| University of Sri Jayewardenepura | |
|---|---|
| ශ්රී ජයවර්ධනපුර විශ්වවිද්යාලය ஸ்ரீ ஜயவர்தனபுர பல்கலைக்கழகம் |
|
| Motto | Vijja Uppattam Setta (among all that arise, knowledge is the greatest) |
| Established | 1959 (as Vidyodaya University) |
| Chancellor | Prof. Ven. Bellanvila Vimalarathana Thero |
| Vice-Chancellor | Dr. N. L. A. Karunaratna |
| Location | Nugegoda, Sri Lanka |
| Campus | Main premises at Gangodawila |
| Website | www.sjp.ac.lk |
The University of Sri Jayewardenepura (Sinhala: ශ්රී ජයවර්ධනපුර විශ්වවිද්යාලය, Tamil: ஸ்ரீ ஜயவர்தனபுர பல்கலைக்கழகம்) is one of the Universities in Sri Lanka. It is located in Gangodawila, Nugegoda, near Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, the capital city of Sri Lanka. It was formed in 1958 out of the Vidyodaya Pirivena, a Buddhist educational centre.
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The University of Sri Jayewardenepura dates back to 1873, when the Ven. Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thero laid the foundation stone for the university as a pirivena (Institute of Buddhist and Oriental Studies) named Vidyodaya (meaning "awakening of knowledge"). It was built on land at Maligakanda, a Colombo suburb, with funds gifted by Andiris Perera Dharmagunawardhana. Mohottiwatte Gunananda, who was a great force in the emergence of this pirivena, intended to train educated orator monks to save Buddhism and for that purpose he made logic compulsory in pirivena education. The Pirivena taught Buddhist studies as well as pseudo-sciences like Astrology, widely accepted and held in high esteem in taditional society. However, the transition from Pirivena to University gradually converted it to a secular center of learning.
In 1956, following a change of government with Solomon Dias Bandaranaike as the Prime Minister and following the policy of promoting national languages and culture, it was decided to establish two new universities by conferring university status on the Vidyodaya and Vidyalankara Pirivenas[1]. Accordingly, the Vidyodaya University and Vidyalankara University Act No 45 of 1958 established the two universities at the Vidyodyaya Pirivena at Maligakanda and the Vidyalankara Pirivena at Kelaniya. In 1958, it was reconstituted as the Vidyodaya University of Ceylon.
Welivitiye Soratha Maha Thero, who was the Principal of the Vidyodaya Pirivena, was appointed the first Vice-Chancellor of the Vidyodaya University. The university was ceremonially opened on 16 February 1959. Sir Oliver Goonatilleke, the Governor-General and ex-officio Chancellor of the University, expressed the aims and objectives of the new university:[2]
| “ | This is a historic occasion. Today witnesses the renaissance of Pirivena education on a broader front. It is my good fortune that I am privileged to be here today to inaugurate the Vidyodaya University and to extend my best wishes to the Vice Chancellor and the staff. The granting of university status to the two principal Pirivenas of the Island is one of the most far-reaching achievements of the Government in the realm of education. Minister Dahanayaka will be remembered in the annals of this Island as the man who gave Oriental learning and its traditional seats the encouragement and support they needed to become an integral part of the educational set up of modern Lanka. The Buddhist priesthood, who had in the past contributed so much to the cause of oriental learning and culture, will now get the opportunity of widening their sphere of influence... | ” |
The University commenced its academic activities with five faculties: Buddhist Studies, Philosophy, Languages, Arts, and Ayurveda and Science. There were twenty-two Departments of Study. Some of the students of the Vidyodaya Pirivena were among the first students of the university. Adult candidates with the requisite minimum entry requirements were also selected for admission. Admission was restricted to males and the initial student population was composed mainly of bhikkus (Buddhist Monks). The initial academic staff were drawn from the same Pirivena, or those who had been its outstanding alumni, and were mainly Scholarly Buddhist monks. Pandit Wickramarachchi, a famous Ayurveda physician was in charge of the minuscule department of science. These more secular subjects required the services of visiting lay staff.
In 1961, a new location was selected at Gangodawila, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south east from the center of Colombo, and within walking distance of a main trunk road known as the High Level Road. This road connects Colombo to Ratnapura and beyond. Part of these lands belonged to the nearby Sunethradevi Pirivena, associated with King Parakramabahu VI (1412-1467). The shift of the university to the new site was effected on 22 November 1961, under the direction of Sri Soratha Thera. The Vice-chancellor invited the Department of the Government Archives to establish its archives within the campus, close to the University Library, to encourage research.
The Higher Education Act No 20 of 1966 brought far reaching changes to the university scene in Sri Lanka. As a result, admission to both those universities was opened to female students as well. The post of Vice-Chancellor would no longer be restricted to the Sangha, and all academic and administrative appointees had to satisfy criteria determined by the newly created National Council of Higher Education. This modernization process also resulted in the restructuring of some of the Faculties and Departments of Study, as well as of programmes of study. During the period when Walpola Rahula was the Vice-Chancellor,[3] the University grew significantly in stature. When Rahula left the University in 1969, linguist D. E. Hettiarachchi took over. A noted employee of the University at this time was Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was chairman of the United Corporations and Mercantile Union local on the campus. He later went on to be President of Sri Lanka.
Following the insurgency of 1971, the university premises were taken over by the army, and converted into a detention camp for suspected insurgents since many undergraduates had links with the insurgency. During this temporary occupation (1971-1972) the university functioned from temporary locations in Colombo, maintaining the basic academic and administrative services. Ellawala and V. K. Samaranayake were Vice Chancellors at that time.
In 1972, all universities were merged into one institution under the University of Ceylon Act No.1 that renamed all universities as campuses of a single University of Sri Lanka. Vidyodaya University became Vidyodaya Campus headed by a Campus President, appointed by the Minister of Education. The first President of the Campus under this system was Chandre Dharmawardana.
The university programmes became more "job-oriented", and attempts were made to introduce course-unit systems and other methods of continuous assessment. The very first course in Development studies in Sri Lanka, leading to a degree (B. Dev.) was started at this time. Post graduate courses in Statistics, Food Science, Polymer Science and Optometry were offered. The departments of Geography, Economics, Public and Business management etc., were expanded.
Following change in government in 1977, the Universities Act No 16 of 1978 returned the independent university status to the Campuses while assigning some of the coordinating functions to a new University Grants Commission. Being close to the city of Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the reestablished university was renamed to the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.
Its full-time student population is over 8,500,[4] enrolled in the faculties of Arts, Management Studies and Commerce, Applied Sciences, Medical Sciences, and Graduate Studies
The University has five main faculties. Including Faculty of Graduate Studies. The dean of this faculty is Prof (Mrs.) S.Piyasiri
The dean of the faculty is Prof. Sudantha Liyanage of the Department of Chemistry.
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
The dean of the faculty is Prof.P.Athukorala.
Academic departments
Dean of the faculty of Management Studies and commerce is Prof. Sampath Amarathunga
The dean of the faculty is Prof. Mohan De silva
The Department of Medical Education and Health Sciences (DME&HS) was established to improve and sustain the quality of the Learning/Teaching processes in the faculty and to conduct certificate, diploma of degree courses in Health Sciences. Although, Medical Education units are available in the university system, the DME&HS is the 'first and only one' department established under the university system to develop, implement and review activities related to improving the efficiency of Learning/Teaching related to both Medical and Health Sciences. Most remarkably, the DME&HS is successfully facilitating collaborative work in implementing medical and para-medical (Allied Health Sciences) programmes including Nursing, Pharmacy and Medical and laboratory Science degrees.
The Postgraduate Institute of Management is a semi-autonomous body affiliated to the University. It promotes advanced education and professionalism in management in Sri Lanka through the provision of postgraduate instruction, training, research, and development in the various branches of management and administrative studies.
The Vidyalankara University was created at the same time as the Vidyodaya University. Today Vidyalankara University is known as the University of Kelaniya.
The University of Sri Jayewardenepura is noted for a high level of ragging in recent years with several major incidents grabbing national headlines. These include the killing of Samantha Vithanage, who pioneered an anti-ragging campaign, by pro-ragging JVP supporters[5][6] and the resignation of Prof. Chandima Wijebandara, the vice chancellor of the University, in protest against the ragging.[7]