Central Queensland University plant physiology and data collection techniques are to be taught in Sri Lanka.

Sasi Reka, a lecturer from the University of Jaffna, has recently left CQU after spending three months with the Plant Sciences Group.

Her stay in Australia was funded by the Asian Development Bank and included all travel, accommodation, transfers and research funds.

"It has been a good experience here and I have learnt a great deal," Ms Reka said, "and I will be teaching what I have learnt on my return to Jaffna." Ms Reka said that besides enjoying the work and the Australian culture her colleagues at CQU were very helpful and very patient with her.

"It was my first trip away from Sri Lanka and I felt I had to take full advantage of it," she said.

Her work and research was supervised by Dr Nanjappa Ashwath who said that some of her activity was in the phytoremediation area and included working with an arsenic eating fern.

Ms Reka also sat in on some plant physiology lectures and practicals given to third-year students, and assisted with data collection in experiments on water use efficiency set up by various post-graduate students from Plant Sciences.