The University of Peradeniya (, ) is a

public university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

, funded by the University Grants Commission. It is the largest university in Sri Lanka, which was originally established as the

University of Ceylon The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka (earlier Ceylon) from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the Univ ...

in 1942. The university was officially opened on 20 April 1954, in the presence of

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

, by

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...

. The University of Peradeniya hosts nine faculties, four postgraduate institutes (including the newly added Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences), 20 centres and units, 73 departments, and teaches about 12,000 students in the fields of Medicine, Agriculture, Arts, Science, Engineering, Dental Sciences, Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Management, and Allied Health Sciences. It claims to have the largest government endowment by a higher education institution in Sri Lanka, based on its large staff and faculties/departments.

Location

The University of Peradeniya site touches the natural environment of the lower slopes of the

Hanthana mountain range The Hanthana Mountain Range lies in the central highlands of Sri Lanka, south-west of Kandy Kandy (, ; , ) is a major city located in the Central Province, Sri Lanka, Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhale ...

. The university is in the Central Province, from the centre of

Kandy Kandy (, ; , ) is a major city located in the Central Province, Sri Lanka, Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of ...

(the historic capital of the last kingdom of Sri Lanka) and about from

Colombo Colombo, ( ; , ; , ), is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is the ...

. The Botanic Gardens of Peradeniya is close by. The university spans nearly in the Mahaweli flood plain. Most of the area remains afforested. The climate around the university is mild, and the temperature fluctuates between . The main entrance to the university is through Galaha road. The Faculty of Engineering is on one side of the

Mahaweli River The Mahaweli River (, literally "Great Sandy River"; 'mahawali gangai'', is a long river, ranking as the longest river in Sri Lanka. It has a drainage basin of , the largest in the country, which covers almost one-fifth of the total area of the ...

and all other faculties are on the other side. The Akbar bridge links the two banks of the river. Considered as a marvel of civil engineering, it was designed by A. Thurairajah (Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, 1975–77 and 1982–85), and built by the first batch of the faculty, in the year of its inception. The Sarasavi Uyana railway station is on campus. Another

bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

known as Yaka Paalama links the railway to the other bank. Daily shuttle bus services operate from Kandy to Galaha junction and Kandy to the university. A separate sub-campus was established in 1968 at Mahailuppallama, North Central province for the

Faculty of Agriculture Faculty or faculties may refer to: Academia * Faculty (academic staff), professors, researchers, and teachers of a given university or college (North American usage) * Faculty (division), a large department of a university by field of study (us ...

. Separate residential facilities are provided to this sub-campus.

History

Beginnings

The proposal for the establishment of

, the first university of Sri Lanka (the predecessor of the University of Peradeniya) goes back to 1899. But no progress was seen until the formation of the Ceylon University Association in 1906 under the guidance of Sir

Ponnambalam Arunachalam Ponnambalam Arunachalam (; 14 September 1853 – 9 January 1924) was a Ceylonese civil servant and a member of the Executive Council of Ceylon and Legislative Council of Ceylon. Early life and family Arunachalam was born on 14 September 1853 ...

, Sir

James Peiris Sir James Peiris (20 December 1856 – 5 May 1930) was a prominent leader in the Sri Lankan independence movement, the first elected Vice-President of the Legislative Council of Ceylon and the first native Governor of Ceylon (Acting).

and Sir

Marcus Fernando Sir Hilarion Marcus Fernando, FRCP (21 October 1864 – 18 December 1936) was a pre-independence Ceylonese statesman, physician and banker. He was a member of both the executive council and legislative council, as well as the chairman of the S ...

. Its request for a European-style university in Sri Lanka was partially granted by the British rulers with the formation of Ceylon University College on 1 January 1921. The

University Council A university council may be the executive body of a university's governance system, an advisory body to the university president, or something in between in authority. In the United Kingdom and many other countries, the council is responsible for a ...

, through which the administration of the Ceylon University College was done, appointed committees to plan the academic activities of a future university. It made suggestions to build the university in Bullers Road (now Bauddhaloka Mawatha) in Colombo, but it was disputed by politicians. To resolve the conflict, the then

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Hugh Clifford appointed a committee headed by Justice M. T. Akbar on 20 December 1926. It suggested that the proposed university should be unitary, residential and outside Colombo. Another committee was appointed in 1928 with Sir Walter Buchanan-Riddel as chairman. The committee initially proposed a site at Uyanawatta, in the Dumbara Valley close to

. H. B. Lees, the Director of Public Works however proposed Mavilmada and Austin Woodeson, the Chief Architect recommended

Aruppola Aruppola is a suburb of Kandy, Sri Lanka. Aruppola is located about 4 kilometers from the heart of the Kandy City. Aruppola is popular for its government-funded Technical College. The population of Aruppola consists of mostly middle-class familie ...

, both on the Kandy side of the Dumbara Valley as better sites than Uyanawatta. Dr. Samuel Chelliah Paul and Andreas Nell pointed out the disadvantages of those sites and proposed a larger one at Peradeniya. In 1938 the government acquired the plot and developed an area about (out of ) to create the University Park. Although the site was acquired, no plans were made to establish the university until 1941. With the arrival of Sir

Ivor Jennings Sir William Ivor Jennings () (16 May 1903 – 19 December 1965) was a British lawyer and academic. He served as the Chancellor (education), vice chancellor of the University of Cambridge (1961–63) and the University of Ceylon (1942–55). E ...

, as the second principal of the Ceylon University College, establishment plans were put into effect. He stressed the urgent need to move the university to Peradeniya to the Minister of Education

C. W. W. Kannangara Dr. Cristopher William Wijekoon Kannangara (Sinhala language, Sinhala ආචාර්ය ක්‍රිස්ටෝෆර් විලියම් විජේකෝන් කන්නන්ගර; 18 October 1894 – 23 September 1969) was a ...

and took the initiative in the process. Thus he is considered the forefather of the University of Peradeniya.

1942 to 1952

In 1942, the

was created as the first unitary, residential, and autonomous university in Sri Lanka with its seat in Peradeniya, amalgamating Ceylon University College and the Medical College into a single unit with 55 academic staff members, 904 students in four faculties. But due to

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the construction of buildings started in 1946. Until then, the lectures and laboratory classes were conducted in the buildings obtained from the

Ceylon University College Ceylon University College was a public university college in Ceylon. Established in 1921, it was Ceylon's first attempt at university education. The college didn't award degrees under its own name but prepared students to sit the University of Lo ...

and the Ceylon Medical College in Colombo. Consultants Sir

Patrick Abercrombie Sir Leslie Patrick Abercrombie ( ; 6 June 1879 – 23 March 1957) was an English architect, urban designer and town planner. Abercrombie was an academic during most of his career, and prepared one city plan and several regional studies prior ...

and

Clifford Holliday Albert Clifford Holliday (1897–1960) M. Arch, Dip. C.D., F.R.I.B.A., M.T.P., was a British architect and town planner who worked in several places across the British Empire, including Mandatory Palestine, Ceylon and Gibraltar, as well as in ...

did the planning and layout of the university complex. The first phase of work constituted only the development of the left bank. The building of a bridge across the

, later known as the 'Akbar bridge', was planned by Prof. A Thurairajah. Transfer of the first batch of students, students from the Departments of Law and Agriculture and the third and fourth-year students of the Department of Veterinary Science, from Colombo to Peradeniya took place in 1949. Another major move took place in 1952, with the transfer of staff and students of the Faculties of Arts and Oriental Studies, together with the Main Library and the University Administration. This movement on 6 October 1952 marks the official establishment of the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya. In the initial stages, vice chancellor Jennings wanted to model British universities but met with resistance from students who opposed the changes. A special convocation of the

was held on 12 February 1948 at the temporary Convocation Hall in Peradeniya. His Royal Highness Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester laid the foundation stone for the convocation hall at Peradeniya on this occasion. Minister of Transport and Works

John Kotelawala General (Sri Lanka), General Sir John Lionel Kotelawala (; 4 April 1897 – 2 October 1980) was a Sri Lankan statesman, who served as the 3rd Prime Minister of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) from 1953 to 1956. Born to a wealthy landholding and mining f ...

while inviting the Royal Highness mentioned that the ideal of many educated Ceylonese to have a University in appropriate surroundings is now being realized. It will be an inspiration for generations to come. HRH The Duke of Gloucester received the honorary degree of the University of Ceylon as the first in the roll of distinguished graduates in Peradeniya and shared the honors of this convocation with Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake and Dr. Andreas Nell who first suggested that the University be established on the magnificent surroundings of Peradeniya. These prophetic words of HRH Prince Henry, are cherished by Peradeniya University Graduates to this date.

1952 to 1972

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at the University of Peradeniya

Although the buildings at Peradeniya were established in 1952, the official ceremony for its inception was held on 20 April 1954, with the participation of

. The government of Ceylon was keen to postpone the ceremony until Queen Elizabeth II could participate. Her visit was delayed by the death of

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

. During the Royal visit of Ceylon in 1954 His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh declared open the university in the presence of

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She had been queen regnant of 32 sovere ...

and His Excellency The Lord Soulbury,

Governor General of Ceylon The governor-general of Ceylon was the representative of the Ceylonese monarch in the Dominion of Ceylon from the country's independence in 1948 until it became the republic of Sri Lanka in 1972. History There were four governors-general. Sir ...

Opening plaque of the University of Peradeniya

The plaque displayed in remembrance of the proud visit of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in the Senate building built on 130 granite columns is a resemblance of a historical palace from the Polonnaruwa era. Sections of the University of Ceylon functioned in Colombo and Peradeniya acted as campuses of the same university until 1967. In 1967, these campuses were split into two. The section in Peradeniya was known as the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya, while the section in Colombo was known as the University of Ceylon, Colombo.

1972 to 1978

By the University Act No. 1 of 1972, four universities functioned a — Peradeniya,

, Vidyodaya and Vidyalankara and the Ceylon College of Technology, Katubedda, Moratuwa became five constituent campuses of a single structure – the University of Sri Lanka. It had one vice chancellor and five presidents for five campuses. Under this designation, the University of Ceylon – Peradeniya became the University of Sri Lanka – Peradeniya Campus. This designation prevailed until 1978.

1978 to the present

Under the Universities Act No. 16, 1978, the University of Sri Lanka was split into six independent, autonomous institutions as the University of Peradeniya,

University of Colombo The University of Colombo (informally Colombo University or UoC) is a Public University, public research university located primarily in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is the oldest institution of modern higher education in Sri Lanka. Specialised in t ...

University of Sri Jayewardenepura The University of Sri Jayewardenepura (also known as Jayawardhanapura University or USJ; , ) is a public university in Sri Lanka. It is in Gangodawila, Nugegoda, near Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, the country's administrative capital. It was form ...

University of Kelaniya The University of Kelaniya (UoK; , ) is a public university in Sri Lanka. Just outside the municipal limits of Colombo, in the city of Kelaniya, the university has two major institutions and seven faculties. History The University of Kelaniy ...

University of Moratuwa The University of Moratuwa (also referred as Moratuwa University) ( ''Moraṭuwa Wiśwawidyālaya'', ) is a public university in Sri Lanka. It is located on the bank of the Bolgoda Lake in Katubedda, Moratuwa, a suburb of Sri Lanka's capital C ...

and

University of Jaffna The University of Jaffna (, ''Yāpanaya Wiśwawidyālaya''; ; abbreviated UoJ) is a public university in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Established in 1974 as the sixth campus of the University of Sri Lanka, it became an independent, autonomous university in 1 ...

. This Act brought back some of the central features of the Ceylon University Ordinance of 1942 such as the senates, the councils and courts.

Governance and administration

The University of Peradeniya operates under the provisions of the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978 and the Universities (Amendment) Act No. 7 of 1985. It is a

state university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...

and the undergraduate study is 100% free. Therefore, it depends on the government for much of its annual grant, which is provided by the University Grants Commission (UGC). Due to this, its administration is heavily influenced by the UGC. The administration is based upon that of the former

consisting of a dual structure of bodies: the council (formally known as the

University Court A university court is an administrative body of a university in the United Kingdom and other countries. In most older universities of England and Wales, the court is part of the governance structure and acts as a forum for local stakeholders from ...

which is the governing body) and the

Academic Senate An academic senate, sometimes termed faculty senate, academic board or simply senate, is a governing body in some universities and colleges, typically with responsibility for academic matters and primarily drawing its membership from the academic ...

(academic affairs).

Officers

;

Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

The chancellor is the head of the university and is responsible for awarding all the

academic degree An academic degree is a qualification awarded to a student upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions often offer degrees at various levels, usually divided into und ...

s. Usually, the chancellor is a distinguished person in an

academic discipline An academic discipline or academic field is a subdivision of knowledge that is taught and researched at the college or university level. Disciplines are defined (in part) and recognized by the academic journals in which research is published, a ...

. Otherwise, it is a member of the clergy or a distinguished person from civil society. The

President of Sri Lanka The president of Sri Lanka ( ''Śrī Laṅkā Janādhipati''; ''Ilaṇkai janātipati'') is the head of state and head of government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The president is the chief executive of the union governm ...

appoints the chancellor. The position is mainly ceremonial and duties are usually carried out by the vice-chancellor. The current chancellor of the university is Prof. Gerald Peiris. ;

Vice chancellor A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth countr ...

The vice chancellor is the '' de facto'' principal academic and administrative officer of the university, responsible for management tasks. This appointment is also done by the

. The current vice chancellor is Prof.W.M.T Madhujith , who is also a Professor of Food Science. ; Deans of Faculties Deans are the heads of the faculties. They are responsible for the management and the tasks carried out by the faculty. Deans are appointed by the chancellor for three years.

List of chancellors and vice chancellors

*Chancellors *;University of Ceylon and University of Sri Lanka ** Sir Andrew Caldecott 942–44** Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore (1944–49) ** Lord Soulbury (1949–54) **

Sir Oliver Goonetilleke Sir Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke () (20 October 1892 – 17 December 1978) was a Sri Lankan statesman. Having served as an important figure in the gradual independence of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) from Britain, he became the third Governor-Genera ...

(1954–62) **

William Gopallawa William Gopallawa (, ; 17 September 1896 – 31 January 1981) was a Sri Lankan politician and statesman who served as the last Governor-General of Ceylon from 1962 to 1972 and the first and only non-executive President of Sri Lanka from 1972 to ...

(1962–78) *;University of Peradeniya **

J. R. Jayewardene Junius Richard Jayewardene (; ; 17 September 1906 – 1 November 1996), commonly referred to by his initials JR, was a Sri Lankan lawyer, public official and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 1977 to 1978 and as the secon ...

(1978 – July 1979) **

Victor Tennekoon Victor Tennekoon QC (9 September 1914 – April 1990) was a Sri Lankan lawyer and jurist. He served as the 35th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka, as well as the 33rd Attorney General and 23rd Solicitor General. From 1979 to 1984 Tennekoon served as ...

(1979 – 31 January 1984) ** T. B. Panabokke (1 Feb 1984–1989) ** Fredrick de Silva (1990–1993) ** Prof. Ediriweera Sarachchandra (1993 to 1996) ** Prof. R. G. Panabokke (1999 to 2002) **

Deshamanya Deshamanya (; ; Pride of the Nation) is the second-highest national honour of Sri Lanka awarded by the Government of Sri Lanka as a civil honour. It is awarded for "''highly meritorious service''", and is conventionally used as a title or prefi ...

R. K. W. Goonesekera (2002 to 2006) ** Dr. Premadasa Udagama (2007 to 2012) ** Prof. P. W. Epasinghe *Vice Chancellors *;University of Ceylon ** Prof. Sir

(1942–55) ** Prof. Sir

Nicholas Attygalle Sir Nicholas Attygalle (14 July 1894 – 27 March 1970) was a Ceylonese academic, surgeon and a Senator. He was the President of the Senate of Ceylon from 1953 to 1960 and the first Ceylonese Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ceylon, where ...

(1955–66) *;University of Ceylon, Peradeniya ** S. J. Walpita, CCS (1966–68) **

M. J. Perera Mapatunage James "M. J." Perera was a Sri Lankan civil servant (3 February 1915 – 14 March 2002) with nine members in his family in Udumulla, Padukka. He created broadcasting history by being the first Ceylonese Director General of Radi ...

, CCS (1968–69) ** Prof. E.O.E. Pereira (1969–71) *;University of Sri Lanka ** Prof. B. A. Abeywickrema (1972–74) ** L. H. Sumanadasa (1974) ** Prof. P. P. G. L. Siriwardena (1974–78) ** Prof. S. Kodikara (president, Peradeniya Campus) ** Prof. P. W. Vithanage (president, Peradeniya Campus) *;University of Peradeniya ** Prof. B. L. Panditharatne (1978–84) ** Prof. M. A. Fernando (1984–85) ** Prof. R. G. Panabokke (1985–88) ** Prof. A. P. R. Aluwihare (1988–89) ** Prof. C. L. V. Jayathilake (1989–91) ** Prof. J. M. Gunadasa (1991–94) ** Prof. C. M. Madduma Bandara (1994–97) ** Prof. R. A. L. H. Gunawardana (1997–00) ** Prof. Kapila Gunasekara (2000–06) ** Prof. Harishchandra Abeygunawardena (2006–09) ** Prof. S. B. S. Abayakoon (2009–12) ** Prof. A. Senaratne (2012–15)

Faculties and institutions

The university has eight academic

faculties Faculty or faculties may refer to: Academia * Faculty (academic staff), professors, researchers, and teachers of a given university or college (North American usage) * Faculty (division), a large department of a university by field of study (us ...

of study. These faculties contain 72 departments. In addition, the university has two postgraduate institutions and six affiliated centres. The first Faculty to be established was the Faculty of Arts. The Departments of Law and Oriental Studies functioned separately but have since come under the Faculty of Arts. Since then, eight other faculties have been added. The latest addition is the Faculty of Management, established in 2015. Th
Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture (PGIA)
an
Postgraduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (PGIHS)
an
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Science (PGIMS)
an
Postgraduate Institute of Science (PGIS)
are the institutions established in the university. PGIS is a national institute established by the Ministry of Higher Education, Sri Lanka in 1996. PGIA was established in 1975 and offers three postgraduate degrees. PGIA offers postgraduate-level courses in Agricultural disciplines. In addition to these institutions, Senerath Paranavitana Teaching and Research Museum functions affiliated with the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts. It was established in 1960.

Ranking

In 2023, Times Higher Education World University Rankings placed the University of Peradeniya first in Sri Lanka and 301–400 band in th
world university ranking
This is the highest world ranking that any university in Sri Lanka has reached in recent history. The University of Peradeniya has also been ranked first in Sri Lanka under other popular university rankings schemes such as Times Higher Education world university rankings, QS world university rankings and U.S. News & World Report global university ranking in 2022. In 2019–2020, according to the University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP), the University of Peradeniya ranked first in Sri Lanka and 1123rd in the world. The University of Peradeniya was ranked No. 1 in Sri Lanka based on total

ResearchGate ResearchGate is a European commercial social networking site for scientists and researchers to share papers, ask and answer questions, and find collaborators. According to a 2014 study by ''Nature'' and a 2016 article in ''Times Higher Education' ...

scores. The ''

QS World University Rankings The ''QS World University Rankings'' is a portfolio of comparative college and university rankings compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds, a higher education analytics firm. Its first and earliest edition was published in collaboration with '' Times ...

'' ranked the university 350th in Asia in 2025.

Library network

The library is a centrally administered network of libraries. It is considered the oldest academic library in Sri Lanka. Containing over 430,000 items, it is one of the largest libraries serving the country. Seven branches are in faculties in the main campus at Peradeniya and one other branch is in the Mahailuppallama sub-campus. University of Peradeniya library contains a legal deposit collection of 300,000 items, a special collection of 15,000+ items acquired from various individuals,

palm-leaf manuscript Palm-leaf manuscripts are manuscripts made out of dried palm leaves. Palm leaves were used as writing materials in the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia dating back to the 5th century BCE. Their use began in South Asia and spread to ot ...

collection of approximately 5,000 (second largest in Sri Lanka) and a

microfilm A microform is a scaled-down reproduction of a document, typically either photographic film or paper, made for the purposes of transmission, storage, reading, and printing. Microform images are commonly reduced to about 4% or of the original d ...

collection of 17,000. Furthermore, it owns the largest historical map collection in Sri Lanka.

Student life

Student organizations

Students at the University of Peradeniya run over 100 clubs and organizations. These include cultural and religious groups, academic clubs, and common-interest organizations. The Peradeniya Students' Union (PSU) is considered the highest body which represents all internal students. Separate student unions operate in each faculty. These student societies include: * Agriculture Students Union (AgSU) **Agriculture Faculty English Literary Association (AFELA) ** Agriculture Management Science Society (AGMAG) * Agriculture Faculty Forestry Society ** Agriculture Faculty Journalism and Media Society (AFJM) ** Arts Circle – Faculty of Agriculture ** International Students' Forum (ISF), University of Peradeniya ** Inventors Club – Faculty of Agriculture ** Nature Society ** Horticulture Society ** Society of Food Science and Technology ** Biology Guild * Arts Students Union (ASU) * Science Students Union (SSU) * Engineering Students Union (ESU) * Dental Faculty Students Union (DFSU) * Medical Faculty Students' Union (MFSU) * Societies in the Faculty of Engineering ** Engineering Students' Publication Society (ESPS) ** Association of Computer Engineering Students (ACES) ** Civil Engineers Society (CES) ** Chemical Engineering Students Society (ChESS) ** Electrical and Electronic Engineers Society (EEES) ** Engineering Faculty Art Circle ** Engineering Faculty Buddhist Brotherhood ** Mechanical Engineers Society (MES) ** Production Engineering Students Society (PESS) ** Power and Highvoltage Engineers Society (PHES) * Societies in the Faculty of Science ** Art Circle ** Buddhist Brotherhood Faculty of Science ** Botanical Society ** Chemical Society ** Computer Society University of Peradeniya (CSUP) ** Hantana Conservation Society ** Hindu Society ** Mathematics Society ** Photographic Society ** Physical Society ** Science Library Club ** Tamil Sangeetha Natya Sangam ** Tamil Society ** University Explorers Club ** University Geological Society ** Zoologists' Association * Cultural Societies ** Ceylon University Dramatic Society (DramSoc) ** English Literary Association (ELA) ** Film Society (FilmSoc) ** Gandarwa Sabhawa ** Sinhala Natya Mandalaya ** Sinhala Sangamaya ** Tamil Sangeetha Natya Sangam ** Tamil Society * Religious Societies ** Buddhist Brotherhood ** Hindu Students' Union ** Newman Society (for Roman Catholics) ** Student Christian Movement ** University Buddhist Society ** University Muslim Majlis * Other Societies ** AIESEC in University of Peradeniya ** Arunachalum-Hall Alumni Association ** MIDI Group ** **

Rotaract Rotaract originally began as a Rotary International Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. The self-declared mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote int ...

Club ** Sports Council ** Student Meditation Society ** University Explorers' Club ** University Gavel Club ** University Radio Voice of hanthana https://voiceofhanthana.com/

Sports

Sports activities are conducted by the Department of Physical Education. The University of Peradeniya has 30 athletics teams to date. Facilities include a well-equipped gymnasium, one of the largest multi-purpose outstation stadiums in Sri Lanka, a 50m swimming pool and separate stadiums for

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby union: 15 players per side *** American flag rugby *** Beach rugby *** Mini rugby *** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side *** Rugby tens, 10 players per side *** Snow rugby *** Tou ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

hockey ''Hockey'' is a family of List of stick sports, stick sports where two opposing teams use hockey sticks to propel a ball or disk into a goal. There are many types of hockey, and the individual sports vary in rules, numbers of players, apparel, ...

tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

, and

elle Elle may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Elle (magazine), ''Elle'' (magazine), a fashion publication ** Elle Style Awards * Elle (India), ''Elle'' (India), the Indian edition * Elle (film), ''Elle'' (film), a 2016 French film * ''Elle: ...

Residential facilities

The University of Peradeniya is the only residential university in Sri Lanka. It provides residential facilities to most of its undergraduate students, its academic staff members and guests. Three guest houses — Gal Bangalawa, Upper Hantana Guest House and Lady Hill a tourist hotel – come under university administration. Residential halls for undergraduate students:

International collaborations

The university has developed international relationships since its earliest days. Student exchange programs (Erasmus and International Credit Mobility Programme with SLU, Sweden), collaborative research, split postgraduate programs, international seminars, conferences and short courses are being carried out with these global partners by the Directorate of Research and International Affairs. This was established as a separate institution in 2006. UoP has initiated cooperation programs with foreign governments and institutions.

Academic networking

UoP is a member of the

Association of Commonwealth Universities The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) is a charitable organization that was established in 1913, and has over 400 member institutions in over 40 countries across the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth.Memorandums of Understanding for research and academic development with these international universities. *

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...

, Davis Campus, United States *

National University of Singapore The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national university, national Public university, public research university in Singapore. It was officially established in 1980 by the merging of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University ...

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

, United States (with Solomon ASCH Centre for the Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict) *

University of Ottawa The University of Ottawa (), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a Official bilingualism in Canada, bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ot ...

, Canada (Governance and Institutional Strengthening Project) *

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...

, United States *

University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; ) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bis ...

, United Kingdom (with School of Biological Sciences) *

University of Göttingen The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen (, commonly referred to as Georgia Augusta), is a Public university, public research university in the city of Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1734 ...

, Germany (with Institut für Sportwissenschaften) *

University of Guelph The University of Guelph (abbreviated U of G) is a comprehensive Public university, public research university in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1964 after the amalgamation of Ontario Agricultural College (1874), the MacDonald I ...

, Canada (cooperation in Food and Science Technology) *

University of Naples Federico II The University of Naples Federico II (; , ) is a public university, public research university in Naples, Campania, Italy. Established in 1224 and named after its founder, Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II, it is the oldest public, s ...

, Italy *

University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota (UND) is a Public university, public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States. It was established by the Dakota Territory, Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishm ...

, United States *

Marche Polytechnic University Marche Polytechnic University or Polytechnic University of the Marches (Italian ''Università Politecnica delle Marche'') is a public university in Ancona, Italy. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in Agriculture, Engineering, Economi ...

, Italy *

North South University North South University (, also known as NSU) is a Private university, private research university in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was established in 1992 under the Private University Act, 1992 by the then Foundation for Promotion of Education and Resea ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

(Public Policy and Governance) * Institute of Polytechnic de Grenoble, France (Educational and Scientific cooperation) *

Yamagata University is a national university located in the Japanese cities of Yamagata, Yamagata, Yamagata, Yonezawa, and Tsuruoka in Yamagata Prefecture. The Times Higher Education released Times Higher Education World University Rankings, World University Rank ...

, Japan * Institute National Polytechnique de Lorraine, France (Higher Education on Disaster Mitigation) *

Hokkaido University , or , is a public research university in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Founded in 1918, it is the fifth-oldest government-authorised university in Japan and one of the former Imperial Universities. The university finds its roots in Sapporo A ...

, Japan (With Graduate School of

Veterinary Medicine Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, medical diagnosis, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in non-human animals. The scope of veterinary medicine is wide, covering all a ...

) *

University for Foreigners Perugia A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...

, Italy *

Osaka Prefecture University (OPU), also abbreviated to , used to be one of the largest public universities in Japan. The university merged with Osaka City University to form Osaka Metropolitan University in April 2022. History OPU was established in 2005 in its curren ...

, Japan (cooperation in

and

Animal Science Animal science is described as "studying the biology of animals that are under the control of humankind". It can also be described as the production and management of farm animals. Historically, the degree was called animal husbandry and the ...

) * Rajamangala University of Technology,

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

Saga University ; abbreviated as or , is a national university in Saga, Saga Prefecture, Japan. The university has five faculties with around 7,000 students. Its two campuses are in and . History The history of Saga University is complicated. The oldest Saga t ...

, Japan ( Telemedicine) *

Dongguk University Dongguk University () is a private university in Jung District, Seoul, South Korea. A top-tier university acknowledged locally in Korea. It is one of the few Buddhist-affiliated universities in the world, and is a member of the International Asso ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

(Pali and Buddhist Studies) * Niigata University, Japan *

University of Limerick University of Limerick (UL) () is a Public university, public research university institution in Limerick, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Founded in 1972, as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, it became a university in Septemb ...

, Ireland * Lincoln University, New Zealand *

United Nations University The is the think tank and academic arm of the United Nations. Headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, with diplomatic status as a UN institution, its mission is to help resolve list of global issues, global issues related to Human development ...

, Japan *

Yonsei University Yonsei University () is a Private university, private Christian university, Christian research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Yonsei is one of the three most prestigious universities in the country, part of a group referred to as SK ...

(academic exchange and cooperation) *

Asian Institute of Technology The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), founded in 1959, is an international organization for higher education situated 40 km north of Bangkok, Thailand. It specializes in engineering, advanced technologies, sustainable development, and ...

(AIT),

(Asian Regional Research Programme on Environmental Technology Phase II) * Universiti Sains,

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

Lund University Lund University () is a Public university, public research university in Sweden and one of Northern Europe's oldest universities. The university is located in the city of Lund in the Swedish province of Scania. The university was officially foun ...

, Sweden * National Formosa University,

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

Intercollegiate Sri Lanka Education program

The Intercollegiate Sri Lanka Education (ISLE) program provides facilities for undergraduate students from

United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...

to study in Sri Lanka. Each year, about 20 undergraduates spend five months in Sri Lanka following courses given by members of the Faculty of Arts. This programme also involves an exchange of faculty. *

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

Ithaca Ithaca most commonly refers to: *Homer's Ithaca, an island featured in Homer's ''Odyssey'' *Ithaca (island), an island in Greece, possibly Homer's Ithaca *Ithaca, New York, a city, and home of Cornell University and Ithaca College Ithaca, Ithaka ...

, NY, United States *

Bates College Bates College () is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian ...

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, United States *

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. It was chartered in 1794. The main Bowdoin campus is located near Casco Bay and the Androscoggin River. In a ...

, United States *

Carleton College Carleton College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1866, the main campus is between Northfield and the approximately Carleton ...

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, United States * Colby University,

, United States *

Grinnell College Grinnell College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, United States. It was founded in 1846 when a group of Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalis ...

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

, United States *

College of the Holy Cross The College of the Holy Cross is a private Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded by educators Benedict Joseph Fenwick and Thomas F. Mulledy in 1843 under the auspices of the Society of Jesus. ...

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engl ...

, United States *

Macalester College Macalester College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1874, Macalester is exclusively an undergraduate institution with an enrollment of 2,142 students in the fall of 2023. The college ha ...

, United States *

Swarthmore College Swarthmore College ( , ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1864, with its first classes held in 1869, Swarthmore is one of the e ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, United States *

Whittier College Whittier College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Whittier, California. It is a Hispanic-serving institution, Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and, as of spring 2024, had 815 ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, United States

Government partnerships

Government of Sweden The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden () is the Cabinet (government), national cabinet of Sweden, and the country's Executive (government), executive authority. The Government consists of the Prime Minister of Sweden, Prime Minister and their ...

– research cooperation on SAREC project *

Government of Japan The Government of Japan is the central government of Japan. It consists of legislative, executive (government), executive and judiciary branches and functions under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan. Japan is a unitary st ...

– capacity building training programme for Oral & Maxillafacial surgeons *

Government of Egypt The politics of Egypt takes place within the framework of a republican semi-presidential system of government. The current political system was established following the 2013 Egyptian military coup d'état, and the takeover of President Abdel F ...

– Arabic student exchange program and teaching

Islamic civilization Islamic civilization may refer to: *Islamic Golden Age * Reception of Islam in Early Modern Europe *Muslim world *Caliphate *Islamic culture See also * History of Islam The history of Islam is believed, by most historians, to have originat ...

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (, ) is a government agency of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Sida is responsible for organization of the bulk of Sweden's official development assistance to developing coun ...

(SIDA) *

United Nations Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...

(UNDP) – research cooperation

People

Students

The total number of undergraduates in the university for the year 2009–2010 was 9,605. Student intake for that year remained at 2,620. In 2008, 1514 postgraduate students studied at the university, most of them affiliated with the two postgraduate institutions: Postgraduate Institute of Science (PGIS) and Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture (PGIA). Postgraduate output for the year was 358, including 15

doctorates A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

. Faculties except Science and Agriculture conducted their own postgraduate courses. Women constituted 53.15 percent of undergraduates. Women constituted remained over 45 percent in all faculties except Faculty of Engineering where it was 15.46 percent. Courses in all faculties except

Faculty of Arts A faculty is a division within a university or college comprising one subject area or a group of related subject areas, possibly also delimited by level (e.g. undergraduate). In North America, academic divisions are sometimes titled colleges, sc ...

are taught in English medium. In the Faculty of Arts, 69.85 percent of undergraduates are enrolled in Sinhala, 15.93 percent in

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

and 14.22 percent in English.

Alumni

The University of Peradeniya has produced a large number of alumni. Among the best-known are Sri Lankans are Hon.

W. J. M. Lokubandara Wijesinghe Jayaweera Mudiyanselage Lokubandara (5 August 1941 – 14 February 2021: ), was a Sri Lankan politician who was Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, Parliament of Sri Lanka from 2004 to 2010 ...

; former speaker of the parliament (2005–2010),

Sri Lankabhimanya Sri Lankabhimanya (; ; The Pride of Sri Lanka) is the highest National Honours of Sri Lanka, national honour of Sri Lanka, which is awarded by the President of Sri Lanka on behalf of the government, equivalent to the National Heroes of Sri Lanka, ...

Hon.

Lakshman Kadirgamar Sri Lankabhimanya Lakshman Kadirgamar, President's Counsel, PC (; , 12 April 1932 – 12 August 2005) was a Sri Lankan lawyer. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka from 1994 to 2001 and again from April 2004 until his assassina ...

; distinguished diplomat, politician and lawyer, Prof. Channa Jayasumana; Medical Professor, winner of AAAS Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility in 2019 offered by American Association for the Advancement of Science and former Health minister of Sri Lanka, S. H. M.. Jameel, Dr.

Jayantha Dhanapala Jayantha Dhanapala (; 30 December 1938 – 27 May 2023) was a Sri Lankan diplomat. A career diplomat in the Sri Lanka Overseas Service, he served as the Under Secretary General to re-establish the Department of Disarmament from 1998 to 2003; Am ...

; former Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations, Prof.

Gananath Obeyesekere Gananath Obeyesekere (2 February 1930 – 25 March 2025) was a Sri Lankan anthropologist of religion and professor of anthropology at Princeton University. His research focused on psychoanalysis and anthropology and how personal symbolism is rel ...

;

emeritus Professor ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". In some c ...

Anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

and the person who entered into an intellectual debate with

Marshall Sahlins Marshall David Sahlins ( ; December 27, 1930April 5, 2021) was an American cultural anthropologist best known for his ethnographic work in the Pacific and for his contributions to anthropological theory. He was the Charles F. Grey Distinguishe ...

over the rationality of indigenous people through the details of

Captain James Cook Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer famous for his three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans, conducted between 1768 and 1779. He complet ...

's death in the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands () are an archipelago of eight major volcanic islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii in the south to nort ...

in 1779, Prof. Anuradha Seneviratna; a renowned

n scholar, Prof. Malik Peiris; discoverer of

severe acute respiratory syndrome Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic origin caused by the virus SARS-CoV-1, the first identified strain of the SARS-related coronavirus. The first known cases occurred in November 2002, and the sy ...

(SARS) virus
Prof. Saman Warnakulasuriya
; OBE- Emeritus Professor King's College London, UK & Director WHO Collaborating Centre on Oral Cancer, Major General

Janaka Perera Major General Janaka Perera, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, VSP (1 February 1946 – 6 October 2008) was a Sri Lankan General and politician. He served as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army and is considered one of the most distinguished gen ...

;

chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

of the

Sri Lanka Army The Sri Lanka Army (; ) is the oldest and largest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. The army was officially established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, though the army traces its roots back in 1881 when Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers was created; ...

and one of the most distinguished generals in Sri Lankan history, Prof.

J B Disanayake Deshamanya Prof. Jayaratna Banda Disanayake (born 16 April 1937) is an emeritus professor and one of the leading authorities of the Sinhala language. He was former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Thailand.University of Colombo The University of Colombo (informally Colombo University or UoC) is a Public University, public research university located primarily in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is the oldest institution of modern higher education in Sri Lanka. Specialised in t ...

., Prof.

Kusuma Karunaratne Kusuma Karunaratne ''nee'' Ediriweera Jayasooriya (born November 21, 1940) is a Sri Lankan academic, university administrator, Professor and scholar of Sinhalese language and literature. Personal life Kusuma Jayasooriya was born on November 21, 1 ...

; the first female Professor of

Sinhala language Sinhala ( ; Sinhala: , , ), sometimes called Sinhalese ( ), is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka, who make up the largest ethnic group on the island, numbering about 16 million. It is also the first ...

Dr.

Gunadasa Amarasekera Gunadasa Amarasekera (born 12 November 1929) is a prominent Sinhala writer, poet, and essayist from Sri Lanka. Early life and education Gunadasa Amarasekera was born in Yattalamatta in Galle District. He was educated at Mahinda College, Galle ...

; a prominent Sinhala

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

, and

essayist An essay ( ) is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a Letter (message), letter, a term paper, paper, an article (publishing), article, a pamphlet, and a s ...

and Prof. Neelan Tiruchelvam – A

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

, peace activist and an internationally respected academic. Founder and director of the International Centre for Ethnic Studies and the founder and director of The Law and Society Trust.

Faculty

The number of permanent academic staff at the University of Peradeniya is 731. It is the university in Sri Lanka that is served by the highest number of

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

associate professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a position ...

s and academic staff. Teacher to student ratio of the university was 1:13 by 2008. Faculty include Prof.

Stanley Jeyaraja Tambiah Stanley Jeyaraja Tambiah (16 January 1929 – 19 January 2014) was a social anthropologist and Esther and Sidney Rabb Professor ''(Emeritus)'' of Anthropology at Harvard University. He specialised in studies of Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Tamils, ...

; professor in

anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...

(1955–1960), a leading

social anthropologist Social anthropology is the study of patterns of behaviour in human societies and cultures. It is the dominant constituent of anthropology throughout the United Kingdom and much of Europe, where it is distinguished from cultural anthropology. In t ...

in the world, recipient of the prestigious

Balzan Prize The International Balzan Prize Foundation awards four annual monetary prizes to people or organizations who have made outstanding achievements in the fields of humanities, natural sciences, culture, as well as for endeavours for peace and the b ...

, the highest recognition of the

Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland The Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland (RAI) is a long-established anthropological organisation, and Learned Society, with a global membership. Its remit includes all the component fields of anthropology, such as biolo ...

and Esther and Sidney Rabb Professor (Emeritus) of Anthropology at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

, Prof.

Senarath Paranavithana Senarath Paranavitana, (Sinhala language, Sinhala:සෙනරත් පරණවිතාන) (26 December 1896 – 4 October 1972) was a Sri Lankan archeologist and epigraphist, who pioneered much of post-colonial archaeology in Sri Lanka. ...

; the pioneering

archeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes. Archaeol ...

and

epigraphist Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the wr ...

of Sri Lanka and once the archaeological commissioner, Prof. Gunapala Malalasekera; famous Sri Lankan

scholar A scholar is a person who is a researcher or has expertise in an academic discipline. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researcher at a university. An academic usually holds an advanced degree or a termina ...

and

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

; compiler of the "Gunapala Sinhala-English

Dictionary A dictionary is a listing of lexemes from the lexicon of one or more specific languages, often arranged Alphabetical order, alphabetically (or by Semitic root, consonantal root for Semitic languages or radical-and-stroke sorting, radical an ...

", Prof. Anuradha Seneviratna; a renowned Sri Lankan scholar, Prof.

Seneka Bibile Senaka Bibile (; 13 February 1920 – 29 September 1977) was a Sri Lankan pharmacologist, academic, and medical education pioneer. He was the founder of the Sri Lanka National Pharmaceuticals Policy, which became a global model for rational p ...

, the founder of Sri Lanka's drug policy and the greatest medical benefactor of humanity that Sri Lanka has hitherto produced, and Prof. Ashley Halpé, a prominent Sri Lankan writer.

Criticism

Ragging

The university has been criticized for its high level of

ragging Ragging is the term used for the so-called "initiation ritual" practiced in higher education institutions in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The practice is similar to hazing in North America, fagging in the UK, in France, in ...

with several incidents grabbing national headlines. These include the death of S. Varapragash in 1997 due to kidney failure following severe ragging by a group of senior students and the permanent disability of Rupa Rathnaseeli in 1975 as a result of having jumped from the second floor of the hostel Ramanathan Hall to escape the physical ragging by the seniors. She died by suicide in 2002. In 1997, Selvanayagam Varapragash, a first-year engineering student was murdered on the campus due to hazing. He was subjected to sadistic ragging, and in the post-mortem, a large quantity of toothpaste was found in his rectum.

Popular culture

The University of Peradeniya holds a central position in classical university education, which has made it the setting for many dramas, films, songs, poems, novels and other cultural works in Sri Lanka. Songs like "Hanthanata paayana sanda..." by Amarasiri Peiris, "Hanthane kandu muduna sisara..." by

W. D. Amaradeva Sri Lankabhimanya Wannakuwattawaduge Don Albert Perera (; ; 5 December 1927 – 3 November 2016), better known by his adopted name Amaradeva, was a prominent Sri Lankan Sinhalese vocalist, violinist and composer. Primarily using traditional in ...

, "Hanthana adaviye meduru kulunu sudu sandaluthalaa pisa..." by

Nanda Malini Mirihana Arachchige Nanda Malini Perera ( Sinhala:නන්දා මාලනී: born 23 August 1943), popularly as Nanda Malini, is a Sri Lankan musician. One of the best known and most honoured singers of Sri Lanka, Malini's choice of singing ...

, "Mé nagaraya maa oba munagasunu nagarayayi..." by Mervin Perera, "Hanthane raja dahane...", "Nethu saluna...", "Hantana Desin ena..." are only a few of them. Movies like

Gamini Fonseka Kala Keerthi Sembuge Gamini Shelton Fonseka (; 21 March 1936 – 30 September 2004) was a Sri Lankan film actor, film director and politician. Often considered one of the greatest actors in Sinhala cinema, Fonseka dominated the industry in the ...

's ''Saagarayak Meda'' (In the middle of an ocean) and

Sugathapala Senarath Yapa Kala Suri Sugathapala Senarath Yapa ( සුගතපාල සෙනරත් යාපා) inhala 10 November 1935 – 25 August 2024) was a Sri Lankan film director, screenwriter, producer and lyricist. His career in Sri Lankan cinema span ...

's ''

Hanthane Kathawa ''Hanthane Kathawa'' (Sinhalese language word means "Story of Hanthana") is a 1969 film based on a love story of university students of Sri Lanka. It was directed by famous Sri Lankan film director Sugathapala Senarath Yapa and screened on Decem ...

'' (The story of Hanthana) are directly based on University of Peradeniya. UoP is featured in novels: Siri Gunasinghe's ''Sevanella'' (The shadow) and

Gunadasa Amarasekara Gunadasa Amarasekera (born 12 November 1929) is a prominent Sinhala writer, poet, and essayist from Sri Lanka. Early life and education Gunadasa Amarasekera was born in Yattalamatta in Galle District. He was educated at Mahinda College, Galle ...

's ''Ek Sathya Kathawak'' (One true story). Groundbreaking dramas like Prof.

Ediriweera Sarachchandra Veditantirige Ediriweera Ranjitha Sarachchandra (born Veditantirige Eustace Reginold de Silva; 3 June 1914 – 16 August 1996), popularly known as Ediriweera Sarachchandra ), was a Sri Lankan playwright, novelist, poet, literary critic, essayist ...

's ''Maname'' (1957) and ''Sinhabahu'' (1960) were first directed and played there. In Sarachchandra's novel ''Heta Echchara Kaluvara Nae'' (Tomorrow is not that dark), an entire chapter is dedicated to describing the beauty of the university.

Notes

:a. Table 2.1.1: Total student enrolment by faculty (pp.24), ''University Hand Book 2009'' published by the University of Peradeniya publications (2010). :b. Table 2.1.1: Total student enrolment by faculty (pp.24), ''University Hand Book 2009''. :c. Table 2.1.1: Postgraduate students by faculty (pp.24), ''University Hand Book 2009''. :d. "The oldest academic library in Sri Lanka, founded in 1921 as the university College Library became the University of Ceylon Library in 1942 and was moved to Peradeniya in 1952. Currently, it has one of the largest collections in the country, numbering more than 500,000 in volume" – International dictionary of library histories, Volume 1.
p.166
/ref> :e. Table 2.1.15: Undergraduate enrolment by ethnicity (pp.39), ''University Hand Book 2008'' :f. Total number of students in Faculty of Engineering, 2008: 1468. Number female: 227. Table 2.1.4: Undergraduate enrolment by ethnicity (pp.22), ''University Hand Book 2008'' :g. Only permanent staff included. The number of academic staff engaged in university education is retrieved from the University Statistics – 2008 by

University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka University Grants Commission is the body responsible for funding most of the State Universities in Sri Lanka, and operates within the frame work of the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978. A public organisation, established under the Parliament Ac ...

References

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*
University of Peradeniya :Proud beginningsUniversity Grants Commission of Sri Lanka
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peradeniya, University Of 1942 establishments in Ceylon Universities and colleges established in 1942 Engineering universities and colleges in Sri Lanka Forestry education Statutory boards of Sri Lanka Education in Kandy District Universities and colleges in Central Province, Sri Lanka Universities in Sri Lanka

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