The partnership between Michigan State University and Rajarata University of Sri Lanka is making strides to build curriculum in bioprocess technology and develop leadership capacity in the environmental science sector.

The partnership is made possible by a grant from the Asian Development Bank Science and Technology Human Resource Development Project. The one-year program is hosted by Michigan State University Visiting International Professional Program and features a series of workshops bringing together MSU faculty experts with students and faculty at Rajarata University to facilitate collaboration on teaching, learning, and research, as well as developing an interdisciplinary and industry-aligned degree program at RUSL.

In December the MSU program-lead, Saroopa Taylor, assistant professor in the Center for Integrative Studies in General Science in the Michigan State University College of Natural Science, visited Rajarata University. The visit focused on evaluating the current Bioprocess Technology curriculum offered under the Faculty of Technology, understanding faculty expertise, identifying teaching challenges and exploring opportunities to enhance the academic structure. Taylor met with faculty members, departmental teaching assistants and students to gather perspectives. One key takeaway from the sessions was the need for networking opportunities and industry internships to form a bridge between academic learning and career readiness. Taylor’s visit culminated in a proposed interdisciplinary degree program designed to integrate sustainability, climate resilience, and conservation with the existing curriculum. The proposed program aims to enhance student competitiveness, integrate real-world applications and build stronger academic-industry partnerships to support the evolving demands of environmental and technological sciences.

While there, Taylor enjoyed a visit to RUSL’s new state-of-the-art Faculty of Technology complex which opened on Oct. 1, 2024.

As the MSU-RUSL partnership progresses, opportunities for collaboration continue, including a spring series of virtual workshops, as well as the review and finalization of the proposed curriculum for implementation. We look forward to seeing the fruits of this partnership!

Thank you to Chathuranga Bamunuarachchige, Cholani Weebadde, Stephen Gasteyer, and Keith Bezant-Niblett.

This story originally appeared on Linkedin.