Colombo, October 09, 2025 – In a landmark moment for Sri Lanka's anti-corruption movement, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and the University Grants Commission (UGC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the CIABOC main auditorium at 10:00 AM.
The ceremony, attended by Vice-Chancellors from universities across the country, marks a pivotal shift in Sri Lanka's approach to combating corruption by targeting its roots in the education system and empowering the nation's youth.
A Historic Turning Point
This initiative represents a remarkable milestone in Sri Lankan anti-corruption history. The involvement of state universities carries profound significance, as the young generation nurtured within these institutions has historically been the catalyst for major political and social transformations in the country. University students and youth movements have repeatedly proven to be the womb from which Sri Lanka's development—or decline—emerges. Every significant youth uprising around Sri Lankan state universities has become an integral part of the nation's historical narrative, shaping the country's trajectory for generations.
By formally integrating integrity education into the university system, this MOU acknowledges that sustainable change must begin with those who will inherit the nation's future.
Transformative Objectives
The agreement establishes a comprehensive framework for embedding anti-corruption values throughout the higher education system. Among the key highlights:
1. Integrity-Based Education Ecosystem The entire University staff will assist in promoting an integrity-based education system, including specialized coursework, student integrity clubs, and integrity-focused research conferences. This holistic approach ensures that anti-corruption principles permeate every aspect of university life.
2. Building Tomorrow's Public Servants University education will serve as a foundational pillar for strengthening young people who will become future public servants. By instilling values of integrity and honesty during their formative years, the initiative aims to create a generation of leaders immune to corrupt practices.
3. Specialized Diploma Program A collaborative diploma course will be launched, covering integrity, corruption prevention, and the far-reaching consequences of bribery and corruption. This accredited program will provide students with formal qualifications in ethics and governance.
4. Systemic Reform Recommendations CIABOC's Prevention Unit and university communities will work together to develop system-change-based recommendations aimed at preventing bribery and corruption at institutional and societal levels.
5. National Policy Formulation Perhaps most ambitiously, the partnership will work toward formulating a national policy on university education that incorporates corruption prevention as a core educational objective.
The Generational Impact
The significance of this MOU extends far beyond institutional cooperation. By embedding anti-corruption education in universities, Sri Lanka is investing in a generational shift in attitudes toward integrity. Students graduating under this framework will enter public service, private enterprise, and civil society with deeply ingrained ethical principles.
The timing is crucial. As Sri Lanka works to rebuild trust in public institutions and strengthen governance, empowering university students—who have always been agents of change—with the knowledge and tools to combat corruption could fundamentally alter the landscape of corruption in the country for decades to come.
Distinguished Attendees
The signing ceremony brought together key figures in Sri Lankan higher education and anti-corruption efforts:
From CIABOC:
- Justice W.M.N.P. Iddawala, Chairman
- K.B. Rajapakse – Attorney-at -Law, Commissioner
- Chethiya Goonesekera P.C, Commissioner
- R.S.A. Dissanayake - High Court Judge, Director General
- Other invitees from CIABOC
From UGC - Guests of Honour:
- Senior Professor Kapila Seneviratne, Chairman, UGC
- Dr. Priyantha Premakumara, Secretary, UGC
- Dr.Janadari Wijesinghe, Deputy Secretary (Academic affairs), UGC
University Representatives included:
- Vice-Chancellors and senior officials from the University of Colombo, University of Kelaniya, University of Moratuwa, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, The Open University of Sri Lanka, the University of Visual & Performing Arts and Gampaha Wickramarachchi University of Indigenous Medicine
Development Partners:
- Fifteen undergraduate students from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura attended the ceremony, symbolizing the next generation that will carry forward this anti-corruption mandate.
Looking Ahead
As the UGC serves as the main body for administrating and developing all universities in Sri Lanka, this partnership ensures that anti-corruption initiatives will reach every corner of the higher education system. The collaboration represents not just an agreement between two institutions, but a commitment to reshape the moral and ethical foundation of an entire generation.
With universities historically serving as the birthplace of Sri Lanka's most significant social movements, this MOU harnesses that transformative power for the cause of integrity and good governance. The true measure of its success will be seen in the years ahead, as graduates carrying these values enter positions of influence and responsibility across Sri Lankan society.
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The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) is Sri Lanka's primary anti-corruption agency, while the University Grants Commission (UGC) is responsible for the administration, regulation, and development of the university system in Sri Lanka.
