.’
The re-launch event celebrated Sri Lanka’s diverse cultural heritage with performances by groups such as Baliphonics, Kingsouth, JDS Beats Trio and Sri Lankan-American acoustic singer Melonina.
The official ceremony was followed by a cocktail reception for invitees.
Captions:
1.) Country Director British Council Keith Davies OBE lights the oil lamp while the Chief Minister of the Central province Hon. Sarath Ekanayake looks on
2.) Chair of the British Council Christopher Rodrigues OBE addresses the gathering at the re-opening in Colombo
