Funded by new PMI2 money for Sri Lanka, a Higher Education Policy Dialogue was held in Colombo from 27 to 29 March on the theme of The Entrepreneurial University. The three-Day programme was attended by a delegation of UK subject-specialists representing eight UK Universities namely:

			Anglia Ruskin University
			Leeds Metropolitan University
			Sheffield Hallam University
			University of Central Lancashire
			University of Durham
			University of Leeds
			University of Salford
			University of Ulster

The delegation was headed by Prof Allan Gibb, who currently serves as Academic Adviser to the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NGCE) and is considered as one of the UK’s most well known gurus in the fields of entrepreneurship, Small and Medium Enterprises and the Entrepreneurial University in the UK. The participants of the event were the vice chancellors and senior staff members of Sri Lankan Universities plus senior staff members from the University Grants Commission. The following universities sent representatives to attend the programme:

			Sabaragamuwa University
			University of Colombo
			University of Kelaniya
			University of Moratuwa
			University of Peradeniya
			University of Ruhuna
			University of Sri Jayawardenepura
			Uva-Wellassa University
			Rajarata University
			Eastern University

The Minister of Higher Education, Prof Wiswa Warnapala delivered the keynote as the Chief Guest and emphasised the importance of changing local Universities to become more entrepreneurial. During the course of the programme appropriate case studies were presented by the universities from both UK and Sri Lanka with the highlight of the second day being a management game on demonstrating one’s entrepreneurial talents. On the final day joint action plans were drawn up and discussions were initiated on how new university-level partnerships could be established in order to support the Sri Lankan Universities to implement the changes that had been advocated during this Policy Dialogue.