Our Partner, Our Pride: International Institute of Health Sciences, Sri Lanka

From the early days of the University’s establishment, OUM has explored various avenues to expand its reach beyond Malaysian shores. Today, the University has forged partnerships with reputable higher education institutions spanning countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Among its most successful collaborations is with the International Institute of Health Sciences (IIHS) of Sri Lanka.

Since 2010, IIHS has been offering OUM’s Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNS) and Master of Nursing (MN) programmes from their campus in Welisara, just a short distance away from the country’s capital, Colombo. The OUM-IIHS collaboration has enabled nurses who possess diplomas to obtain an international qualification, thus providing them with a competitive edge in their profession.

As a pioneering Sri Lankan healthcare training institute, IIHS offers world-class programmes in nursing, physiotherapy, biomedical sciences, business management and education across various levels of study.

The programmes are offered in partnership with leading global universities which IIHS has secured pathway opportunities for learners to achieve their international dreams at a competitive price.

Learners in Sri Lanka enjoy the same learning experience as those at OUM campuses in Malaysia and its other international campuses. The programmes offered to international learners adhere to the same rigorous standards of governance and delivery.

The BNS and MN programmes are recognised in Sri Lanka by the University Grants Commission. They provide an invaluable international pathway to nursing-related master’s and PhD programmes in Australia and Europe. Alumni for both programmes have excelled locally and internationally. To date, more than 800 nurses have graduated from these programmes.

In 2019, the OUM-IIHS partnership made history when it produced the largest-ever batch of nursing graduates in a single year. More than 200 nurses flew to Kuala Lumpur to receive their scrolls at OUM’s 23rd Convocation, which was hailed a great success for both institutions in the effort to provide quality education to Sri Lankan nurses.

IIHS Director Dr Kithsiri Edirisinghe was particularly proud of his students’ achievements. He said, “This is a milestone for nursing education in Sri Lanka. We have single-handedly equipped local nurses to match international standards within a very short period of time.

“What we are doing at IIHS could transform Sri Lanka into an educational hub for nurses, where international healthcare programmes are conducted for nurses in the Asian region. This would not only improve the quality of the respective healthcare systems of these countries, but also generate foreign exchange for Sri Lanka.”

Dr Edirisinghe has also applauded the BNS and MN programmes, saying that with a work-and-study concept, learners can incorporate studying into their busy work schedules, while enjoying quality education at only one-fifth of the normal international price. IIHS has also begun offering OUM’s Bachelor of Education (Teaching of English as a Second Language) programme, thus symbolising another way forward for the partnership.

At IIHS, they work hard to ensure access to affordable and quality education for all healthcare professionals, and OUM is proud to be part of their mission to make this a possibility in Sri Lanka.

By Izyan Diyana Merzuki