Free Online Courses for Sri Lankans in 2026

You do not need a scholarship, a foreign card or a big budget to learn online from Sri Lanka. Local universities, regional platforms and the world’s biggest tech companies all teach for free, and most of it works on a phone over mobile data.

Which Sri Lankan universities offer free online courses?

1. Programming in Python - 1. Python for Beginners (UoM Open Learning). A self-paced University of Moratuwa course introducing Python programming for complete beginners. Beginner · Free
2. Web Development - 1. Web Design for Beginners (UoM Open Learning). A self-paced introduction to designing and building web pages. Beginner · Free
3. AI/ML Engineer - Stage 1 (SLIIT CODE). Foundations of AI and machine learning, ML tools such as TensorFlow and PyTorch, and guided computer-vision and NLP projects. Beginner · 6 lessons · Free
4. AI/ML Engineer - Stage 2 (SLIIT CODE). Supervised learning algorithms from regression to decision trees, random forests and support vector machines, implemented in Python. Intermediate · 24 lessons · Free
5. AI/ML Engineer - Stage 3 (SLIIT CODE). Unsupervised learning: clustering unlabelled data and finding hidden patterns, with practical examples and a certificate on completion. Advanced · Free

Can I take Indian government courses like NPTEL from Sri Lanka?

All SWAYAM courses, including 3,200+ NPTEL courses from the IITs and IISc, are free to study. Certificates need a proctored exam.

1. Introduction to Machine Learning (IIT Madras) (SWAYAM / NPTEL). A mathematically grounded introduction to machine learning paradigms and popular algorithms from IIT Madras. Intermediate · 12 weeks · Free; optional proctored exam Rs 1,000
2. Deep Learning (IIT Ropar) (SWAYAM / NPTEL). Feedforward, convolutional and recurrent neural networks, optimisation algorithms and attention mechanisms. Intermediate · 12 weeks · Free; optional proctored exam fee for certificate

Are there free courses for Sri Lankan online sellers?

A seller learning portal with guides, commission and marketing explainers, plus seller events.

1. Content Guides for All Categories (Daraz University). Learn Daraz's content guidelines, what may not be listed and the best content practices for each product category. Beginner · 5 lessons · Free
2. Daraz Marketing Solutions (Daraz University). Learn how to set up Daraz Product Ads, read their performance reports and apply best practices. Beginner · 4 lessons · Free

Which global academies are free from Sri Lanka?

1. AI Fluency: Framework and foundations (Anthropic Academy). Learn to work with AI effectively, efficiently, ethically and safely using the 4D framework. Beginner · 4 hours · Free
2. Get started with AI applications and agents on Azure (Microsoft Learn). A seven-module path covering generative AI, agents, text, speech, vision and knowledge retrieval in Microsoft Foundry. Beginner · Free
3. Introduction to Generative AI (Google Skills). A short course explaining what generative AI is, how it is used and how it differs from traditional machine learning. Beginner · 45 minutes · Free
4. Introduction to Generative AI - Art of the Possible (Skill Builder). An introduction to generative AI, its use cases, risks and benefits, illustrated with a content-generation example. Beginner · 1 hour · Free
5. Getting Started with Generative AI (IBM SkillsBuild). Learn how generative AI creates text and images, how to use it ethically and how to guide IBM Granite models, earning a digital credential. Beginner · 3-10 hours · Free (digital credential included)

What does Cocoon offer for free?

Cocoon is a Colombo-based AI training company. Our free AI course for Sri Lanka is sixteen hands-on labs in four levels, and AI for Students is a free four-week programme for undergraduates. The learning directory also has a free guide you can talk to in plain English that builds a learning path around your job.

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