Keerthisinghe new President University of Colombo Alumni Association

Chaminda Perera

Senior lawyer Lakshman Indranath Keerthisinghe was appointed new President of Alumni Association of the University of Colombo at its 35th Annual General Meeting held at OPA auditorium last Friday.

The Association was established by former Vice Chancellor of the University, the Late Prof Stanley Wijesundera.

The Executive Committee of the Association nominated the office bearers including the president for the year 2013-2014 at a meeting held on June 10 and the nominees were declared by Immediate Past President P. W. Senaratne.

Other office bearers were Immediate Past President P. W. Senaratne, Ex-Officio and Vice President Dr. W. K. Hiriburegama, Vice President II Rajeev Amarasuriya , Secretary Suranjani Wickremeratne and Treasurer Mahesha Amarasuriya. New President of the Association senior Lawyer Lakshman Keerthisinghe stressed that alumni is a strength to any academic institution in the world and stressed the importance of catering the needs of alumni members too. He said that academic institutions cannot survive without having alumni. "I think we are not catering to the needs of to our own members and there is no welfare measures done to our own members", he said.

The New President added that he hoped to build a recreation centre for the benefit of its members. He said that his dream to open a alumni recreation centre for the university will become a reality, if a space nor less than 8,000 square meters are provided by the University management.

"We can have a conference room at this facility, few computers through which our members can surf internet and a mini library at this centre," he said.

Keerthisinghe said it can be a meeting point where our members are able to reminisce the good old days at university. He added that the Colombo University Alumni Association has three overseas chapters in Canada, the United States and Australia and hoped that these associations would also help in this endevour.

Keerthisinghe added that a donation form is available in the Association website for the members and the members of the public to make their donation. Immediate Past President P. W. Senaratne said the Alumni Association under his stewardship paid special focus on the educational aspect of the undergraduates of the University.

He lamented over the lack of enthusiasm among the young graduates to join the Association. "Many young graduates when asked why they did not join the Association say that they do get nothing by obtaining the membership of the Association," he said.

Senaratne added that university education helped them achieve success. He said that the members of the learned community has to play a vigorous role for the country.

Senaratne thanked all those who supported him to perform his duties as Association President. Vice Chancellor of the Colombo University Dr. W. K. Hiriburegama said that he would discuss with the dean of management faculty and allocate a suitable building to establish the alumni recreation centre.