SLF signs MoU with Sustainability Learning Centre

With the growing need to deliver sustainability and the increase in green business professional courses in the country, Sri Lanka Foundation (SLF), the centre for leadership, education and training, signed an MoU with the Sustainability Learning Centre of Sri Lanka, the first school of its kind in Sri Lanka dedicated to providing technical and management solutions in sustainability and green business.

From left: SLF Consultant Academic Affairs Samantha Rathnayake, SLF Academic Registrar Performing Nelum Ekanayake, SLCSL Member T.B.B. Sumith, SLCSL CEO Dr. Yasantha Mapatuna, SLF Chairman Prof. Ranjith Bandara, SLCSL Co-founder Dr. Nihal Dayawansa, SLFI Director P.H.J. Arunasiri, SLCSL Member Ajith Fernando, SLF Director – F&A Premali Wijeweera and SLF Lecturer R.M. Vijeratne

Sri Lanka has accelerated its multifaceted development drive which is expected to transform the country in both physical and economic terms within the next decade. Major investments are being made across many sectors and ambitious targets are being pursued.

The effects of climate change, deterioration of ecosystems and biodiversity which jeopardise the availability of eco-system services, if unaddressed, are likely to have major impacts on the development drive and the sustainability of the country’s achievements.

Further, in a world characterised by global natural resource depletion and growing social inequality, there is an increasing global agreement on the need for action plans on sustainable development, a concept that forms the cornerstone of a wide variety of global commitments. The Sri Lankan Government has committed itself to the implementation of many of these global agreements which will undoubtedly make Sri Lanka a global partner in this field.

To meet sustainable development challenges effectively and to deal with the areas identified by National Action Plans (Haritha Lanka) on sustainability requires some fundamental changes in values, policies, institutions and practices. Therefore, Sri Lanka needs a literate and environmentally aware citizenry and workforce to help guide the nation in implementing its sustainability plans. This requires training and capacity building of major stakeholders.

All sectors – including business, industry, education, Government and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), and community organisations – should train their leaders in environmental management and provide training to their workers. Therefore, this collaboration will enable both institutions to develop courses and programs of study for a new and emerging market segment. It will also focus on developing public/private partnerships to achieve the common national goal of enhancing skills on sustainability practice and green business.

The SLCSL has collaborated with the SLF to deliver state-of-the-art education and training programs jointly based on sustainability and green business. The work will be undertaken by the SLCSL’s experienced staff under the direct supervision of senior academics and professionals in the sector.  

They announced that the first professional development program on sustainability, the certificate course on sustainability and green business, will commence shortly to fulfil the demand for qualified sustainability and green practitioners in industry.

SLF is known to be the foremost and pioneer adult education centre in Sri Lanka, established in 1974 consequent to an agreement between the SLF and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. Today, the SLF is on a stronger footing as it has been regularised under an Act of Parliament, the Sri Lanka Foundation Law No. 31 of 1973.

The SLF functions autonomously under the purview of the President of Sri Lanka and is managed by a board of management. SLF offers a wide range of academic programs in dynamic fields namely, social and institutional development, psychology and counselling, business and enterprise management, language and ICT and also houses the Digital Film Academy and the Tourism and Hospitality Management and Centre for wellbeing.

For further information please contact R.M. Vijeyratne, the course coordinator on 0714 539476 on or Priyani on 0714539481.