From Brain Drain to Brain Gain
sustainable education foundation
Helping local students connect with industry experts and academics around the world
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Our Projects
ScholarX is an exclusive 6-month mentoring program aimed at a selected pool of undergraduate students based in Sri Lanka.
5000+
hours of mentoring provided via our ScholarX program
The International Research Council (IRC) is a community created by SEF to showcase the work in various fields of Sri Lankan researchers.
100+
researchers of Sri Lankan origin representing the world's top universities
"OneLive" is an interactive webinar series done every weekend with the experts in their fields to expand the knowledge of Sri Lankan students.
275 000+
students reached via our Onelive interactive webinar series
AcadeMix aims to curate a collection of free education resources for Sri Lankan students to maximise their learning potential from Primary through to Post Graduate education.
100+
free online resources to learn from home
A 12 week program aimed at creating a non-competitive safe environment to develop English speaking skills for Sri Lankan undergraduates.
09
students improved their English speaking skills
Student Ambassadors (SA) of the Sustainable Education Foundation (SEF) will act as a liaison for SEF while also acting as an Evangelist for the Sustainable Education Foundation.
100+
students trained with soft skills required for the industry
Our Journey So Far
-
2016
We see a problem
Our Founder Dr Akshika Wijesundara notices a gap in the Sri Lankan higher education system where undergraduates lacked mentoring opportunities to achieve their career growth.
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2017
SEF is born
The Sustainable Education Foundation is launched with the aim of building a connector platform to bring Sri Lankan subject matter experts in academia and industry to build a more sustainable education ecosystem in Sri Lanka.
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2018
Expanding our reach
Our three flagship programs, ScholarX, International Research Council and OneLive are launched.
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2019
Solidifying the base
We continue to deliver our flagship programs as we refine our operating rhythm and build our 10-year strategy looking forward to 2029.
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2020/21
Growth and Expansion
Expand our flagship programs offering to multiple stakeholders and experiment with new programs to address more problems faced by undergraduates in Sri Lanka.
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2022
Where we are today
Taking our programs mainstream, we launched a digital platform to extend our ScholarX program with minimal intervention from the SEF management. We look forward to expanding the platform to other areas serving more stakeholders.
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2022/29
Beyond 2022
Our ultimate goals are to- Provide an end-to-end digital solution for the operations of SEF,
- Provide suggestions to educational policymakers in Sri Lanka to improve the educational landscape,
- Develop a STEM research facility in Sri Lanka that can produce high-tech startups with the help of the global Sri Lanka community, and
- Increase the percentage of Sri Lankans going for higher studies, working in world-leading companies, and founding future defining companies.
At SEF, we have something in store for everyone!
Students
Interact directly with a curated list of industry experts and academics across the globe via our host of programs including OneLive, ScholarX and IRC to gain valuable perspectives and insight on how to customise and innovate a new career path for you. Our AcadeMix and Student Ambassador Program offerings will also get you industry ready by your graduation and expose you to postgraduate, internship and job opportunities.
Experts
If you are an expert in the industry, join SEF, for we host mentoring programs, where you can showcase your expertise to the scholars seeking guidance. You will also get a chance to connect with the young talent in Sri Lanka, and make an impact on the Sri Lankan education system with the plethora of knowledge you possess.
Volunteers
Becoming a volunteer at SEF gives you a chance to develop skills that are of cruciality at coming top in the workforce, and to get exposed to startup workspace culture, by getting in touch with as well as managing a diverse intercontinental community.
Become one of the Volunteers!
Join the TeamPress Coverage
Infrastructure partner
SEF professionally organized a lecture I held about Advancements in DNA Sequencing, Bioinformatics and Cancer research. I was more than satisfied and amazed, especially about their strong efforts, devotion and philosophy of providing free education to the wide range of population. Hope the idea will be spread world wide.
Vladimir Kovacevic
Bioinformatics Analyst, Seven Bridges Genomics
I believe that education should be free and accessible to everyone! Great to see many initiatives by the SEF community - especially their efforts to encourage the young generation in Sri Lanka to achieve not only in the domestic settings but also in the international level. I wish SEF all the best, keep up the good work!
Nimesha Ranasinghe
Assistant Professor, University of Maine, USA
Its great to work with your team and I wish you good luck. Its a great opportunity for me to share my stories with upcoming entrepreneurs and I believe you will keep your great service to motivate the rest.
Sanmugathasan Prasanthan
CEO/ Founder, IT Signature