The International Institute of Health Sciences (IIHS), the leader in health education in Sri Lanka, was established in 2001 as the American College of Health Sciences (ACHS). The institute has been established for the exclusive purpose of training qualified nurses who can be employed in all parts of the world. The institute was named ACHS by Dr. Leonard Ranasinghe, who practiced emergency medicine for many years in the United States (US). ACHS nursing study programmes were based on Pacific Union College (PUC) in California. Dr. Leonard Ranasinghe and Prof. Nihal De Silva became increasingly interested in the worldwide shortage of nurses and opportunities for qualified nursing professionals in the US and other parts of the world with their experiences in emergency medicine in the US. Dr. Leonard Ranasinghe and Professor Nihal De Silva made a significant contribution to the establishment of IIHS.
IIHS is a leading educational institution with a 22-year history of health education, research and community development. IIHS is making a significant contribution to nursing and related health education sectors in the Asian region including Sri Lanka. IIHS aims to enhance the quality of life of healthcare professionals by developing their personality, professionalism, skills and humanity while providing them with opportunities for recognition and knowledge/best practices from partners around the world, and promoting sustainability and innovation. The IIHS constantly works to create a positive and creative community, and to develop qualities such as respect, effectiveness, dedication to service, positivity, excellence, creativity and team spirit among their students. The vision of IIHS is to take people to a new world through innovation and make them think in timely ways.
IIHS provides higher education opportunities for students from foundation stage to diploma, degree, post-graduate and doctoral level degrees (Foundation, Diploma, Bachelor, Masters and PhD). Students are facilitated to follow study programmes related to Nursing, Biomedical Science, Physiotherapy, Health Administration, International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Occupational English Test (OET), Pearson Test of English (PTE), and Education and Teaching at the IIHS. Over the past, IIHS has partnered with Coventry University, Deakin University, Aberdeen University, Metropolia University Finland, and James Cook University. Among IIHS’s hallmarks are; taking all students towards a wide range of opportunities, making regional students access international education, providing all study programmes at affordable prices, transforming the youth into successful professionals with domestic and international recognition, adhering to international quality standards and high-value education systems, promoting innovation by adopting new trends and technologies related to the field of education, and guiding students towards suitable job opportunities.
IIHS always works to ensure the concept “We are there for you every step of the way”, with regard to each and every student who enrolls for study programmes there, and it creates a bond of trust in the students. IIHS has also introduced a range of support and development services to help students from the moment they join IIHS to the moment they graduate. Picking up students at the airport (if required), conducting new arrival workshops, taking students on university tours, Student Support Team welcoming new students, keeping new students safe and building confidence in them by the IIHS Student Support Team are some other unique programmes initiated by the IIHS. The Cultural Mentor Programme educates new students about Sri Lankan culture, customs and being a student at IIHS. New international students are introduced to a senior student ‘buddy’ by the IIHS. The Student Support Team always provides necessary advice to IIHS students and provides information, advice and support on all aspects of university life, student visas, well-being, academic performance, and exam preparation.
The IIHS administration is committed to keeping all their students happy and healthy. Every student is relaxed and stress-free. IIHS students also focus on artistic fields like songwriting, music composition and film making. The uniqueness of the education system of IIHS is that a student can seek the help of a senior if it is difficult to study a certain part of the subject. Students can go for individual tutoring in subjects they find difficult and a peer-assisted learning system has also been introduced. Through such programmes, mutual friendship develops among students. IIHS further works to develop students’ speaking skills, leadership skills and more. Through such programmes, the unity and team spirit of students develops and IIHS constantly works to endow a role model to the society.
