Fourteen Students, One Island: Paraparaumu College’s Leadership Programme Brings New Zealand Youth to Sri Lanka Photograph: Colombo Gazette Fourteen students and three teachers from Paraparaumu College in New Zealand are preparing to travel to Sri Lanka for a 14-day leadership training programme beginning on 3 December 2026. Ahead of the visit, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, Prasanna Gamage, hosted the delegation for a briefing on the country they are about to explore. None of the students had visited Sri Lanka before. The meeting offered them an introduction to the island’s history, culture, cuisine, geography and socio-economic landscape, as well as an opportunity to ask questions directly. Their programme will combine leadership development with visits to Negombo, Galle, Ella, Kandy and Wasgamuwa. The visit is a warm example of the connections behind Sri Lanka–New Zealand relations: not only official engagement, but also learning and exchange between young people. A ...