News

Sri Lankan and Durham staff exchange

(25 January 2006)

Three Sri Lankans arrive in Durham this weekend to take part in a university exchange that marks a new stage in a longer-term tsunami recovery project. Part of a joint effort together Durham University, Durham Cathedral, Rotary Clubs and schools across the North East to help rebuild a community blighted by the 2004 disaster, Project Sri Lanka is funded and recognised by the British Council for its long-term commitment and supported by the BBC journalist George Alagiah.

In February academics from both the University of Ruhuna in Sri Lanka and Durham University are visiting each others? universities to find ways to work together on research, curriculum planning, teaching and community projects. Three staff from the Faculty of Engineering, Department of Geography and Faculty of Management and Finance in Ruhuna will spend two weeks in their corresponding departments at Durham to meet staff and students, give lectures and work out plans for research collaboration. Following their visit, five professors from all three faculties of Durham University will travel out to the University of Ruhuna where they will not only spend several weeks meeting academic colleagues and students to discuss research and curriculum development, but will look at ways of developing projects that will directly impact on the local community such as improving community health infrastructure and provision, which was blighted so severely by the tsunami.