Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya celebrates 60 years:

Invaluable intellectual experience

Prof S B Weerakoon Dean/Faculty of Engineering

The Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya celebrates this year its 60th anniversary from its inception in 1950. The Faculty is organizing several events including seminars, a mega engineering exhibition from September 16 to 22, release of special faculty publications and issuing of a postage stamp to commemorate its 60 years of service.

The first Faculty of Engineering in the country was established under the University of Ceylon on July 1, 1950. The permanent home of the new Faculty was to be located in the salubrious environment at Peradeniya, but until the necessary facilities were completed it was temporarily located in Colombo and the faculty functioned utilizing the laboratory facilities at the Ceylon Technical College.

It had three departments of study: Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. The new Faculty was given leadership by Professor E O E Pereira, the first Dean of the Faculty of Engineering. The intake of freshmen to the Faculty in 1950 was 25 and the degree of Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BScEng) was first awarded in 1953.

The site for the Engineering Faculty complex at Peradeniya was a six hectare block on the left bank of the Mahaweli River across which a bridge was built for cross to the rest of the Campus. The entire project with a floor area of about 18,500 square metres, was completed in 1964 and the move from Colombo took place.

The annual student intake to the Faculty was 150 by 1964. It was raised to 250 in 1978 and is currently 415. Today, the Faculty of Engineering excels as one of the eight Faculties of the University of Peradeniya, located in the idyllic setting at the foothills of the misty Hantana mountain range.

The Faculty maintains its long-standing reputation for excellence in engineering education. The nationally and internationally accredited curriculum of four-year full=time undergraduate degree program of the Faculty leads to the degree of bachelor of Science in Engineering (BScEng).

The curriculum has been planned to offer the student as rich engineering education through technical courses, non-technical courses of cross-disciplinary breadth, laboratory and design experience, project work, field work and industrial training. The first year is the General Program common to all students and the following three years are devoted to the Specialization Program in one of six specialization fields of engineering; Chemical and Process, Computer, Civil, Electrical and Electric, Mechanical and Production Engineering.

Over the last 60 years, the faculty has produced 9627 competent engineers (5297 Civil Engineers, 1680 Electrical and Electronic Engineers, 1255 Mechanical Engineers, 826 Production Engineers, 286 Chemical and Process Engineers and 283 Computer Engineers) for the nation as its major contribution to the national development.

The Faculty also has several full-time and part-time postgraduate programs leading to Diploma, MSc, MScEng, MPhil and PhD degrees. Postgraduate programs are greatly supported by collaborations with industry and several foreign universities.

The Faculty keeps abreast with advancing technologies through research and development activities, staff training, hosting international conferences and meetings. Students and staff closely work with the industry through consultancy services, research projects, testing services and offering short courses and training programs in various topics relevant to the industry.

The Faculty maintains strong liaison with the industries directly and through Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka and Peradeniya Engineering Faculty Alumni Association (PEFAA).

The academic programs and services are conducted by its seven established Departments of Study at the Faculty - Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Engineering Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering and Production Engineering and are supported by the Computing Centre, Engineering Library, Engineering Workshops, Electrical and Electronic Engineering Workshops, Engineering Education Unit, Industrial Training and Career Guidance Unit, English Langauge Teaching Unit, the Centre for Engineering Research and Postgraduate Studies and the Engineering Design Centre.

In this residential university, students are blessed with a conducive environment to nurture rich human qualities, to broaden their horizons by interacting with fellow student from other communities and other faculties while enjoying student life.

There are students from all parts of the country representing a wide cross section of society within this university. Moreover, engineering students have a proud tradition of active involvement in sports, societies, cultural activities and community service. Needless to say, all these provide an invaluable experience for the students in their future endeavours.

Also, this welcoming experience from the diverse cultural and intellectual climate undoubtedly moulds them to live in harmony in our pluralistic society respecting social and cultural values, and to be ethical citizens of Sri Lanka.