The Cabinet has approved a revised Memorandum of Understanding that would let Sri Lankan students selected by a state training institute study at a South Korean university and then take up jobs and long-term residency there.

Deputy Minister of Labour Mahinda Jayasinghe travelled to South Korea for the signing, which NewsFirst reported was scheduled to take place on Monday.

The agreement is between five parties: Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Labour, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), South Korea’s Gyeongsangnam-do Province, the Sacheon Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Changshin University.

What students would get

Students selected by NIOSH would be able to pursue higher education at Changshin University, which is in Changwon, South Gyeongsang province. On completing their studies they would have access to employment at industrial establishments in Gyeongsangnam-do Province, together with opportunities for long-term residence in the area.

A second attempt at a 2023 deal

The Cabinet decision follows an earlier MoU signed in 2023 between NIOSH, which comes under the Ministry of Labour, and the same university for a vocational training and student exchange programme, the Sunday Times reported.

That agreement was never implemented because of problems arising from its provisions. A new MoU and an operational framework were drawn up in consultation with the five main parties, with the stated aim of establishing a formal institutional partnership and defining each party’s roles and responsibilities.

Not reported

Neither filing states how many students the programme would cover, what fields of study or trades are involved, who meets tuition and travel costs, what selection criteria NIOSH will apply, or when the first intake would travel. Neither gives the duration of the long-term residency on offer.

Points of detail

The Cabinet paper summarised by the Sunday Times renders the university as “Taeshin University (Changshin University)” and the Korean partner as “Sacheon Commercial”; NewsFirst gives Changshin University and the Sacheon Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This desk has used the NewsFirst forms, which match the university’s own name.

This desk could not independently confirm that the signing took place. NewsFirst described it as scheduled for Monday, and earlier Sri Lankan coverage reported the deputy minister departing for Korea on 30 October. The Cabinet approval is confirmed; the signing is reported here as scheduled rather than completed.