Deakin, Australia hosted Stakeholder Partner Evening at Shangri La Hotel, Colombo on 18^th October in line with Vice-Chancellor Prof. Iian Martin’s inaugural visit to Sri Lanka.

Mr. G. T. Bandara, Founder and Chairman of Royal Institute International School and Royal Institute of Colombo was honoured for leading the society through far sighted vision of high-quality international education.

It is over half a century since Mr. G. T. Bandara endeavored to blend Sri Lankan values with global outlook in the young minds of Sri Lanka. The sweet fruit of the far-sighted visionary’s efforts are evident today, more than it had ever been. The experience has been very encouraging.

Education is worthy and meaningful only if it prepares learners for life, with well-developed sensitivity towards social needs and responsibilities. Preparing them for life demands not only equipping them with academic competencies, but also with life skills and exceptional values.

Royal Institute International School (RI) and its tertiary education wing, Royal Institute of Colombo (RIC) are vision-driven entities committed to meet the educational needs of learners from nursery to post graduate level. To achieve the aspirations of physical, social, intellectual and emotional growth, both, RI and RIC have developed full-bodied infrastructural bases, adopted comprehensive curricula, and employed technology-driven delivery mechanisms via hybrid classrooms. This approach intensely fortifies the teaching-learning process from early childhood to post graduate level and draw steadfast connections between classroom learning and outdoor experiences – between learning for now and learning for life.

This was testified by Deakin University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Iian Martin during his introduction to the awarding, ‘The students who come through RIC do incredibly well in Deakin, not because of what Deakin does, I think largely it’s what the students in your institution have done before they come to us in Australia’.

While the school delivers highly comprehensive Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel and National curricula, RIC delivers diverse foundation level and degree programmes from Deakin University Australia, University of London as well as national degrees approved by the UGC and MoHE.

‘For more than 10 years under his leadership, RIC has continued to be a very important   partnership for Deakin and has grown to adopt shared curriculum and co-teaching providing new and wholesome learning experiences to students. His contribution goes well beyond Deakin’s partnership’ added Prof. Iian Martin.

RIC offers a multitude of Law (LLB/LLM), Economics, Management, Finance and Social Sciences (EMFSS) as well as Psychology degrees from the University of London and a host of Science, Engineering and IT programmes ranging from Civil, Mechatronics, Mechanical, Electrical and Electronic Engineering to Biomedical, Forensic, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering , Data Science and Software Engineering pathway programmes from Deakin University, Australia and its very own MoHE approved and UGC recognized degrees  in International Economics and Finance, Biomedical Science and Education.

RIC is the only institution in Sri Lanka to offer Deakin University curriculum under its direct guidance equipping students with skills required to settle well into the Australian study culture and to out-perform. Undergraduates can opt either to study the initial years in Sri Lanka and migrate to Australia to complete the degree via Pathway Programme or complete the entire Australian degree in Sri Lanka via Blended Learning Programme. It also offers the facility to pursue the Blended Learning option via Deakin Cloud Campus, that gives direct access to Deakin Australia classroom. Learners can grab the opportunity to be eligible for Deakin Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship in Australia, a prestigious award already received by two RIC undergraduates.

Prof. Iian Martin further added, ‘The Founder of Royal Institute International School and Royal Institute of Colombo is a visionary educator. His passion and drive have made a difference to thousands and thousands by bringing high-quality international education to generations of students in Sri Lanka’.

It was indeed a night of joy and contentment. “This night is a chance for us to say 10 years plus thank you for leading the society, and to pay special tribute to someone who is well known to many in international education and higher education. Your vision, your collaboration, in so many ways have made a real difference in many. Mr. Bandara, you are a great educator and a great provider to the lineage of education”, was a very sincere and vivid description by the Vice Chancellor and clearly and finely justified the exclusive reasons behind the prestigious award Mr. G. T. Bandara was bestowed with.