The inaugural meeting of the EU funded capacity building project on “Developing Inclusive Education for students with disabilities in Sri Lankan Universities (IncEdu)” was held from 26th to 28th of February 2020 at the Hotel Topaz, Kandy. This meeting was organized by a team headed by Prof. Anoma Abhayaratne, University of Peradeniya, and was attended by participants from four well renowned European Universities; Masaryk University, Czech Republic, Zagreb University of Croatia, Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania and Uppsala University of Sweden, and four universities from Sri Lanka; University of Peradeniya University of Ruhuna, Eastern University and Sri Lanka Technological Campus.
The IncEdu project addresses an important issue in higher education in Sri Lanka that has not received adequate attention. It intends to develop a system of support for equalising opportunities for students with disabilities in Sri Lankan Universities. The main activities of the project during the period of 3 years, include, creating community awareness, develop the competency of staff of the partner universities in Sri Lanka and to establish a model support centre with the required equipment and assistive technology. It is expected that the project will have a greater impact and create more opportunities for students with disabilities in higher education by increased community/society awareness of rights, needs and requirements of those students in accessing higher education.
Dr. Nanada Gunawardhana, Director, International Affairs and Research Division of the SLTC, Dr. L. Udugama, Dr. Shamini Perera, Mr. Dimuthu Pathiraja, Ms. Manduli Katugampola, Ms. Vishmi Nanayakkara and Dr. Eranji Jayaweera attended the meeting representing the SLTC. On the first day of the meeting Dr. L. Udugama and Ms. Manduli Katugampola delivered an introductory presentation of the SLTC and how SLTC will contribute to this IncEdu project. Dr. Shamini Perera presented on how “Coaching and Mentoring” could be effectively used to achieve the objectives of this project. On the third and final day of the meeting, Dr. Nanda Gunawardhana, briefed on the “Financial Management of the Grant”
