Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology

Lalith Athulathmudali who was then the Minister of Trade and Shipping, originally had the Mahapola Trust Fund acquire 25 acres (10 ha) in Malabe in the 1980s with the expectation of building a Technological University and the headquarters of the Mahapola Trust Fund.[11] Minister of Commerce Kingsley Wickramaratne and Richard Pathirana would eventually use the land for establishing SLIIT.[12]

The Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology was established in 1999 by incorporation under the Companies Act of 2007 as a nonprofit company by guarantee (registration number GL 24) with the ability to award Bachelor of Science degrees following amendments to the Universities Act the same year, thus gaining recognition from the Minister of Higher Education.[13][14][15] SLIIT was established primarily to educate and train information technology professionals.

Initially limited to the fields of information technology and computing, in 2007 SLIIT expanding into new fields of study. These include electronic engineering and business management in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University.[16] SLIIT also expanded its presence from Colombo and its suburbs to other parts of the country, by establishing centers in Kandy and Matara, making SLIIT accessible in six locations. Presently, SLIIT operates two campuses - the Colombo Metropolitan Campus at Kollupitiya, and the Malabe Campus, with centers in Matara, Kandy, Jaffna, and Kurunegala with an undergraduate student population of over 7,000. A further 1,000 students follow master's degree Programmes, Postgraduate Diploma and other Professional Development Programmes.

In 2011, SLIIT established its faculty of business after it was accredited by the UGC to award Bachelor of Business Administration degrees in Human Capital Management, Accounting and Finance, Marketing Management, Quality management and Management Information Systems.

This was following in 2012, with the establishment of the Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management (CAHM); the first internationally recognized school for tourism and hospitality management in Sri Lanka. The project is a joint venture of SLIIT, Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management (CAHM),[17] and William Angliss Institute of Australia. It has been developed in line with international standards, housing a multi-use training kitchen, a full-scale banqueting facility, training restaurant, model bedrooms, an IT training center, and team rooms for students' practical training to prepare students for the degree of Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management.[18][19]

The faculty of engineering was formed in 2013, with it awarding its own Bachelor of Science in Engineering degrees and master's degrees from partner universities such as Curtin University and Sheffield Hallam University.[3] The SLIIT Computing was established as a privately managed subsidiary of SLIIT in Kollupitiya to further expand undergraduate studies. In 2015, SLIIT established its School of Architecture, offering a three-year degree in architecture. In 2016, introducing 16 new research-based degrees including PhD and MPhil degrees approved by the Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation of Sri Lanka.[20]

The origins of the Faculty of Computing goes back to the formation of SLIIT in 1999, when it introduced degrees in Information technology.[23]

Departments

• Information Technology
• Computer Systems and Network Engineering
• Software Engineering
• Information Systems Engineering
• Cyber Security
• Interactive Media
• Data Science

The Business School, which was formally known as the Faculty of Business was established in 2011, offering BBA degree programs.[24]

Departments

• Business Management
• Accounting and Finance
• Business Analytics
• Human Capital Management
• Marketing Management
• Quality Management
• Logistics and Supply Chain Management
• Information Management

Established in 2013, the Faculty of Engineering offers BScs in engineering degree programs.[25]

Departments

• Civil Engineering
• Electrical & Electronic Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Materials Engineering

The Faculty of Science and Education was established in 2017, with the introduction of a degree programs in Biotechnology, natural sciences, law, education, psychology and nursing.[26]

• Faculty of Science - BSc (Hons) Biotechnology
• School of Education - BEd(Hons) Biological Sciences, BEd (Hons) Physical Sciences, BEd (Hons) English
• School of Law - LLB (Hons) Law [LJMU]
• School of Nursing - Higher Diploma in Nursing, BSc (Hons) Nursing - International [LJMU]
• School of Psychology - Higher Diploma in Psychology, BSc (Hons) Psychology [LJMU]
• English Language Teaching Unit
• Mathematics Unit - BSc (Hons) Financial Mathematics and Applied Statistics [Expected in 2021]

The Faculty of Graduate Studies is a graduate school that conducts taught and research postgraduate degree programs in the fields of engineering and computing.[20]

The Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management (CAHM) was started in 2012 as a joint venture with SLIIT and William Angliss Institute of TAFE, offering degrees in tourism and hospitality management.[17]

SLIIT Academy (Private )Limited previously known as SLIIT Computing was established a s a subsidiary of Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology under the companies act No.17 of 1982 in 2011 and was registered with the Registrar of companies under the No. N (PVS) 29707 on 31 December 2001.[27]

SLIIT Academy (Pvt.) Ltd was established to provide educational opportunities to a wider range of students who wish to progress their higher education with an industrial oriented learning experience. SLIIT Academy offers Foundation Programs & Degrees in IT, Business, Engineering & Health and Life Sciences and Post-Graduate Program in MSc in PM which paves the way for students to keep their knowledge up-to-date in this fast-moving environment. With the growing demands of the workforce, SLIIT ACADEMY has been one of the first to introduce one of a kind Educational opportunity to the Nation of Sri Lanka. A blend of theory and practice gives the edge for those who want to enter the workforce with sound academic background and gives a competitive advantage among the others.[28]

Foundation Programs

University of Bedfordshire(UOB) Degree Programs

• Foundation Certificate in Information Technology
• Foundation Certificate in Business Management

Curtin University - SLIIT Academy Foundation Certificate programs in

• Information Technology
• Engineering
• Business
• Health & Life Sciences

Higher Diploma Programs

• Electronic & Electrical Engineering
• Information Technology
• Business Management

Degree Programs

Departments

• Computer Science and Software Engineering - UOB
• Computer Networking - UOB
• Electronic & Electrical Engineering - LJM
• Business Administration - UOB
• Human Resources Management - UOB

Postgraduate Programs

• Project Management – Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU)

The School of Architecture was established in 2015 offering BSc and MSc degree programs in architecture from the Liverpool John Moores University.[29]

Partnerships with foreign universities allow students to finish their degree at these universities following an initial study period in Sri Lanka.[30]

Country	University/Institution	Country	University/Institution
Australia	Curtin University of Technology[31][32]	Canada	Algoma University[33][34]
	Deakin University[32][35]		Memorial University of Newfoundland[34][36]
	Griffith University[32]	United Kingdom	Aston University[37][38]
	La Trobe University[30][32]		Liverpool John Moores University[38][39]
	Macquarie University[32]		University of Nottingham[38]
	Queensland University of Technology[32][40]		University of Hertfordshire[38]
	Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology[32][41]	United States	Southeast Missouri State University[42]
	Swinburne University[32]
	The University of Adelaide[32]
	University of Newcastle[32][40][43]
	University of South Australia[32]
	University of Tasmania[32][40]
	William Angliss Institute[32]

SLIIT conducts IT and computer-related research and is a partner of ConceptNursery.com, Sri Lanka's technology incubator. The SLIIT Research Symposium is held annually.[44][45]

SLIIT conducts the Cisco Network Academy courses (CCNA, CCNP and CCSP) under the regional Cisco Network Academy in Sri Lanka. SLIIT is also one of the Microsoft Academies in Sri Lanka offering Certification Courses.[46]

The government of Sri Lanka alleged that the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) was established on a property that belonged to the Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund.In addition, the government also charged that the SLIIT Board of Directors had transferred the assets of SLIIT to a company called Guarantee, which was set up to manage SLIIT. The government auditor department said such a transfer was in contravention of the law and resulted in Mahapola not getting the correct amount of funds from SLIIT. The issue has festered since 2015 when the transfer was made. In September 2018, Dr. Rajapakshe submitted a Cabinet paper, attempting to establish SLIIT as a fee-levying institution under the Government, but this has so far been unsuccessful.[47][48][49]

SLIIT has become a controversial national issue with various segments questioning its ownership and misuse of Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund [7][8] In 2021, SLIIT has been asked to appear before the Committee On Public Enterprises (Sri Lanka) for the investigations following misuse of public funds. However, SLIIT has refused to appear before the Committee. The COPE expressed its displeasure over the fact that even though the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology had been summoned before the Committee.[50]

SLIIT has signed an MoU with South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine on 30 December 2017 which would allow SLIIT to take over ownership and management of SAITM's assets, liabilities, staff and students, Director General of Government Information Sudarshana Gunawardana said issuing a press release. All medical students, who studied at the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) absorbed into a new Medical Faculty established at the Sri Lanka Institute of Information and Technology (SLIIT) effective from 1 January 2018.[51][52]