President Rajapakse expressed his full support and endorsement to the
proposal to establish a full-fledged AIT campus in Sri Lanka. He
assured that the Government would help in providing land as well as
facilitate the process. The Government would also help AIT in
attracting global investors to participate in this venture.
Prof. Irandoust, President, AIT is currently in Sri Lanka on the
invitation of the Deputy Minister of External Affairs of Sri Lanka,
H.E. Mr. Gitanjana Gunawardena to discuss the proposed AIT satellite
campus.
The AIT President along with Mr. Sanjeev Jayasinghe, Director
Fundraising, AIT met the President of Sri Lanka where Prof.
Irandoust made a presentation on the proposed AIT Satellite campus
model. He also elaborated on the new AIT Charter where Sri Lanka is one
of the signatories. H.E. Prof. J.B. Disanayaka, Ambassador of Sri Lanka
to Thailand, had signed the Charter on behalf of the Government of Sri
Lanka on 25 August 2010.
Apart from the President, Prof. Irandoust also met the Minister of
External Affairs, Hon. Prof. G. L. Peiris; Minister of Education, Hon.
Mr. Bandula Gunawardena; Minister of Development H.E.Mr.Basil
Rajapaksa; Minister of Southern Development H.E. Mr. Namal Rajapakse;
Deputy Minister of External Affairs, H.E. Gitanjana Gunawardena, Deputy
Minister of External Affairs; Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of Sri Lanka to the United States of America, H.E.
Jaliya Wickramasuriya and Mr. Prasanna Gunawardena, Coordinating
Secretary to Deputy Minister of External Affairs.
Sri Lanka has very close ties with AIT. Since its inception in 1959,
823 students from Sri Lanka have graduated from AIT.