SUSL :: Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka

History of the University

Palabaddala Monastic University

The history stands proof of an existence of a monastic University in Palabaddala in the district of Ratnapura, Sabaragamuwa province. This ancient University had been established by Kalikala Sahittya Sarvagna Pandita ParakramaBahu, the Second (1235-1271 AD) in Dambadeniya Period. Bhikku Dharmakirti held the position of Chancellorship in the said University. Meanwhile the monastic institution of higher education in Sabaragamuwa had been in the custody of Deva Pathiraja, the royal agent to the King Parakramabahu, the second.

Sabaragamuwa Affilated University College

It is in such location that carried an ancient seat of Learning in the Country, it has been decided to set up a modern institution of higher education in lighting once again the blown out lamp of Pragna.

Still, Even a block of Land had not been identified for the establishment of a university as the first director of the proposed institution of higher education was appointed to the post. The first director appointed by the UGC was Professor Dayananda Somasundara. His main task was to find out a suitable location for the future affiliated university in Belihuloya. The potential location, as had been suggested by those concerned was the housing complex used by Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) at the time of constructing the Samanalawewa hydro-power project. The newly appointed director informed of the said location to Professor SB Hettiarachchi, the then vice Chancellor of University of Sri Jayawardhanapura through Mrs Chithra Karunarathna, the secretary to UGC, thereby taking action to get released the above said block of land for the affiliated university with the help of MLM Abusali, the government minister of Labor and Vocational Training. Later on, the President Ranasinghe Premadasa swiftly released the block of land amounting to 71 acres, and the housing complex in it, valued at 100 million by that time for the use of affiliated provincial university.

Consequently, on 20th November 1991 the affiliated University in the Sabaragamuwa province was commissioned under the Sabaragamuwa province affiliated University College Ordinance No 14 of 1992 in the presence of chief Minister of Sabaragamuwa province and other distinguished guests as well as the community in the area on the above mentioned location. The academic program of the AUC commenced on 7 th May 1992. The affiliated Universities in Sri Lanka were a new concept for the country at that time. The primary objective behind introducing such a facility to the Island had been to give a chance in higher education for students in the periphery with no opportunity to enter mainstream Universities. It was also meant to provide the less privileged people and institutions in distant corners of the country with higher education, thereby making the contribution made by them to national development more effective. Therefore, the English education and other vocational training programs in these institutions was stressed from the very beginning, given the lack of facilities to that end being prominently felt at the moment.

The affiliated University in Sabaragamuwa province too, was set up with the same motive in mind. Meanwhile, the University set up in this way experienced a gradual development. Still the basic requirements for an institution of this nature had not been fulfilled sufficiently. As a step forward in this direction, the authorities in the university administration took immediate action to add highly needed library and the centre for computer studies to newly established AUC, which were declared open by President R. Premadasa on 8 th February 1992. The year 1992 saw the addition of several more facilities to the institution, an auditorium, a Medical Centre etc are just two to name.

The AUC in the Sabaragamuwa province had been attached to the University of Sri Jayawardhanapura in Nugegoda in Colombo.

It was one of the five institutions affiliated with the University of Sri Jayawardhanapura. The affiliated University initially possessed three boards of Study. Travel and Tourism Management, Accounting and Finance, and English are those three. These were called not departments but boards of studies, for they were coordinated by a study coordinator in the respective faculty of the mother University. At the same time, all the programs of studies came under purview of the Senate of the University of Sri Jayawardhanapura. The first student batch of the affiliated University included 225 students. The first academic staff was less than 10, excluding several visiting academic members from outside universities and institutions.

By the end of the year 1993, Sabaragamuwa affiliated University had achieved a reasonable success in respect of many areas. The University admitted the second batch of 166 students on 6^th September 1993 from all the ethnic communities in the Island. Now the total student population was 344.Meanwhile, fulfilling one of the founding objectives of regional affiliated universities, the year 1993 witnessed Sabaragamuwa AUC conducting several study programs in Computer awareness, English and Japanese for the community at large. The records to this effect shows that the new wave of education was enthusiastically welcome by the surrounding communities.

For the first time in the AUC history, after two years of function, the university had introduced a department of study for Travel and Tourism Management. A separate Computer centre too had been one of another addition to the list. One more noteworthy incident in 1993 was laying the foundation stone by the then Prime Minister for a new building to house the library.

The increased number of students admitted to the AUC in 1994 points to the gradual upbringing of the institution. The student batch taken in this year for all the programs was 204 in contrast to 166 in 1993. It is also noteworthy that the first batch of students to the University sat for the final semester examination in 1994.

From the very outset, the Sabaragamuwa affiliated University was concerned about the sports and welfare of both students and the staff. The University was lucky to acquire a very sophisticated swimming pool from the previous owner of the building site. This had paved the way for the upliftment of sporting caliber of students. In 1994, the construction of an open air theater was started, completed and named in the honor of renowned dancer Paniibharata. By this time, a play ground also for the University was under construction.

1995 was a crucial era for the Sabaragamuwa affiliated University. By this time, a committee appointed to look into the factor of affiliated Universities in Sri Lanka had recommended Sabaragamuwa affiliated University to be given the national University status. There were a number of requests too on the part of students to that end.

He souvenir issued on the triumphant occasion of the conversion of the AUC into a national University, reports the existing status of the Sabaragamuwa Affiliated University as follows: “In the course of past four years under the affiliated University college system, it was possible to develop such facilities as lecture halls, the Auditorium, Computer and Language Laboratories, Libraries, and Reading Rooms, the Welfare and Medical Centers. Open air Theatre and Herbarium. Of those which were taken over together with the housing Complex, the residences, offices, Gymnasium, Swimming pool, Tennis Courts and a well-planned water scheme have made possible to fulfill as many of the requisites and basic needs of a University.” In terms of this report, Sabaragamuwa Affiliated University by this time had accomplished all the prerequisites for upgrading herself into national university.