(Buddhih Sarvatra Bhrajate)
, mottoeng = ''Wisdom Enlightens''
, established =
, endowment =
LKR 1.461
billion
Billion is a word for a large number, and it has two distinct definitions:
*1,000,000,000, i.e. one thousand million, or (ten to the ninth power), as defined on the short scale. This is its only current meaning in English.
* 1,000,000,000,000, i. ...
[University System at a Glance](_blank)
, chancellor =
Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero
, vice_chancellor = Professor H.D. Karunaratne
, head_label =
, head =
, city =
Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...
, country = Sri Lanka
, students = 37,636
, undergrad = 19,216
, postgrad = 10,678
, administrative_staff = 88
, faculty = 843
, free_label = Publications
, free = University of Colombo Review,
The Ceylon Journal of Medical Science
, colours =
, website =
, campus = Urban
, logo =
, logo_size = 260px
, accreditation =
University Grants Commission (Sri Lanka)
, academic_affiliation =
University Grants Commission (Sri Lanka),
Association of Commonwealth Universities
The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) was established in 1913, and has over 500 member institutions in over 50 countries across the Commonwealth. The ACU is the world's oldest international network of universities. Its mission is t ...
,
International Association of Universities
The International Association of Universities (IAU) is a membership-led non-governmental organization working in the field of higher education. It comprises more than 600 higher education institutions and organizations in over 130 countries. IAU ...
, sporting_affiliations =
Sri Lanka University Games
The Sri Lanka University Games are a multi-sporting event held between public universities in Sri Lanka.
History
Inter-University sports championships have been organized since the latter part of the 1950s. The first University Sports Festival w ...
,
The University of Colombo (informally Colombo University or UoC) is a
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...
research university
A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kn ...
located primarily in
Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...
, Sri Lanka. It is the oldest institution of modern higher education in Sri Lanka. Specialised in the fields of
natural
Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans ar ...
,
social
Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not.
Etymology
The word "social" derives from ...
, and
applied sciences
Applied science is the use of the scientific method and knowledge obtained via conclusions from the method to attain practical goals. It includes a broad range of disciplines such as engineering and medicine. Applied science is often contrasted ...
as well as
mathematics
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
,
computer sciences
Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines (including ...
, and
law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
. It is ranked among the top 10 universities in South Asia.
The University of Colombo was founded in 1921 as ''University College Colombo'', affiliated to the
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degr ...
. Degrees were issued to its students from 1923 onwards. The university traces its roots to 1870 when the ''Ceylon Medical School'' was established.
["About University of Colombo"](_blank)
UoC has produced
notable alumni
Notability is the property
of being worthy of notice, having fame, or being considered to be of a high degree of interest, significance, or distinction. It also refers to the capacity to be such. Persons who are notable due to public responsibi ...
in the fields of science, law, economics, business, literature, and politics.
Overview
The university is a state university, with most of its funding coming from the central government via the
University Grants Commission (UGC). Therefore, as with all other state universities in Sri Lanka, the UGC recommends its vice-chancellor for appointment by the
President of Sri Lanka
The President of Sri Lanka ( si, ශ්රී ලංකා ජනාධිපති ''Śrī Laṃkā Janādhipathi''; ta, இலங்கை சனாதிபதி ''Ilankai janātipati'') is the head of state and head of government of t ...
and makes appointments of its administrative staff. Its motto is "''Buddhih Sarvatra Bhrajate''", which means "Wisdom shines forth everywhere" in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...
.
With a student population of over 11,000, the university is made up of seven
faculties with 43
academic department
An academic department is a division of a university or school faculty devoted to a particular academic discipline. This article covers United States usage at the university level. In the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries, universit ...
s and eight other institutions. Most faculties offer both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, with some offering courses for external students and distance-learning programs.
Location
The university occupies an estate of in the heart of the city of Colombo known as
Cinnamon Gardens
Cinnamon Gardens ( si, කුරුඳු වත්ත ''Kurundu Vaththa'', ta, கறுவாத் தோட்டம்) is an affluent neighbourhood in Colombo, Sri Lanka located 3 kilometers south-east from Colombo's centre. Cinnamon Gar ...
. The administrative center of the university is the
College House, which houses the office of the vice-chancellor. Its period architecture is a city landmark.
The College House, the
Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) and the
Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IBMBB) are located along
Kumarathunga Munidasa Mawatha (formally Thurstan Road) between Queens Road and the
India House
India House was a student residence that existed between 1905 and 1910 at Cromwell Avenue in Highgate, North London. With the patronage of lawyer Shyamji Krishna Varma, it was opened to promote nationalist views among Indian students in Britai ...
. Situated between the
Thurstan Road and Reed Avenue is the iconic
Old Royal College Building,
King George Hall, New Arts Theatre, sports ground along with the buildings of the science faculty and the
University of Colombo School of Computing
The University of Colombo currently has seven faculties with 41 academic departments and two interdependent schools with five academic departments. All faculties and schools carries out courses of study and research in both graduate and undergradu ...
(UCSC). On the other side of the Reed Avenue is the
university library
An academic library is a library that is attached to a higher education institution and serves two complementary purposes: to support the curriculum and the research of the university faculty and students. It is unknown how many academic libra ...
flanked by the arts and law faculty buildings along with the gymnasium.
The estate includes several properties outside Cinnamon Gardens, such as the
Faculty of Medicine
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...
which is located at Kynsey Road opposite the
Colombo General Hospital
The National Hospital of Sri Lanka (sometimes General Hospital) is a government hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Founded in 1864 as the General Hospital, it is the leading hospital in Sri Lanka and is controlled by the central government. The hospi ...
in close proximity to the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine located at Norris Canal Road. The Institute of Indigenous Medicine is located in the suburbs of Colombo in
Nawala
Nawala is an up-market residential Suburb of Colombo, within the Kotte municipality in the western province of Sri Lanka and is approximately 6km south from Colombo City.
Nawala lies between the Commercial Capital Colombo and the Administrativ ...
. In addition, there are several properties outside Colombo, including the Sri Palee Campus in Wewala,
Horana
Horana ( si, හොරණ, , ta, ஹொரணை) is a town in Kalutara District, in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. It is on the A8 highway between Panadura and Ratnapura, away from Ratnapura and away from Panadura. Horana is connected ...
and the Institute of Agro Technology and Rural Science in
Hambantota
Hambantota ( si, හම්බන්තොට, ta, அம்பாந்தோட்டை) is the main town in Hambantota District, Southern Province, Sri LankaThe prominent Malays (මැලේ) most part of the population is to be partly de ...
.
History
Ceylon Medical College
The origins of the University of Colombo begins with the establishment of the ''Ceylon Medical School'' in June 1870, it was the second European medical school to be established in South Asia. In 1880 the school was raised to the status of college, thus becoming the
Ceylon Medical College
Ceylon Medical College was a public medical school in Ceylon. The college was established in 1870 as the Colombo Medical School. The college was based in Colombo. The college was merged with Ceylon University College in 1942 to form the University ...
which permitted it to award the
Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery (LMS) which continued until the late 1940s. In 1889, the college was recognised by the
General Medical Council
The General Medical Council (GMC) is a public body that maintains the official register of medical practitioners within the United Kingdom. Its chief responsibility is to "protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the public" by ...
of the United Kingdom when holders of its license became eligible to practice in Great Britain.
Ceylon University College
The Ceylon University Association (CUA) was formed in 1906 by a group of western educated elite including
Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam,
Sir James Peiris and
Sir Marcus Fernando.
[Sir James Peiris (Public Life)](_blank)
by L.J.M. Cooray (Ourcivilisation Web), Retrieved on 28 November 2014 Owing to the persistent demands of the CUA the
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government i ...
decided in 1913 to set up a
University college
In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...
.
Arguments regarding the nature and status of the institution to be set up, its location, and the outset of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
halted the establishment process until 1920 when the government purchased a private mansion called the ''Regina Walawwa'' which later came to be known as ''
College House'' for the purpose of setting up the University College under the recommendations of
Sir Edward Denham
Sir Edward Brandis Denham (1876 – 2 Jun 1938) was a British colonial administrator. He served as Governor of the Gambia (1928–1930), British Guiana (1930–1935) and Jamaica (1935–1938).
Life
Edward Brandis Denham was educated at Ma ...
.
The
Ceylon University College
Ceylon University College was a public university college in Ceylon. Established in 1921, it was Ceylon's first attempt at university education. The college didn't award degrees under its own name but prepared students to sit the University of Lo ...
was formally declared open in January 1921 in the building that was originally the main building of
Royal College Colombo located on
Kumarathunga Munidasa Mawatha (formally Thurstan Road) opposite College House. The University College was affiliated to the
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degr ...
and prepared students for
University of London external degrees which were jointly examined. Even though this fell short of a full university for Ceylon, it proved a platform to develop the academia required for a university. It had two departments: Arts and Science.
University of Ceylon
The
University of Ceylon
The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka (earlier Ceylon) from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the Unive ...
was established on 1 July 1942 by the Ceylon University Ordinance No.20 of 1942 which was passed by the
State Council of Ceylon
The State Council of Ceylon was the unicameral legislature for Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), established in 1931 by the Donoughmore Constitution. The State Council gave universal adult franchise to the people of the colony for the first time. It re ...
amidst
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
and threat of Japanese invasion. The Ceylon University College and the Ceylon Medical College were combined to form the University of Ceylon, with its administration based at College House and ability to grant its own degrees. The two departments of Arts and Science of the University College were upgraded to faculties, the Medical College became the faculty of medicine and a new faculty of Oriental Studies was established at Cruden House. The university library was based at Villa Venezia in Queens Road. Residential facilities were provided at the Union Hostel with three
halls of residence Jayatilleke and Arunachalam based at Guildford Crescent and Queens Hall (Q Hall or Women's hostel) along with two other hostels named Brodie and Aquinas.
Following the completion of new buildings at
Peradeniya
Peradeniya ( si, පේරාදෙණිය, translit=Pēradeniya; ta, பேராதனை, translit=Pērātaṉai) is a suburb of the city of Kandy, about 30,000 inhabitants in Sri Lanka. It is situated on the A1 main road, just a few kil ...
, departments of Law and Agriculture and department of Veterinary Science, were transferred out of Colombo to Peradeniya in 1949, however the department of law was brought back to Colombo in 1965. Later in 1952, the faculties of Arts and Oriental Studies were moved to Peradeniya too along with sections of the university administration and library. Two halls of residence, Jayatilleke hall and Arunachalam hall were transferred to Peradeniya too. A
Faculty of Engineering was established in 1950 was later transferred to Peradeniya in 1965.
Sections of the University of Ceylon, functioned in Colombo and Peradeniya acted as campuses of the same university until 1966. But in 1966, these campuses were split into two. The section located in Colombo was known as the University of Ceylon, Colombo, while the section located in Peradeniya was known as University of Ceylon, Peradeniya.
University of Ceylon, Colombo Campus
The announcement of the creation of a separate university in Colombo was made in
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
in the
Throne Speech
A speech from the throne, or throne speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign, or a representative thereof, reads a prepared speech to members of the nation's legislature when a session is opened, outlining th ...
of 1967. The necessary legislation for this purpose had been prepared by the Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs under section 34 of the Higher Education Act No. 20 of 1966 on the recommendation of the National Council of Higher Education. The new institution, which came into existence on 1 October 1967 with the Colombo Campus as its nucleus, had a student population of nearly 5000 reading for degrees in arts, law, the sciences and medicine, and a teaching staff of nearly 300.
The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, which replaced the Higher Education Act of 1966 altered the university structure. The four independent autonomous universities (University of Ceylon, Peradeniya, University of Ceylon, Colombo,
Vidyodaya University and Vidyalankara University) which had been set up by then and the Ceylon College of Technology at Katubedda became campuses of a single university styled the
University of Sri Lanka. Its headquarters designated ''
Senate House'' was located in Colombo. This arrangement did not last very long. With the promulgation of the Universities Act. No 16 of 1978, university status was again restored to the Campuses and the Colombo Campus of the University of Sri Lanka was renamed the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
University of Colombo
Under the Universities Act No. 16, 1978, the University of Sri Lanka was split into six independent, autonomous universities as University of Colombo,
University of Peradeniya
The University of Peradeniya ( si, පේරාදෙණිය විශ්වවිද්යාලය, ta, பேராதனைப் பல்கலைக்கழகம்) is a public university in Sri Lanka, funded by the University ...
,
University of Sri Jayewardenepura,
University of Kelaniya,
University of Moratuwa and
University of Jaffna
The University of Jaffna ( ta, யாழ்ப்பாணப் பல்கலைக்கழகம், translit=Yāḻppāṇap Palkalaikkaḻakam; si, යාපනය විශ්වවිද්යාලය, ''Yāpanaya Viśvavidyālaya''; ...
. This Act brought back some of the central features of the Ceylon University Ordinance of 1942 such as the Senates, the Councils, and Courts.
In 1978 the University of Colombo had Faculties of Medicine, Arts, Science, Education and Law. In the gradual expansion that followed in the 1980s, a Faculty of Management and Finance was established as well as Faculty of Graduate Studies was created by an Ordinance of the UGC in 1987. The Sri Palee Campus of the university was established by a Gazette notification in 1996. In 1978, the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, the Institute of Workers' Education and the Institute of Indigenous medicine were affiliated with the University of Colombo. The Institute of Computer Technology (ICT) was established in 1987 which became the Computer School in 2002.
Governance and administration
The UoC is a
state university
A state university system in the United States is a group of public universities supported by an individual state, territory or federal district. These systems constitute the majority of public-funded universities in the country.
State univer ...
and depends on the government for much of its annual grant, which is provided by the
University Grants Commission (UGC). Due to this, its administration is heavily influenced by the UGC. Undergraduate education is completely free. The Governance of the university is under the provisions of the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978 and the Universities (Amendment) Act No. 7 of 1985 along with its own by-laws.
The university's administration is based upon that of the former
University of Ceylon
The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka (earlier Ceylon) from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the Unive ...
consisting of a dual structure of bodies: the council (formally known as the
University Court which is the governing body) and the
Academic Senate (academic affairs).
Much of the appointments to officers and faculty are carried out by these bodies, however on the recommendations of the UGC.
Officers of the university
;Chancellor
The
Chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
is the head of the university and awards all
degrees, although most duties are carried out by the Vice-Chancellor. The appointment is made by the
President of Sri Lanka
The President of Sri Lanka ( si, ශ්රී ලංකා ජනාධිපති ''Śrī Laṃkā Janādhipathi''; ta, இலங்கை சனாதிபதி ''Ilankai janātipati'') is the head of state and head of government of t ...
, to a distinguished person in academics, clergy or in the civil society. The chancellor is
Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero.
;Vice-Chancellor
Day-to-day management of the university is undertaken by the
Vice-Chancellor
A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system.
In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor ...
, appointed by the
President of Sri Lanka
The President of Sri Lanka ( si, ශ්රී ලංකා ජනාධිපති ''Śrī Laṃkā Janādhipathi''; ta, இலங்கை சனாதிபதி ''Ilankai janātipati'') is the head of state and head of government of t ...
. The Vice-Chancellor is Senior Professor Chandrika Wijeratne.
;Rector
The Rector is head of the
Sri Palee Campus, thus undertakes its management, appointed by the Vice-Chancellor. The Rector of the Sri Palee Campus is Dr Ranjan Hettiarachchi.
Organisation
The University of Colombo has seven
faculties of study. These faculties contain 41
academic department
An academic department is a division of a university or school faculty devoted to a particular academic discipline. This article covers United States usage at the university level. In the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries, universit ...
s in addition to the faculties it has a small campus and a computer school that contain five academic departments of their own. In addition, the university has six institutions and five affiliated centres. At the beginning, it had only four of the current faculties, namely; the
Faculty of Law
A faculty is a division within a university or college comprising one subject area or a group of related subject areas, possibly also delimited by level (e.g. undergraduate). In American usage such divisions are generally referred to as colleges ...
, the
Faculty of Medicine
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...
, the Faculty of Education and the
Faculty of Science
Faculty may refer to:
* Faculty (academic staff), the academic staff of a university (North American usage)
* Faculty (division), a division within a university (usage outside of the United States)
* Faculty (instrument), an instrument or warrant ...
. Since then, three other faculties have been added. The latest addition is the
University of Colombo School of Computing
The University of Colombo currently has seven faculties with 41 academic departments and two interdependent schools with five academic departments. All faculties and schools carries out courses of study and research in both graduate and undergradu ...
which was established in 2002
There are six postgraduate institutions affiliated, three of which are located on campus. These include the
Postgraduate Institute of Medicine
The Postgraduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM) of the University of Colombo is the graduate school
Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post- ...
, the only institution in the country that provides specialist training of medical doctors. The
Colombo Planetarium and the
Colombo Observatory are located within the main campus of the university.
University Library
University of Colombo library is a centrally-administered network of libraries of the university primary made up of the main library and two branch libraries. It is the oldest academic library in the country since its constituent Colombo Medical College library was established in 1870. Containing 400,000 plus items, it is one of the largest libraries in the country. Two branches of the library are established in faculties in the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Science. The ''Ceylon Collection'' and the ''Rare Collection'' contains large number of important documents and books including a large
palm-leaf manuscript collection.
Publications
The UoC publishes some of the key
academic journals
An academic journal or scholarly journal is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as permanent and transparent forums for the presentation, scrutiny, and ...
in the country.
* University of Colombo Review
*
The Ceylon Journal of Medical Science
* Sri Lanka Journal of International Law
* International Journal on Advances in ICT for Emerging Regions
* Sri Lanka Journal of Bio-Medical Informatics
* Sri Lanka Journal of Critical Care
International collaborations
UoC has established international links with universities around the world. Such links would be traced as far back as 1921 when the University College Colombo established close links to the
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degr ...
. Modern links have led to several global partnerships that have resulted in exchange in teaching and learning models, collaborative research, curriculum design, and student exchange.
The International Unit of the University of Colombo (IUUC) coordinates and develops international links. IUUC facilitates staff exchanges, distance learning, dual degree programs, joint conferences, seminars, workshops and academic networking.
Global networking
UoC is a member of several international academic networks:
*
Asian Universities Alliance (AUA)
*
Association of Commonwealth Universities
The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) was established in 1913, and has over 500 member institutions in over 50 countries across the Commonwealth. The ACU is the world's oldest international network of universities. Its mission is t ...
(ACU)
*
Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning
Association may refer to:
*Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal
* Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry
* Voluntary associat ...
(ASAIHL)
*
International Association of Universities
The International Association of Universities (IAU) is a membership-led non-governmental organization working in the field of higher education. It comprises more than 600 higher education institutions and organizations in over 130 countries. IAU ...
(IAU)
International teaching and research partners
*
La Trobe University
La Trobe University is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its main campus is located in the suburb of Bundoora. The university was established in 1964, becoming the third university in the state of Victoria a ...
, Australia
*
Western Sydney University
Western Sydney University, formerly the University of Western Sydney, is an Australian multi-campus university in the Greater Western region of Sydney, Australia. The university in its current form was founded in 1989 as a federated network ...
, Australia
*
Monash University
Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university has ...
, Australia
*
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top thr ...
, Canada
*
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa (french: Université d'Ottawa), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ottaw ...
, Canada
*
Darmstadt University of Technology, Germany
*
City University of Hong Kong
City University of Hong Kong (CityU) is a world-class public research university located in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1984 as City Polytechnic of Hong Kong and became a fully accredited university in 1994. Currently, CityU is ...
, Hong Kong
*
Mahatma Gandhi University, India
*
Ritsumeikan University
is a private university in Kyoto, Japan, that traces its origin to 1869. With the Kinugasa Campus (KIC) in Kyoto, and Kyoto Prefecture, the university also has a satellite called Biwako-Kusatsu Campus (BKC) and Osaka-Ibaraki Campus (OIC).
Tod ...
, Japan
*
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...
, Norway
*
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest autonomous university in th ...
, Singapore
*
University of Uppsala
Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation.
The university rose to significance during ...
, Sweden
*
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degr ...
, United Kingdom
*
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest- ...
, United States
Government partnerships
*
European Molecular Biology Network
*
Government of Sweden
The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden ( sv, Konungariket Sveriges regering) is the national cabinet of Sweden, and the country's executive authority.
The Government consists of the Prime Ministerappointed and dismissed by the Speaker of the ...
– research Cooperation: SAREC Project
*
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency ( sv, Styrelsen för internationellt utvecklingssamarbete, ) is a government agency of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Sida is responsible for organization of the bulk of Swed ...
(SIDA)
*
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
(UNDP) – Research co-operation
Student life
;Student organizations
Over 10,000 students attend the University of Colombo and others follow external degree programs conducted by the university. Students at the University of Colombo run over 40
clubs and organizations, including cultural and religious groups, academic clubs and teams, and common-interest organizations. Each faculty has its own
Students Unions, where committee members are elected to by the students of the faculty. These student societies include:
* Arts Students' Union
* Medical Students' Union
* Science Faculty Students' Council
* Moot Court and Debating Society, Faculty of Law
* Law Students' Union
* UCSC Students' Union
* Religious Societies
** Buddhist Students' Association
** Muslim Majlis
** Hindu Students' Union
** Catholic Students' Movement
** Student Christian Movement
* FMF Media Unit - Faculty of Management and Finance Media Unit
* AIESEC Colombo Central Local Committee
* Epsilon Delta Society
* Rotaract Club
* Computer Science Society (CompSoc)
* UCSC ISACA Student Group
* Tamil Literary Union
* Mathematical and Astronomical Society
* Physics Society
* FOS Media - Faculty of Science Media Unit
* University Amalgamated Club
Residential facilities
Since its inception, the University of Colombo has maintained residential facilities for its undergraduate students. This has been an integral part of the urban university culture of the UoC. Some of the early residential halls that were part of the ''Union Hostal'' which was based in Colombo were moved to Peradeniya in the 1950s, these residential halls function independently now. Currently, the university has seven
student hostels along with several houses leased on a temporary basis which is administrated by the ''Student's Center''. These hostels provide accommodation for 2973 undergraduate students annually. Residential facilities for academics and visiting faculty are provided both on and off campus.
;Men
* De Saram Hostel
* Bloemfontein Medical Hostel
* The Lamela Hostel
* Kithyakara Hostel
;Women
* Sujata Jayawardena Memorial Hostel
* Muttiah Hostel
* Havelock Road Hostel
Clubs and sports
In the university, there are forty-three
Students' societies and associations functioning in the university engaging in activities and interests. The university has a strong
Rotaract
Rotaract originally began as a Rotary International
Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goo ...
movement with clubs established in three faculties.
Sports activities of the university are implemented by the Department of Physical Education via the ''University Amalgamated Club''. The Amalgamated Club includes 29 Captains and Vice-Captains of the major sports played by the UoC at an inter-university level. The Amalgamated club's strong movement to the university sports can be seen from 2006, under the president Sachitra Samarasinghe. The Sports Board is an advisory body to the Department of Physical Education. Annually the university takes part in the Inter-University sports Championships and the
University Games
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
. Within the university, itself inter-faculty tournaments and the University Championship are held and University Colours awarded. The UoC has links with many sports bodies such as
Sri Lanka Cricket
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is the governing body for cricket in Sri Lanka. It was first registered with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Sports as the Board of Cricket for Sri Lanka (BCCSL) on 30 June 1975 as a national sports body. The board was rename ...
, Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union, Tennis Association of Sri Lanka, Colombo Rowing Club, etc.
Facilities for most sports are provided within the university, with a gymnasium for indoor sports and the university sports ground for out door sports. The swimming and rowing team has use of the swimming pool of
Royal College Colombo and the
Colombo Rowing Club
The Colombo Rowing Club (commonly known as CRC) is the premier boat club in Sri Lanka having been founded in 1864. Its clubhouse and boat house are located on the edge of the northern Beira Lake, at Sir Chittapalam A. Gardiner Mawatha (formerly ...
facilities respectively.
The University of Colombo are the overall champions of the
Sri Lanka University Games
The Sri Lanka University Games are a multi-sporting event held between public universities in Sri Lanka.
History
Inter-University sports championships have been organized since the latter part of the 1950s. The first University Sports Festival w ...
which is held every four years among the public universities in Sri Lanka. The university is also the most successful in the games winning 8 out of the 10 championships since its inception in 1980.
Past Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors
Chancellors
*
University of Ceylon
The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka (earlier Ceylon) from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the Unive ...
** Sir
Andrew Caldecott
Sir Andrew Caldecott (26 October 1884 – 14 July 1951) was a British colonial administrator.
Early years
Andrew Caldecott was born on 26 October 1884 in Boxley, Kent, United Kingdom. He was the eldest child of Rev Andrew Caldecott and Isobel ...
(1942–44)
** Sir
Henry Monck-Mason Moore
Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore (18 March 1887 – 26 March 1964) was British Governor of British Sierra Leone, Kenya and Ceylon.
The son of Rev. Edward William Moore, he was educated at Rokeby, KCS, Wimbledon and Jesus College, Cambridge, gradu ...
(1944–49)
**
Lord Soulbury (1949–54)
** Sir
Oliver Goonetilleke
Sir Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke ( si, ශ්රිමත් ඔලිවර් ගුණතිලක) (20 October 1892 – 17 December 1978) was a Sri Lankan statesman. Having served as an important figure in the gradual independence of Cey ...
(1954–62)
**
William Gopallawa
William Gopallawa (, ; 17 September 1896 – 31 January 1981) was the last Governor-General of Ceylon from 1962 to 1972 and became the first and only non-executive and ceremonial President of Sri Lanka when Ceylon declared itself a republic in ...
(1962–72)
* University of Sri Lanka
**
William Gopallawa
William Gopallawa (, ; 17 September 1896 – 31 January 1981) was the last Governor-General of Ceylon from 1962 to 1972 and became the first and only non-executive and ceremonial President of Sri Lanka when Ceylon declared itself a republic in ...
(1972–78)
* University of Colombo
**
J.R. Jayewardene
Junius Richard Jayewardene ( si, ජුනියස් රිචඩ් ජයවර්ධන, ta, ஜூனியஸ் ரிச்சட் ஜயவர்தனா; 17 September 1906 – 1 November 1996), commonly abbreviated in Sri Lanka as ...
(1978–1981)
**
P.R. Anthonis
Deshamanya Polwattearachchige Romiel Anthonis FRCS (21 January 1911 – 17 December 2009), known as "P. R. Anthonis", was a leading Sri Lankan surgeon. He was Chancellor (education), Chancellor of the University of Colombo from 1981 to 2002.
Earl ...
(1981–2002)
**
Oswald Gomis (2002-2021)
**
Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero (17 November 2021 - Present)
Presidents
* Colombo Campus (1972–1977)
**
Osmund Jayaratne Vidya Jyothi Osmund Jayaratne (2 October 1924–September 2006) was Sri Lankan academic and politician. He was the President of the Colombo Campus, University of Sri Lanka (now the University of Colombo), Emeritus Professor of Physics. As a left w ...
**
M. B. Ariyapala
** P. P. G. L. Siriwardena
** Hiran Dias
Vice-Chancellors
* University College Colombo
** Robert Marrs (1922–1939)
** Sir
Ivor Jennings (1940–1942)
* University of Ceylon
** Sir
Ivor Jennings (1942–1954)
** Sir
Nicholas Attygalle
Sir Nicholas Attygalle (14 July 1894 – 27 March 1970) was a Ceylonese academic, surgeon and a Senator. He was the President of the Senate of Ceylon from 1953 to 1960 and the first Ceylonese Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ceylon, where h ...
(1954–1967)
** O.H. de A. Wijesekera (1967)
* University of Ceylon, Colombo
**
Walwin A. de Silva (1968–1969)
** B. A. Abeywickrema (1969–1972)
* University of Sri Lanka
** B. A. Abeywickrema (1972–1974)
**
L. H. Sumanadasa(1974)
** P. P. G. L. Siriwardena (1974–1978)
* University of Colombo
**
Stanley Wijesundera
Stanley Wijesundera was a Sri Lankan academic. A professor of Chemistry, he was the first vice chancellor of the University of Colombo from 1979 to 1989 and was the chairman of the Association of Commonwealth Universities from 1983 to 1984.
...
(1978–1988)
**
G. L. Peiris
Gamini Lakshman Peiris ( Sinhala: ගාමීණි ලක්ෂ්මණ් පීරිස්, Tamil: காமினி லக்ஷ்மன் பீரிஸ்) (born 13 August 1946) is a Sri Lankan politician and academic. He was the ...
(1988–1994)
**
Nandadasa Kodagoda
Deshamanya Professor Nandadasa Kodagoda MRCP, MD was the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo.
He was graduated as a Doctor of Medicine in 1956 and initially worked for government hospitals of Galle, Colombo, & Karawanella. L ...
(1994)
**
W. D. Lakshman
Deshamanya Weligamage Don Lakshman (commonly known as W. D. Lakshman) popularly known as Professor W. D. Lakshman is a Sri Lankan economist, professor, lecturer, academic and author who also served as the 15th Governor of the Central Bank of Sri ...
(1994–1999)
**
Savitri Goonesekere (1999–2002)
** T. Hettiarachchy (2002–2007)
**
Kshanika Hirimburegama
Sannas Mudiyanselage Kshanika Kumari Hirimburegama (known as Kshanika Hirimburegama) (born 1 January 1958) is a Sri Lankan academic. She was the 17th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Colombo. Prior to the appointment she was Head of the Depar ...
(2007–2013)
** W. K. Hirimburegama (2013–2015)
** Lakshman Dissanayake (2015-2019)
** Chandrika N. Wijayaratne (2019-2022)
Notable people
See also
*
List of split up universities
This is a list of universities which were split into more than one new institution. Over the history numerous higher education institutions were split up or some scholars left already established institutions and established new ones. Some of the ...
Further reading
*
Jennings, Sir Ivor ''The Road to Peradeniya'' (''Autobiography''),
References
External links
University of ColomboMap of UoC main campusComputer Science Society University of ColomboUniversity of Colombo rowingSri Palee Campus
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colombo, University of
Educational institutions established in 1921
Universities in Sri Lanka
Universities and colleges in Colombo
Statutory boards of Sri Lanka
1921 establishments in Ceylon