A PILLAR OF EXCELLENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Capt. Ajith Peiris is a formidable figure in Sri Lanka’s modern higher education sector. As President and CEO of CINEC Campus, a leading private higher education institute in Sri Lanka, he has transformed his vision into measurable outcomes while strengthening quality, access, and international relevance across disciplines with sustained institutional impact. His meteoric rise has truly been a journey to watch out for.
“CAPT. PEIRIS HAS BEEN DRIVING INNOVATION, QUALITY & GLOBAL EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE”
The CINEC Campus is the brainchild of its founder Captain Ajith Peiris, a distinguished Master Mariner and the institution’s President and CEO. Established in 1990, the campus has grown into one of South Asia’s leading higher education institutions, offering globally recognised programmes across multiple disciplines. His leadership is defined by vision, innovation, and a readiness to take calculated risks to convert ideas into sustainable outcomes. From the outset, he identified critical gaps in maritime education and the wider higher education sector and addressed them with strategic clarity and determination.
This commitment to excellence has been recognised through numerous prestigious awards. The Sri Lanka Standards Institution conferred the “Sri Lanka National Quality Award for Education” on CINEC Campus in 2014 and several years before. The Sri Lanka Export Development Board has awarded the institution the “Presidential Export Award for Best Exporter of Education Services” in 2024/2025 and consecutive years before. International recognition includes the Asia Pacific Quality Award for Best in Class – Education in 2010 and the Global Performance Excellence Award (World Class category) in 2012.
Under Captain Peiris’ stewardship, CINEC Campus has achieved significant institutional milestones. It has secured recognition from the Directorate of Merchant Shipping and degree-awarding status from the University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka. The institution has developed into a multidisciplinary centre comprising eight faculties and offering over 200 programmes. Its academic portfolio spans maritime studies, engineering, aviation, logistics, health sciences, science, business, English, education, management, hospitality, and computing, aligning closely with evolving industry demands. With more than 25,000 student registrations annually, CINEC contributes significantly to the development of skilled, work-ready graduates for both national and global labour markets.
CINEC Campus branches were established in Jaffna and Trincomalee, reflecting his commitment to provide equal opportunities for affordable, high-quality technical, vocational, and higher education to rural youth. The establishment of an international hotel school in Kalpitiya has further strengthened contributions to the hospitality sector by promoting skills development and generating employment locally and internationally. With high academic standards in education enhanced with special development initiatives like “Beyond the Graduate” and “Beyond the Mariner” have produced competent, hands-on, disciplined, work-ready youth for society.
Twenty-seven years of Quality Management System certification to ISO standards has enabled CINEC to extend its engagement beyond Sri Lanka through its involvement in international maritime education. Since 2013, the Seychelles Maritime Academy has been managed by CINEC Campus. Similarly, the Fiji Maritime Academy was managed by CINEC from 2014, with a structured transition that enabled its successful handover to local stakeholders after 10 years. These initiatives reflect a commitment to international collaboration and sustainable capacity-building.
Captain Peiris transformed a small shipping manning agency into Sri Lanka’s leading maritime recruitment company, generating employment opportunities for thousands of Sri Lankan seafarers across all ranks on foreign-going ships worldwide. In 2024, CINEC Campus contributed to the establishment of National Seafarers’ Day in Sri Lanka in consultation with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Aviation, including the issuance of a commemorative stamp and first-day cover. For his outstanding contributions, Capt. Peiris became the first seafarer honoured by the Government of Sri Lanka on 21 March 2025.
Captain Peiris has also received prestigious personal recognition. He was named among Asia’s most inspiring founders and received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Business World International Awards in 2019. He has served on key advisory bodies, including the Presidential Committee on Maritime Affairs (2009–2010), and currently serves as Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Educational Services of the Export Development Board for 2021–2026.
