Over 1,000 professionals from 130 countries congregated with the objective of providing a platform to the corporate, government, civil society and academia to share their expectations, aspirations and responsibilities.

In his address, the minister emphasized the importance of Education in supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs).

He further stated that, Sri Lanka, has initiated educational reforms that would have a far reaching impact on achieving SDGs in the country. The greatest social responsibility Sri Lanka has in education is to ensure that school leavers are equipped to join the labor market and also to decide on appropriate further studies. The Government emphasized on skills development and vocational education. These policies would ensure that students in secondary schools receive education in the streams of their choice.  A new stream in vocational studies is also being introduced. With the skills and work attitudes the youth receive, they will join the market place with confidence, and the school dropout rate will drop to a near zero. This is one of the great social responsibilities in education in Sri Lanka.