A delegation from the NSBM comprising Honorable Minister of Education (Dr) Susil Premajayantha, Prof E A Weerasinghe, Vice Chancellor, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Prof. Chaminda Rathnayake is currently engaged in a series of discussions and visits with universities in the USA to establish partnerships. On April 12th, 2024, the delegation and Professor Sivalingam Sivananthan of the University of Illinois visited Southern Illinois University (SIU) to explore potential partnerships to offer SIU degree programmes at NSBM. Discussions also encompassed other possible initiatives, including research collaborations and doctoral programs.  This partnership is an initiative of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in United States and the two universities have already entered MOU in this regard. 

During the visit, the NSBM team had the opportunity to witness the facilities and research initiatives of SIU and interacted with academic staff leading those initiatives. SIU Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (Dr) Sheryl Tucker, Dr Costas Tsatsoulis, Vice Chancellor for Research & Dean of the Graduate School, and university administrators participated in the discussions.

Additionally, undergraduate and graduate students from Sri Lanka currently studying at SIU had the chance to meet with the Sri Lankan delegation and engage in casual conversations. This visit marks a significant step towards fostering academic collaborations and enriching educational opportunities for students at NSBM.