University of Peradeniya contributing knowledge-based society

Prof. K. N. O. Dharmadasa

“No university in the world would have such a setting", exclaimed Sir Ivor Jennings, who seated on a tree stump on a hillock on the opposite bank of River Mahaveli, created in his mind's eye the buildings of the new university as they would dot the forest clad inclines of Lower Hantana range as envisaged by the site plan prepared by Sir Patrick Abercrombie. Eventually, the buildings designed according to national architectural tradition by the University Architect, Shirley De Alwis were to come up gradually one by one, the project getting completed in 1952.

Peradeniya University

Jennings made those memorable remark in early April 1941 and over 70 years have passed since that momentous day, when the man who was destined to be the founding father of our university virtually decided to carry the full weight of the building up of a new university for a country which had no such institution so far.

National mission

The task assigned to him was taken with a passionate commitment. Although he had undertaken and completed a variety of tasks during his illustrious career Peradeniya is undoubtedly his most enduring monument. Visiting Peradeniya in 1962, seven years after he left Sri Lanka having completed his mission, and addressing the university teachers who had hosted him for dinner he was to say "...I hope your university will go on developing and growing. You are heirs of the pioneers of 1952 and I hope you are looking after the property really well in the tradition of all other universities. You have the foundations here of an excellent university."

The University of Ceylon, as decided by the State Council on September 30, 1938, was to be unitary and residential and it was to be sited at Peradeniya, hallowed by memories of a small principality from whence emerged Wimaladharmasuriya I, the founder of the dynasty in Senkadagala Pura, the last bastion of Sri Lankan kingship before this island became a colony of the British Empire in 1815.

The University of Ceylon founded on July 1, 1942 at the Thurstan Road site in Colombo was shifted in stages to Peradeniya and the task was completed on October 6, 1952 with the shifting of the office of the Vice Chancellor. Settled in its site of destiny, Peradeniya grew from strength to strength, taking the lead in the creation of new knowledge, the dissemination of knowledge as well as in fulfilling a national mission in the field of the arts.

Prof Ediriweera Sarchchandra, who became a household name during his distinguished career as a Peradeniya academic was to write, "If ever a community of young and old sought the tranquility and inspiration of a natural environment in which to engage themselves in the pursuit of knowledge, they could not have found a place where nature was more kindly or more anxious to please them than the valley of Peradeniya."

As hoped for by the founder Vice Chancellor, Peradeniya has grown vigorously during the past six decades. While there were six faculties during the 1950s, Oriental Studies, Arts, Medicine (in Colombo), Science (in Colombo), Engineering (1950 in Colombo) Agriculture and Veterinary Science (1954), there were many changes in the following years. Other faculties were shifted, new faculties were created and some faculties were re-designed, amalgamating existing units to create new ones.

Thus by 2012 there are eight Faculties in all. The growth occurred in stages: the Faculty of Engineering was shifted in toto to a specially designed site on the left bank of the Mahaveli in 1964.

International recognition

Peradeniya established its own Faculties of Medicine and Science in 1961, both of them separating from the Colombo counterparts with a separate University of Colombo coming up in 1967.

Subsequently, in 1972, there was an amalgamation of Arts and Oriental Studies forming one Faculty of Arts while Agriculture and Veterinary Studies were separated creating the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science in 1980 and in 1986 Medicine and Dental Sciences were separated creating the new Faculty of Dental Sciences. The Faculty of Allied Health Sciences was created in 2006 thus bringing the total number of Faculties to eight.

The magnitude of the expansion can be seen more clearly in the number of Departments of Study that have come up during this time. In place of the 18 Departments in 1942, there are 76 Departments in 2012. Furthermore, there are two post-graduate institutes which are very active and are well known for their academic excellence. The older of them is the Post-graduate Institute of Agriculture and the second is the Post-graduate Institute of Science.

In addition there are four Centres catering to various academic needs, namely, The Centre for the Study of Human Rights, The Information Technology Centre, The Centre or Distant and Continuing Education, and The Centre for Environmental Studies. All these contribute to make Peradeniya the largest university in the island, with the greatest variety of disciplines of study.

When it comes to the production of new knowledge Peradeniya has again excelled. During the past decades Peradeniya academics have received national and international recognition for their excellent academic achievements and the production of new knowledge. This lead is continuing as the the Annual Research Sessions held every year in the campus has indicated for a long time. At the last Annual Research Sessions held on November 24, 2011 there were a total of 119 paper presentations and 19 posters covering a wide range of subject areas. Thus there were 13 papers on Education, , 25 papers on Engineering, 17 papers on Food, Nutrition and Livestock, 46 papers on Health and Hygine, 13 papers on Information Technology,Mathematics and Statistics, 34 papers on Natural Sciences 26 papers on Plant Science and Forestry and 25 papers on the Social Sciences and the Humanities. It is noteworthy that from last year onwards research presentations have been several different inter-disciplinary themes, as opposed to the traditional grouping according to Faculties.

The aim of this novel approach, which follows recent global trends, and for which Peradeniya is an ideal venue with the Faculties placed in close proximity, better interaction and exchange of ideas and talents will be fostered among staff and students of the different disciplines of all Faculties. Such inter-disciplinary collaboration has been visible during the last two years, in several instances. Again, on December 16 and 17, 2011, the Arts Faculty hosted an International Conference Social Sciences and Humanities which attracted a considerable number of academics from other universities in Sri Lanka and abroad.

A total of 34 papers were presented during these two days and the sessions included three Keynote Addresses by well-known scholars. Another highly significant event held recently was the Commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of the Peradeniya Medical Faculty. A three day festival was organized for January 3, 4 and 5, 2012. One of the most noteworthy events in these celebrations was the research session in which 50 papers were dead and discussed. Also, there was an international seminar in which a large number of the medical faculty alumni living and working abroad took part.

Thus Peradeniya is fulfilling its mission “to contribute to the development of a knowledge based society with social sensitivity, ethical rectitude and economic prosperity through education, research , dissemination of knowledge and active participation in national policy formulation and development in an efficiently managed , intellectually stimulating and harmonious university environment”. This mission has been accomplished with great success down the years. All the universities that came up in the island subsequently have been manned initially by the alumni of this primary seat of higher learning. And, the administrative, educational and legal structures of post independent Sri Lanka were run most efficiently at the initial stages because of the highly accomplished products of Peradeniya. For over 60 years, Peradeniya has been producing graduates who have fulfilled the manpower needs of the newly independent nation and its products have been the life-blood of the administrative, technological, medical and educational structures of the country. Peradeniya in many senses remains to date as primus inter pares in the university system in Sri Lanka.