Message from the President / Chairman

South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) is the first private sector ‘Green Campus' in Sri Lanka. As the President, I am very happy that I have been able to successfully establish a private campus in Sri Lanka to teach Medicine, Engineering, IT, ICT and Media and Business Management. Also, this is, I believe the first time that the private sector has been able to enter the field of higher education in Medicine in Sri Lanka successfully. It is my belief that the certificates and degrees alone do not make education complete. Our intention is to produce educated young men and women with character through SAITM. We aim to provide affordable higher education opportunities to many prospective students.

At present there are four faculties at SAITM, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Management and Finance and the Faculty of ICT and Media. Our foreign University partners include Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy Russian Federation, Asian Institute of Technology – Bangkok (AIT), Buckinghamshire New University - UK. The Deans and Heads of the four faculties are highly qualified senior academics with experience at state universities in Sri Lanka. The academic staff consists of professors and lecturers recruited conforming to guidelines of University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka.

SAITM is being monitored by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and has been granted Degree awarding status by the Gazette notification no 1721/19 of 30 th August 2011 issued by the Minister of Higher Education Hon. S. B. Dissanayake. Students who are joining SAITM Medical faculty will be awarded MBBS degree in Sri Lanka in addition to the MD degree offered by the Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy Russian federation. Since we have been deprived of the usage of the Homagama Base Hospital which has been the initial arrangement for clinical studies, I have commenced building 1002 beds Private Hospital in Malabe Welivita in front of the present campus. This will be the largest Private Hospital in Sri Lanka and I intend to complete the building by 31 st March 2013. Further, in this hospital, I have decided to provide free treatments to people who are earning low income.

Our Engineering Faculty is affiliated to Asian Institute of Technology – Bangkok and I am proud to mention that the first batch of Engineering students who have completed initial 2 years at SAITM have been sent to AIT to complete the final part of the program.

The first ever Degree in Sri Lanka for Interactive Media is offered at SAITM with affiliation to New Buckinghamshire University – UK. Also we conduct degree programs in Management and Finance in affiliation with New Buckinghamshire University – UK.

At SAITM students are encouraged to use our modern library consisting large number of latest books and CDs covering a vast area of subjects. Also, I have provided a state of art auditorium which can house 400 guests and it is my intention to have a modern faculty of Performing arts at SAITM.

In accordance with the Green Concept, I have taken many steps to preserve the environment in and around the campus and I request the students to live in harmony with the environment and nature. In these vast campus buildings, built for you, I have made it environmental friendly to get the maximum flow of air in to the buildings, light and minimum usage of electricity. We collect rain water and recycle some for washing purposes. Also, the landscaped gardens of the campus premises consist of many fruit trees.

Even though SAITM is a private institution students have to observe a strict code of discipline. They have to adhere to a proper dress code and it is prohibited to smoke and it will be a serious offence to bring liquor to the premises.

There are more facilities such as fully equipped laboratories, Canteen providing healthy and nourishing food, a dedicated student lounge of 10,000 Sq Ft and study areas, transportation facilities provided to students to and from Malabe.

This modern institution is my gift to the nation which has given me much, a good education, a good life and health. I urge existing students to make use of these modern facilities to improve their knowledge and be men and women of character and I invite prospective students to visit our campus so that they can assess the quality of education and other facilities SAITM is providing.

Prof. Neville Fernando
MBBS (Ceylon)