(UDHAYAM, COLOMBO) – The Grodno State Medical University, in the Republic of Belarus (an eastern European country) intends to open a branch in Sri Lanka, the BelTA News Agency reported quoting the University’s Rector Viktor Snezhitsky.
A delegation of the Grodno State Medical University is now busy negotiating in Sri Lanka.
“We intend to open a branch of the university’s preparatory courses department. The idea will be implemented in 2018 if not in 2017. We are considering hiring local teaching staff. Specialists from Grodno will be sent to Sri Lanka for shortterm business trips for the sake of control, performance review, and educational support,” said the rector. If the plans are implemented, Sri Lanka will be the first country with a branch of the Grodno State Medical University of its own. It is a normal practice for many universities. If the project produces the effect the university counts on, the practice will be expanded, noted Viktor Snezhitsky.
The Grodno State Medical University has trained foreign students for more than 20 years. Education services with English as the language of instruction have been available for over 15 years. At present two thirds of foreign students at the Grodno State Medical University are instructed in English during the entire sixyear period of education. “Our teachers are ready for it. We constantly recruit more young professionals, who speak foreign languages,” added the rector.
The quality of training of foreign students at the Grodno State Medical University is highly rated; competition among foreign students exceeds two people per place. A roundtable session of the Education, Science, Culture, and Social Development Commission of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus took place at premises of the Grodno State Medical University on 18 April. Ways to improve medical university education and science in Belarus were discussed during the session.