Background

@ University of Ruhuna

The University of Ruhuna that was established in August, 1978 as Ruhuna University College (RUC) would be completing 25 years this year. It started in a very humble way with four faculties namely, Agriculture, Humanities and Social Sciences, Medicine and Science, was housed in the Technical College buildings at Meddawatte, Matara with only about 40 academics, 50 non-academics and 275 students. A new building complex for the university was designed by the world-renowned architect Geoffry Bawa and was constructed at Wellamadama with a unique architectural landscape. The RUC was shifted to the new premises in 1984 following which it was elevated to full university status.

During the past twenty five years, it has witnessed considerable progress and development in the academic, research and out-reach spheres with substantial improvement in intellectual and infrastructure resources, and has now emerged as a leader of higher education in Sri Lanka. Presently, it has five faculties, including Engineering with a total of 450 academics, about 800 non-academics and about 5000 students. To date, it has produced about 10,000 graduates and over 75 postgraduates and currently around 100 postgraduate students are pursuing masters and doctoral programmes at the university in various disciplines that are of particular relevance to the development of the region in particular and the country in general.

The University is responding to the needs of the country and will be establishing two new faculties this year, namely Faculty of Management and Finance and the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences - the first of its kind in Sri Lanka. This will further add to the stature and recognition of the university. Thus by mid 2003, the University will have seven faculties, which is equal to the number of faculties at the University of Peradeniya, the largest university in Sri Lanka.

Establishment of a business incubator with strategic partnership with industry creating an entrepreneurial culture among the students, setting up of a Resource Centre for Modern Languages equipped with the state-of-the-art in ICT to offer languages such as Tamil, Japanese, French, German, Russian, etc. and establishment of a service laboratory to provide analytical services and testing facilities to the pubic and private sector institutions in the region are some of the recent noteworthy accomplishments of the university. 

The University is aspiring to be a true and effective partner in the regional development and is already in the process of mobilizing and channeling its intellectual and infrastructure resources for the development of the South with strong linkages being established with the community. To this end, it is also intended to launch Centres for Early Childhood Development, Lifelong Learning and Indigenous Knowledge and establish a Consultancy and Advisory Services arm shortly, catering to the needs of the community. Thus the university is being transformed to a "Communiversty", making it unique in the higher education landscape of the country.

With the above achievements and accomplishments to its credit, now the university is poised to celebrate its Silver Jubilee under a fitting theme "A new era of expanding intellectual horizons from Ruhuna" from 15 - 24, September 2003.