Hello,
I am Thilina Rajapakse
National, Transnational, and International Education
Strategy Consultant
Shaping Sri Lanka’s Private Higher Education & Global Student Recruitment
Over the past decade, I have worked at the frontier of Sri Lanka’s private and non-state higher education sector, helping institutions make the tough strategic choices that define long-term success. My work has spanned university launches, securing degree-awarding status, internationalization, and transnational education (TNE), all anchored by rigorous Quality Assurance (QA) across both K-12 and higher education.
I partner with institutions, investors, and regulators to choose where to play and how to win. This may involve guiding FDI-backed ventures through complex approvals, aligning institutional models with global academic standards, or designing policies that balance growth with integrity.
My leadership includes shaping international recruitment at scale. I led South Asia growth for ApplyBoard in Canada and held strategic roles at SLIIT and Horizon Campus, contributing to some of the most impactful education ventures in the country.
Certified by ICEF (Canada), AIRC (USA), and the British Council (UK), I bring deep cross-market insights and a commitment to student-first, ethical growth.
At the heart of my practice is integrative strategy realization, blending foresight, stakeholder alignment, and decisive leadership to enable bold, future-ready outcomes.
Core Strengths
Higher Education Startups & Market Entry
International Student Recruitment Strategy
Regulatory Navigation & QA Systems
EdTech Implementation & Innovation
Strategic Partnerships & Policy Design
Leadership Development & Change Enablement
I believe strategy is about making enduring choices, not reacting to conditions. My role is to help institutions, communities, and changemakers make those choices with clarity, coherence, and confidence, so they can truly win.
Contact details:
Email: thilina@rajapakse.net
Phone: +94776964590 (WhatsApp available)
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka education sector consultant
Expertise:
Education ventures
FDI in Sri Lanka education sector
Transnational education TNE
Quality assurance
EdTech innovation
International student recruitment
Contact details:
Email: thilina@rajapakse.net
Phone: +94776964590
(WhatsApp available)
Committee Member – Expert Committee on Quality Assurance Framework and Mechanism for International & Private Schools. National Education Commission (NEC), Sri Lanka (2024)
Head of International Programs Unit – (TNE Programs, Curtin University Australia & Liverpool John Moores University, UK) Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), Malabe, Sri Lanka (2018-2019)
Director Projects – Horizon Campus, Malabe, Sri Lanka (2013 – 2018)
Executive to the Board of Directors – Sri Lanka Association of Non-State Higher Education Institutes (SLANSHEI) (2016 – 2017)
Resource Person – Higher Education for the Twenty-First Century (HETC) Project, Ministry of Higher Education, Sri Lanka & World Bank Group (2012 – 2013)
Senior Regional Manager, Strategic Accounts – South & South-East Asia ApplyBoard Inc., Kitchener, ON, Canada (2019 – 2024)
Regional Head – Sri Lanka & Bangladesh, Leverage Edu, India (2024 – 2025)
Chief Growth Officer – The Students Visa (Pvt) Ltd. Colombo, Sri Lanka (Since 2025)
Member of the Board of Directors – National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA), Sri Lanka (2015)
International Student Recruitment
Public Sector
Senior Executive, Strategy Unit – Office of the President of Sri Lanka (2012 – 2013)
Certifications & Licenses
International Certified Career Coach (ICCC) – Career Development Alliance, USA
Certified UK Agent Counsellor – British Council, UK
Educational Qualifications
Bachelor of Government & Public Management – Flinders University, Australia (2012)
Diploma of Business Administration – TAFE SA, Australia (2010)
Trinity College – Kandy, Sri Lanka (1984-1997)
EdTech
Certified AIRC USA Agent Counsellor – Association of International Enrolment Management (AIRC), USA
New Zealand Licensed Education Counsellor (Provisional) Education Counsellor Authority of New Zealand www.ecanz.org
Certified Canada Course Graduate – ICEF Canada Course for Education Agents (CCEA), Canada
Master of Public Administration (MPA) – Yeungnam University, South Korea (2015)
