The Chinese Ambassador in Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong met Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on Friday to discuss a number of areas of bi-lateral cooperation including a program to enhance IT learning facilities in rural schools.
The possibility of Sri Lankan students who had been studying medicine in Chinese universities before the Covid-19 pandemic, to return to China to complete their studies, was also taken up during the meeting.
The Minister and the Ambassador also weighed the possibility of initiating student exchange programs between Chinese and Sri Lankan state universities, teacher training colleges and schools.
The Minister also drew the attention of the Ambassador to assist in setting up of a university on Agrarian Technology in Hambantota, which is a proposal by the President.
The Minister thanked the Ambassador for the longstanding friendship and being a friend in need maintaining close bi-lateral cooperation in economic, cultural, political and social spheres.
The Minister also noted with gratitude the intervention by the Chinese Government to provide sinopharm vaccine to inoculate over 230,000 academic staff to re-open state schools on time as planned, in a staggered manner.
Ambassador Zhenhong said the Hambantota Port and the Hambantota Industrial Zone will usher Sri Lanka to becoming an international logistical hub.