A team from the University of Peradeniya, led by Prof. Sakunthala Yatigammana, Head of the Department of Information Technology, UOP, and including Snr. Prof. Janaka Ekanayaka, and Dr. Nalin Harischandra from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering participated in the 2nd Consortium Meeting held at the Maldives National University under the three-year collaborative Erasmus+ EU project, DIGITAsia. Other members who participated in the event were Dr. E.M.P.C.S Ekanayake (Dean), Dr. S.S.K.B.M. Dorabawila, Snr. Prof. A. Abhayarathna from the Faculty of Arts, UOP.

The Consortium Meeting was organized by the Maldives National University (MNU) from October 28th to 31st 2025. DIGITAsia - Digital Transformation of Asian Higher Education (https://digitasia.eu/) is co-financed by the ERASMUS+ and the European Union. The project implementing partners are university research groups in each of the following countries: University of Zagreb, Faculty of Organization and Informatics (FOI, Croatia), Open University of Catalonia (UOC, Spain), Maldives National University, Villa College, and Islamic University of Maldives (Maldives), Universiti Technology Malaysia (UTM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM, Malaysia), SLT Campus (SLTC) and University of Peradeniya (Sri Lanka). 

The project began in November 2024 and continued through September 2025, and will promote innovation in higher education through new teaching methods, training 150 educators in Education 5.0, and piloting 130 hybrid courses across 7 universities. It will create a Digital Teaching Transformation Framework and toolkit to help other institutions in the region. Additionally, the project will encourage collaboration and peer learning through national events and training programs for stakeholders.

The meeting strengthened collaboration and aligned strategies for digital transformation in Asian higher education. Through discussions, workshops, and management engagement, participants integrated project outcomes across partner institutions. The Capstone Project Workshop and reflections on the DIGITAsia Training Programme enabled participants to implement training concepts as actionable projects. The introduction of the Digital Transformation Framework (DTF) and Toolkit offered a cohesive model for integrating digital innovation and ensuring sustainability across educational contexts.

In alignment with the broader vision of Education 5.0 and Universal Design Principles, the meeting’s outcomes promote sustainable innovation, learner-centered design, and institutional adaptability in an evolving digital landscape. By embedding these principles into teaching, governance, and quality assurance, DIGITAsia partners are well-positioned to drive long-term transformation, fostering universities that are future-ready, inclusive, and responsive to the demands of a knowledge-driven society.