university
A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
in
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, ...
(earlier
Ceylon
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, ...
) 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
University of Sri Lanka
The University of Sri Lanka (, ) was the public university system of Sri Lanka from 1972 to 1978. The university system was dissolved in 1978 and its six campuses turned into independent universities: the University of Peradeniya, the University o ...
which existed from 1973 to 1978. In 1978 it was separated into four independent universities. These are the
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 ...
, the
University of Peradeniya
The University of Peradeniya (, ) is a Public research university, public university in Sri Lanka, funded by the University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka, University Grants Commission. It is the largest university in Sri Lanka, which was origin ...
,
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 ...
(
Vidyalankara University
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 Kelaniya ...
) and the
University of Sri Jayawardanapura
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 ...
(
Vidyodaya University
Vidyodaya School is a private college-preparatory combined-grades school located in Thevakkal, Kochi, India. It provides comprehensive school education from lower primary to grade 12.
About
Established in 1990-91 the school conducts classes fr ...
).
History
Agitation for the provision of higher education in the island and for the establishment of a university began by the mid-19th century. This agitation gathered momentum by the beginning of the 20th century, and the Ceylon University Association, formed in 1906 by 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).
, 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 ...
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 ...
with some other modern/western educated elite, urged the establishment of a national university.Sir James Peiris (Public Life: The Ceylon University) by L.J.M. Cooray (Ourcivilisation Web), Retrieved on 28 November 2014 Owing to the persistent demands of the association, the government decided in 1913 to set up a university college affiliated to the
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...
.
However, indecision regarding the nature and status of the institution to be set up, its location, and eventually the intervention of the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
hindered further progress, and it was only in 1920 that the government purchased a private building called the "
Regina Walauwa
College House is the administrative center of the University of Colombo, situated in the Cinnamon Gardens suburb of Colombo, it is a national heritage site.College House") for the purpose of setting up the university college. 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 ...
was formally declared open in January 1921 in the building that was originally the main building of
Royal College Medical royal college, In the United Kingdom, some Commonwealth realms and Ireland, a professional body responsible for the development of and training in one or more medical specialties.
Royal College may also refer to:
Places
* Royal College S ...
located on
Thurstan Road
Kumaratunga Munidasa Mawatha ( Sinhala:කුමාරතුංග මුනිදාස මාවත) (formally ''Thurstan Road'') is a road in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Located in Cinnamon Gardens, it was named after Rev. J. Thurstan, a missionary from ...
opposite College House.
From its inception, the university college was regarded as only a preliminary step, a half-way house, the ultimate goal being the establishment of a fully fledged degree granting university. The University of Ceylon was established on 1 July 1942 by the Ceylon University Ordinance No. 20 of 1942 by amalgamating the
Ceylon Medical College
Ceylon Medical College was a public medical school in Ceylon. The college was established in 1870 as the Colombo Medical School. The college was based in Colombo. The college was merged with Ceylon University College in 1942 to form the University ...
and 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 ...
.
The first official announcement of the creation of a separate university in Colombo was made in Parliament in the
throne speech
A speech from the throne, or throne speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign, or their representative, reads a prepared speech to members of the nation's legislature when a session is opened. The address sets fo ...
of 1967. The necessary legislation for this purpose had been prepared by the Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs under section 34 of the Higher Education Act No. 20 of 1966 on the recommendation of the National Council of Higher Education. The new university which came into existence on 1 October 1967 with the Colombo Campus as its nucleus had initially a student population of nearly 5000 reading for degrees in Arts, Law, the Sciences and Medicine and a teaching staff of nearly 300.
The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, which replaced the Higher Education Act of 1966 altered the complexion of the hitherto familiar University structure. The four independent autonomous universities (University of Ceylon, Peradeniya, University of Ceylon, Colombo, Vidyodaya University of Ceylon and Vidyalankara University of Ceylon) which had been set up by then and the Ceylon College of Technology at Katubedda became campuses of a single university styled the
University of Sri Lanka
The University of Sri Lanka (, ) was the public university system of Sri Lanka from 1972 to 1978. The university system was dissolved in 1978 and its six campuses turned into independent universities: the University of Peradeniya, the University o ...
. Its headquarters designated "Senate House" was located in Colombo. This arrangement did not last very long. With the promulgation of the Universities Act. No 16 of 1978, university status was again restored to the campuses, and the Colombo campus of the University of Sri Lanka was renamed the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, the name and style by which it is known today.
Notable people
See also
*
List of split up universities
This is a list of universities which were split into more than one new institution. Over the history numerous higher education institutions were split up or some scholars left already established institutions and established new ones. Some of th ...