The University of Moratuwa welcomed Dr. Parvinder Arora, Dean of the Faculty of Management at Laurentian University, Canada, on 24th March 2026 to explore opportunities for academic collaboration.
The meeting was attended by Professor N.D. Gunawardena (Vice-Chancellor), Professor G.D. Samarasinghe (Dean, Faculty of Business), Dr. (Ms.) T.S. De Silva (Head, Department of Decision Sciences), Dr. G.V.I. Samaradivakara (Acting Director, International Relations), Professor S.W.S.B. Dasanayaka (Senior Professor), Ms. Y.S. Karunarathne (Assistant Registrar, External Affairs), and Ms. W.M.P.K. Weerasinghe (Lecturer).
Discussions focused on strengthening international partnerships, student mobility, and joint academic initiatives. A key highlight was the proposal to introduce a Graduate Diploma Pathway Programme at UoM, enabling students to progress to Master’s degree programmes at Laurentian University, with a flexible dual-pathway option for local continuation.
Additional areas of collaboration included student exchanges, visiting faculty (including block teaching), joint research, credit transfer arrangements, and participation in academic events.
Both institutions identified strong alignment in academic strengths, creating a solid foundation for future collaboration. Laurentian University will share draft Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), while both parties will begin preliminary curriculum development. Subject to approvals, the proposed programmes are expected to commence as early as 2027.
