Awarded Doctorate

Nadira Gunatilleke

Prof. Tissa Kariyawasam will be awarded a Doctorate of Literature by the University of the Visual and Performing Arts on May 7 at the BMICH, Colombo during its second convocation.

He has been awarded this Honorary Causa for the service rendered by him towards the advancement of aesthetic studies and fine arts. He commenced his writing career at the age of 12. He authored the first ever Sinhala book on Mass Communication `Janasannivedana Praveshaya'. He has authored over 50 books so far. He is one of the best translators in Sri Lanka who has translated a number of books.

He obtained a Honours Degree in Sinhala from the University of Ceylon in 1964 and a Masters Degree in Anthropology from the same university in 1968 and then a PhD from the University of London 1973.

He was a former Chairman of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) and also the first Director of Aesthetic Studies, Institute of the University of Kelaniya. He held the post of Chairman of the National Library and Documentation Services Board (NLDSB). He became the Head of the Department of Sinhala and Mass Communications and was also the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, University of Sri Jayawardenepura in 1997.