We left the hotel at 9 am to visit the University of Rahuna, a partner school to UIA. Although the structure itself was old, it was upkept with agricultural features such as the rock formations, trees, flowers, and lakes. We were welcomed by some from the school’s administration, including the vice chancellor, before we were taken into one of their conference rooms. We got to ask questions about the university life, including the gender imbalance and living accommodations. Surprisingly, we learned that the ratio was 80%-20% where the women represent the 80%. Similar to Norway, many students live in dormitories on the campus, and eat subsidized food in the cafeteria.
This was our first day the university of Ruhuna, were we got a little tour of the buildings and got to meet some of the professors and staff. Our first meal at the university was a traditional Sri Lankan morning snack and tea in the administration cafeteria. After this, we went on a short bus trip to the most southern tip of the island, where we also got to see the rebuild after the 2004 tsunami. On our way back to the university, Ajith gave us some knowledge about the domestication of elephants in Sri Lanka.
This would later be brought up in the lecture by professor Kumara when he discussed the ecological situation of Sri Lanka. Professor Kamara highlighted the vast biodiversity on the island and the subsequent geopolitical situations. As it turns out, the biodiversity contributes to the tourism industry due to bird watching opportunities.
Group 1 - Andrea, Julia, Kaja and Lorelei