List of universities in Sri Lanka

This is a list of higher education institutions in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan law on publicly financed universities, the University Grants Commission controls 15 Sri Lankan universities and other educational institutions, as higher education institutions.

History

The origins of the modern university system in Sri Lanka dates back to 1921 when a University college, the Ceylon University College was established at the former premises of Royal College Colombo, and was affiliated with the University of London. The college provided courses of study in art and humanities, science and medicine prepared undergraduates for examination at the University of London. The beginnings of modern higher education in Ceylon commenced in 1870 with the establishment of the Ceylon Medical School, followed by Colombo Law College (1875), School of Agriculture (1884) and the Government Technical College (1893).[1] In 1942 the first university was established in the country was the University of Ceylon which had several campuses island wide, Colombo (established 1942), Peradeniya (established 1949), Vidyodaya (established 1959), Vidyalankara (established 1959) and Katubedda (established 1972). Vidyodaya and Vidayalankara were established under the Vidyodaya and Vidayalankara University Act No 45 of 1958. The University of Ceylon was modelled on the Oxbridge formula, at its inception the university only accommodated 904 students, which later expanded to cover a number of universities and it remained as an elite-oriented university as stated by Sir Ivor Jennings, catering to a small number of students and exclusively residential. It was dissolved in 1972 to establish the University of Sri Lanka. In 1974 the Jaffna campus was added to the University of Sri Lanka.[2][3][4]

The change of the government in July 1977 led to dismantling of the single university apparatus with the plan of establishing independent universities. With the promulgation of the Universities Act. No 16 of 1978, state university status was restored to the six separate campuses. The University Grants Commission (UGC) was also created to plan and coordinate the state university education. After that, a number of state universities were created. All these state universities are registered under the University Grants Commission, but a few come under the auspices of ministries other than the Ministry of Higher Education, in which the UGC is a part of. Most of the state universities depend on funds given by the University Grants Commission, as it is their primary and sometimes only source of funding. Therefore, the UGC has a direct control over these universities and administer the undergraduate intake. The UGC is subordinate to the Ministry of Higher Education.

Legislation for universities

Universities in the Sri Lanka have generally been instituted by Special Presidential Decree, University Orders, Acts of Parliament and the Higher Education Act 1978.[5]

Ordinance

  • 20 of 1942 Ceylon University

Acts of Parliament

  • Ceylon University (Amendment) Act No.36 1956
  • Vidyodaya University and Vidyakara University Act No.45 of 1958
  • Higher Education Act No.20 of 1960
  • University of Ceylon Act No.01 of 1972
  • Universities Act No.16 of 1978 (this Act established the University Grant Commission and a University Service Appeals Board provided for the administration of universities with their campuses and outset the six campuses of the single University of Sri Lanka, the set up under the previous Act No.1 of 1972, were converted to six independent universities on 1 January 1979)[6]

State Universities

There are currently fifteen universities in Sri Lanka, which are established under the authority of the University Grants Commission.[7] All the following universities are recognised bodies with university status (University charter) under Universities Act No.16 of 1978.[8]

University Main campus Founded[lower-alpha 1] Type Authority University Status
(University charter)
City District Province
University of ColomboColomboColomboWestern1 June 1870PublicUGC1 July 1942
Eastern UniversityVantharumoolaiBatticaloaEastern1 August 1981PublicUGC26 September 1986
University of JaffnaJaffnaJaffnaNorthern1 August 1974PublicUGC1 January 1979
University of KelaniyaKelaniyaGampahaWestern1875PublicUGC1959
University of MoratuwaMoratuwaColomboWestern1906PublicUGC1 January 1979
Open UniversityNawalaColomboWestern1978PublicUGC1 January 1979
University of PeradeniyaPeradeniyaKandyCentral1 July 1942PublicUGC1 July 1942
Rajarata UniversityMihintaleAnuradhapuraNorth Central7 November 1995PublicUGC31 January 1996
University of RuhunaMataraMataraSouthern27 August 1978PublicUGC1 February 1984
Sabaragamuwa UniversityBelihuloyaRatnapuraSabaragamuwa20 November 1991PublicUGC7 November 1995
South Eastern UniversityOluvilAmparaEastern26 July 1995PublicUGC27 March 1996
University of
Sri Jayewardenepura		Sri
Jayewardenepura		ColomboWestern1873PublicUGC1958
Uva Wellassa UniversityBadullaBadullaUva1 June 2005PublicUGC1 July 2005
University of the Visual
and Performing Arts		ColomboColomboWestern1 July 2005PublicUGC1 July 2005
Wayamba UniversityKuliyapitiyaKurunegalaNorth WesternJanuary 1999PublicUGC17 August 1999

Dissolved universities

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 University of Sri Lanka which existed from 1973 to 1978.

University of Sri Lanka

The University of Sri Lanka was a public university in Sri Lanka. Established in 1972 by amalgamating the four existing universities, it was the only university in Sri Lanka from 1972 until 1978. The university was based at six campuses in Colombo, Peradeniya, Sri Jayewardenepura, Kelaniya, Moratuwa and Jaffna. The university was dissolved in 1978 and its six campuses became independent universities.

Other government universities

Other Government Universities which are established by Acts of Parliament of Sri Lanka. These universities are not recognised bodies with university status or university charter under Universities Act No.16 of 1978.[9]

University Main campus Founded[lower-alpha 2] Type Authority
City District Province
Buddhasravaka Bhiksu UniversityAnuradhapuraAnuradhapuraNorth Central1996PublicMinistry of Higher Education
Buddhist and Pali UniversityHomagamaColomboWestern1982PublicMinistry of Higher Education
General Sir John Kotelawala
Defence University		RatmalanaColomboWestern11 October 2007PublicMinistry of Defence
University of
Vocational Technology		RatmalanaColomboWestern2009PublicMinistry of Vocational & Technical Training
Ocean University of Sri LankaMattakkuliyaColomboWestern2014PublicMinistry of Skills Development and Vocational Training

Higher Educational Institutes

Several colleges and specialist institutes are recognised as degree awarding bodies.[10][11]

Institute Main campus Founded Recognised[lower-alpha 3] Type
City District Province
Aquinas College of Higher StudiesColomboColomboWestern195310 October 2005Private
Colombo International Nautical
and Engineering College		MalabeColomboWestern19909 July 2013Private
Horizon CampusMalabeColomboWestern200826 November 2014Private
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri LankaColomboColomboWestern195912 March 2013Professional accountancy body
Institute of Surveying and MappingDiyatalawaBadullaUva196721 July 1990Public
Institute of Technological StudiesColomboColomboWestern198415 December 1988Private
KAATSUBattaramullaColomboWestern7 January 2015Private
National Institute of
Business Management		ColomboColomboWestern196820 October 2009Private
National Institute of
Social Development		RajagiriyaColomboWestern1 June 2005Private
National School of Business ManagementColomboColomboWestern5 March 2013Private
SANASA CampusHettimullaKegalleSabaragamuwa21 January 2014Private
South Asian Institute of
Technology and Medicine		MalabeColomboWestern200830 August 2011Private
Sri Lanka Institute of
Development Administration		ColomboColomboWestern196624 April 2003Public
Sri Lanka Institute of
Information Technology		MalabeColomboWestern199918 August 2017Private
Sri Lanka Institute of
Nanotechnology		HomagamaColomboWestern200830 March 2004Private
Sri Lanka International
Buddhist Academy		PallekeleKandyCentral200922 February 2013Private
Sri Lanka Technological CampusPadukkaColomboWestern201518 August 2017Private

Rankings of universities

THE World University Rankings

The University of the Colombo is ranked 801 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

Webometrics Rankings

2018 Webometrics Ranking of World Universities for Sri Lankan universities are listed below.

University 2018 (July edition)[12] 2016 (July edition)[13] 2015 (July edition)[14] 2014 (July edition)[15] 2013 (July edition)[16]
Country
university
rank
 Change in rank from previous year World
rank
 Change from previous year
 Country
university
rank
 Change in rank from previous year World
rank
 Change from previous year
 Country
university
rank
 Change in rank from previous year World
rank
 Change from previous year
 Country
university
rank
 Change in rank from previous year World
rank
 Change from previous year
 Country
university
rank
 Change in rank from previous year World
rank
 Change from previous year
Peradeniya1Increase 12018Increase 1402Steady2158Increase 722Steady2230Increase 2492Increase 22479Increase 4944Decrease 12973Decrease506
Colombo2Decrease 12164Decrease 2181Steady1946Increase 931Steady2039Increase 1071Increase 12146Increase 1092Decrease 12255Decrease 573
Ruhuna3Increase 22665Decrease 315Increase 12634Increase 18916Steady4525Decrease 10426Decrease 33483Decrease 11303Increase 32353Increase 941
Moratuwa4Decrease 12721Decrease 3063Steady2415Decrease 83Steady2407Increase 903Decrease 22497Decrease 3471Increase 12150139
Kelaniya5Decrease 12752Decrease 1934Steady2559Increase 5704Increase 13129Increase 655Steady3194Increase 13145Steady4508Decrease 1214
Sri Jayewardenepura6Steady3071Decrease 265Decrease 12476Increase 6154Increase 23091Increase 28786Decrease 25969Decrease 3210
Rajarata7Increase 64374Decrease 37013Decrease 36137Increase 357010Steady9707Decrease 71210Increase 18995Increase 329911Decrease 212294Decrease 6066
Jaffna8Decrease 14384Decrease 3807Increase 24004Increase 25579Decrease 16561Increase 6648Decrease 17225Increase 9387Steady8163Decrease 2499
Open9Steady4653Decrease 1749Decrease 14479Increase 10918Decrease 15570Increase 4197Increase 15989Increase 27198Steady8708Decrease 2824
Eastern10Increase 24711Increase 1304= 11Increase 26015Increase 525013Decrease 111265Decrease 11112Decrease 211154Increase 97010Increase 112124Increase 198
Sabaragamuwa11Steady5150Increase -865= 11Increase 16015Increase 498712Decrease 111002Decrease 20311Decrease 210799Decrease 2619Increase 110538Decrease 670
John Kotelawala12Steady5409Steady
SLIIT13Steady5484Steady
Wayamba14Decrease 45409Decrease 273110Decrease 35409Decrease 3587Increase 65051Increase 674213Decrease 111793Increase 148912Steady13282Decrease 927
South Eastern15Decrease 38720Increase 75214Decrease 37968Increase 206111Decrease 210029Decrease 17059Increase 48324Increase 521713Increase 213541Increase 2464
Uva Wellassa16Decrease 310451Increase 1045115Steady11664Increase 405015Decrease 115714Decrease 98914Steady14725Decrease 35914Decrease 114366Decrease 1800
Visual & Performing Arts17Decrease 914822Decrease 107018Increase 64121Increase 994414Increase 114065Increase 162615Steady15691Increase 81215Steady16503Increase 1063

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Foundation date of earliest higher education establishment linked to current university.
  2. ↑ Foundation date of earliest higher education establishment linked to current university.
  3. ↑ Date recognised as degree awarding body.

References

  1. ↑ Jayasundara, N. (February 2014). "Higher Education Policy in Sri Lanka: Implementation in State Universities". Scientific Research Journal (SCIRJ),. 2: 41.
  2. ↑ de Silva, K. M. (1977). The University System of Sri Lanka.
  3. ↑ A People's University - A Romantic Story of Peradeniya. ICES. 1995.
  4. ↑ Annual report 1972. Planning and Research Unit, University of Ceylon. 1977.
  5. ↑ Yong, Zhao; Ramanathan, Hema (2010). Handbook of Asian Education: A Cultural Perspective. New York: Routledge. p. 584. ISBN 1136721290.
  6. ↑ Wickaramasinghe, N. (2005). University Space and Values Three Essays. International Center for Ethnic Studies Colombo Sri Lanka.
  7. ↑ "Universities". University Grants Commission.
  8. ↑ "UNIVERSITIES, CAMPUSES AND UNIVERSITY COLLEGES". University Grants Commission.
  9. ↑ "Other Government Universities". University Grants Commission.
  10. ↑ "Accreditation Degree Programs". Ministry of Higher Education and Highways (Sri Lanka). Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  11. ↑ "Other Recognized Degrees". University Grants Commission.
  12. ↑ "Sri Lanka". webometrics. Open Publishing. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  13. ↑ "Sri Lanka". webometrics. Open Publishing. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  14. ↑ webometrics.info website. World Ranking of Top Sri Lankan Universities – 2015 July Retrieved 29 October 2016
  15. ↑ webometrics.info website. World ranking Top Sri Lankan Universities 2014 July Retrieved 29 October 2016
  16. ↑ webometrics.info website. Top Best Universities in Sri Lanka according to webometrics World Ranking 2013 July Retrieved 29 October 2016
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.