The Open University of Sri Lanka is a popular and a pioneer higher Educational Institute, which was established in 1981, under the J R Jayewardene Government. The quest for higher education among the Sri Lankan youth was unprecedented then, and their anxiety for university education had made it instrumental for the J R government to bring a Bill in Parliament to set up an Open University in Sri Lanka, since the intake to state universities was limited due to fewer universities being available to accommodate the large number of students.
Hitherto,the OUSL has rendered yeoman service to the country by providing higher education in many fields that the students opted. It has spread its educational wing to a large area, where students have benefitted in graduating in their prospective field of study.
Although the Open University has been registered under the State University Act in the UGC the students who received numerous degrees have plunged into a problem of getting their certificates recognized by foreign embassies when they seek employment overseas. Students seeking employment in foreign countries are confronted with this problem without their degree certificates being certified by the relevant foreign embassies.
Since this matter has been intimated to me by many students at the OUSL, where I am a visiting lecturer for English, I am compelled to make an appeal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UGC concerned to inform all foreign embassies in Sri Lanka that the OUSL is a registered university in Sri Lanka and the degrees conferred by it are valid and could be recognized for employment overseas. Further, it is imperative to note that the OUSL degree certificates are accepted as a valid certificate, locally in every Govt. department or private firm without any hassle, for employment.
Z.A.M.Shukoor,
(Visiting Lecturer, OUSL)