On May 3rd, 2023, Professor S. Vasanthapriyan became the founding Dean of the Faculty of Computing, establishing the 9th Faculty at Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, marking a significant milestone in his academic journey. Born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, he began his academic pursuits with a BSc (Hons) in Computer Science from the University of Peradeniya in 2004, where he was honored with the prestigious Ashoka Amunugama Memorial Award for his outstanding performance.
Driven by a thirst for knowledge, he went on to pursue a MSc in Computer Science and Engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology in The Netherlands in 2010. He later achieved a Doctor of Engineering in Computer Science from Wuhan University of Technology in PR China in 2017. Along the way, he received international recognition for his academic excellence, earning the Nuffic Fellowship Award in 2007 and the Chinese Government Scholarship in 2014.
With over nineteen years of experience in academia, he has served as a lecturer at Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka since 2005. He was appointed the founder Head of the Department of Computing and Information Systems (CIS) from 2011 to 2014, where he played a pivotal role in developing the ACM/IEEE-based curriculum. In 2021, he led the establishment of the BSc Hons program in Software Engineering, which saw its inaugural batch of 58 students.
He was promoted to Professor of Computer Science in October 2019, further cementing his academic influence. Between May 2020 and October 2022, he served as the Head of the Department of CIS, and in November 2022, he became the Coordinator of the Faculty of Computing. From January to April 2023, he took on additional roles as Head of the Data Science Department and Acting Dean of the Faculty of Computing, demonstrating his exceptional leadership.
An ICT educator and leader, Professor Vasanthapriyan has pioneered transformative ICT initiatives, holding leadership positions in various professional bodies, including IEEE, SLAAS, and SLAAI. As a Senior Member of IEEE, he has made substantial contributions to the global computing community. In recognition of his efforts, he was named "ICT Educator of the Year 2022" by His Excellency President Ranil Wickramasinghe in October 2023. This award, presented by the Computer Society of Sri Lanka, honors his impact on ICT education in the nation.
In January 2025, he assumed the esteemed role of Chair/President of the IEEE Sri Lanka Section, a significant position within the global technical community. Prior to that, he served as the Vice Chair/Vice President of the IEEE Sri Lanka Section in 2024.
Since January 1, 2025, Professor S. Vasanathapriyan has served as a member of the Technical Program Integrity Committee (TPIC), a standing subcommittee of the Conference Quality Committee (CQC) of the IEEE Conferences Committee (ICC), for a two-year term.
On 24th November 2024, in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the ICT field and his visionary leadership in advancing Sri Lanka’s digital transformation, the Computer Society of Sri Lanka honored Professor S. Vasanthapriyan with the prestigious title of “ICT Leader of the Year 2023.” The award, presented by the Deputy Minister of Digital Economy, stands as a testament to his commitment to excellence, innovation, and leadership. His work continues to inspire the next generation of leaders, innovators, and ICT professionals.
1. International Taskforces / Committees
- President/ Chair of IEEE Sri Lanka Section (web) in 2025
- Member of the Technical Program Integrity Committee (TPIC), a standing subcommittee of the Conference Quality Committee (CQC) of the IEEE Conferences Committee (ICC) in 2025-2026.
- Vice President/ Chair-Elect of IEEE Sri Lanka Section (web) in 2024
- Executive Member of IEEE Computer Society Sri Lanka Chapter for the Year 2024.
- Past Chairman/President of IEEE Computer Society Sri Lanka Chapter for the Year 2023.
- Chairman/President of IEEE Computer Society Sri Lanka Chapter for the Year 2022.
- Exco Member 2021- 2022 and Membership Development Chair of Sri Lanka Section.- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers -Sri Lanka Section (IEEE-SL).
- Exco Member 2020- 2021 and Membership Development Chair of Sri Lanka Section.- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers -Sri Lanka Section (IEEE-SL).
- Exco Member 2019- 2020 and Membership Development Chair of Sri Lanka Section - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers -Sri Lanka Section (IEEE-SL).
- Exco Member 2018- 2019 and Membership Development Chair of Sri Lanka Section -Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers -Sri Lanka Section (IEEE-SL).
2. National Taskforces / Committees
- Serving as the Chairman of the General Research Committee of SLAAS in the Year 2024.
- Serving as a Selection Committee/Subject Expert Panel Member to evaluate applications from universities including the University of Peradeniya, University of Moratuwa, University of Colombo, University of Kelaniya, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, SLIIT and Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka for promotions to Associate Professor and Professor positions in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Information Systems, and Information Technology for the years 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
- Serving as the Chair of the Programme Review Panel to evaluate Bachelor of Science Honours in Data Science –Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (Guarantee) Limited (SLIIT) in October 2024.
- Serving as the Chair of the Programme Review Panel of the Program Review of BScHons (Cluster B4) of the Faculty of Applied Sciences of, the University of Sri Jayawardanapura in September- October 2024.
- Serving as the Chair of the Programme Review Panel of the Program Review of BScHons (Cluster B4) of the Faculty of Applied Sciences of, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka in September- October 2024.
- Serving as the Chair of the Programme Review Panel of the Program Review of BScHons (Cluster B4) of the Faculty of Science, University of Jaffna in September- October 2024.
- Serving as the Coordinator for the Certificate Course in Fundamentals of Computing collaborated with the Provincial Council Sabaragamuwa Province in 2024.
- Serving as the Vice President of the General Research Committee of SLAAS in the Year 2024.
- Served on the Board of Directors (BoD) of Lanka Education And Research Network (LEARN) representing the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, 2022/07 to 2024/06.
- Served as the Resource person for the Reviewer of the NIE Curriculum Reformulation (ICT) for Module Reviewing and Tamil Language Proof Reading in 2023.
- Served as the President of Section E3-Computer Science of SLAAS in Year 2023.
- Member of the Subject Committee on Computing – UGC Standing Committee on Computing -28th of October 2022 – 28th of April 2023.
- Serving as the Council Member and the Chair of the Industry Relation Committee of the Sri Lanka Association for Artificial Intelligence (SLAAI) in 2023.
- Served as the Curriculum Revision Expert Panel Member of the Department of Computer Science and Informatics, Uwa Wellasa University in August 2022.
- Serving as the UGC Qualified Program Reviewer for External Degree Programmes in State Universities of Sri Lanka Since January 2022.
- Serving as the Vice President of Section E3-Computer Science of SLAAS since January 2022.
- Serving as the Council Member and the Secretary of the Industry Relation Committee of the Sri Lanka Association for Artificial Intelligence (SLAAI) in 2022.
- Serving as the UGC Qualified Program Reviewer for Program Review in State Universities of Sri Lanka Since March 2020.
- Served as the External Member to Develop the BSc Degree Programme at the Centre For Distance And Continuing Education, the University of Peradeniya in 2021.
- Served as the Reviewer of the B.ICT (Hons) degree program offered by the Department of ICT, Faculty of Technology of the University of Ruhuna in 2021.
- Serving as the Council Member and the Chairman of the Industry Relation Committee of the Sri Lanka Association for Artificial Intelligence (SLAAI) in 2021.
- Serving as the Exco Member of Section E3 of the SLAAS in 2021.
- Served as the Senate Approved Reviewer of the New Undergraduate Degree program proposed under the Faculty of Computing(proposed) of the University of Sri Jayawardenapura for the Bachelor of Computing Honours in Information Systems in 2021.
- Serving as the Curriculum Review Chair of the Computer Science Degree Programme of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University in 2021.
- Serving as the Member of Standing Committee in Computing of University Grants Commission, representing the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka from May 2020 to date.
- Served as the Exco Member of Section E3 of SLAAS since 2018-2019, 2019-2020, and 2020-2021.
- Served as the Vice President of the Committee for the Popularization of Science (CPS) of the SLAAS in 2019-2020.
- Served as the Curriculum Revision Expert Panel Member of the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of the Faculty of Technology of the University of Jaffna in September 2020.
- Served as the Panel Member for the invention & Innovation Competition Organized by the Sri Lanka Inventors Commission (SLIC) in 2020.
- Served as the Curriculum Revision Expert Panel Member of Faculty of Technology, Uwa Wellasa University in August 2020.
- Served as the Exco Member of SLAAI(Sri Lanka Association for Artificial Intelligence )in 2019 and 2020.
- Served as the Board of Directors (BoD) of Lanka Education And Research Network (LEARN) representing the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, 2019/07 to 2020/06.
- Served as Member of Evaluation panel and served to evaluate more than FIVE proposals related to Research Innovation and Commercialization (RIC) grants under Accelerating Higher Education Expansion and Development (AHEAD) Operation Since August 2018.
- Serving as Consultant for Confidential Branch ( Field of ICT and Computing), Department of Examinations Sri Lanka Since March 2018 to date.
- Serving as Chief Setting Panel Examiner, Chief Control Marking, Confidential Branch, Department of Examinations since March 2018- to date.
- Served as the Exco Member of the Committee for the Popularization of Science (CPS) of the SLAAS from 2017 to 2020
- Served as a Member of the Standing Committee in Computing, University Grants Commission (June 2011 – August 2014).
3. Institutional Development - Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
- Chairman of the University Township Project Development of Sabaragamuwa University Since August 2024.
- Dean - Faculty of Computing of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka from the 3rd of May 2023 onwards.
- Acting Dean - Faculty of Computing of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka from the 2nd of January 2023- 2nd of May 2023.
- Head, Department of Data Science, Faculty of Computing of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka from the 2nd of January 2023.
- Coordinator -Faculty of Computing of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka from 1st of November 2022- 1st of January 2023.
- Director of Centre for Computer Studies of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka from June 2022 to October 2022.
- Chair of the Faculty of Computing (Proposed to be 9th Faculty in SUSL) Proposal writing Team in 2020, 2021.
- Member of the New Curriculum Development of BSc Hons in Data Science at the Department of Computing and Information Systems in 2021.
- Member of the BIT proposal Writing team for the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka in 2020-2021.
- Chairman of the e-University project of Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka Since November 2020.
- Head of the Department of Computing & Information Systems From 2020-05-01 to October 2022.
- Member of the e-University project of Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka Since August 2020.
- Member of the Board of Study of Computing & Information Systems, Faculty of Graduate Studies since 2019.
- Member, Development of Curriculum for Master of Information Technology, Faculty of Graduate Studies, the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka in 2019.
- Member of the University Senate from June 2011- September 2014 and October 2017 – to date.
- Curriculum Revision Chair of the Department of Computing & Information Systems for the Degree Program of BSc Hons in Information Systems in 2020 and 2021.
- Chair/ Coordinator of New Degree Development at Department of Computing & Information Systems – BSc Hons in Software Engineering in 2018-2020. The Degree is approved by UGC and appeared in the Admission handbook of 2019/2020 which is published by UGC.
- Member of the Curriculum Development Committee of the ICT Degree Program Faculty of Technology of Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka Since September 2020.
- Activity Coordinator- Activity No -4: Enriching English Learning Skills- AHEAD -ELTA-ELSE 100 Million Project of Faculty of Applied Sciences of Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, from 09-05-2018 to now.
- Chairman of the University Web Committee – Since 2018.08.01 – 2020 -05-30.
- Director, Centre for Computer Studies of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, from 2019-01-01 to 2020 -05-30.
- Served as a Deputy Senior Student Counsellor of the Faculty of Applied Sciences of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka – 10.09.2018 – 09-09-2020.
- Coordinator of the Faculty of Applied Sciences of the University Business Linkage Cell of Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka since 01- 05- 2018 – 01- 04- 2020
- Member of the Institutional Review of Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka -Section III- Learning Resources, Student Support, and Progression - 30th November 2018 – 20th of February 2020
- Coordinator of Section III – Program Design and Development of the Program Review of Faculty of Applied Sciences of Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka – Since May 9, 2019, to date.
- Member of the Research Grant Committee of Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka From 2019 -01-01 – to 31.05.2021
- Hosted the Annual Event of IEEE Sri Lanka Section Student/Young Professionals/Women in Engineering Congress 2018 in collaboration with IEEE Innovation Nation Sri Lanka 2018 at the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka allowing 300 participants from state and Nonstate universities.
- Served as the IEEE Chair/Counsellor of the IEEE Student Branch of Sabaragamuwa University 2017/2018 and 2018/2019.
- Served as the Senior Treasurer of the Society of Computer Sciences of Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka 2012/2013, 2013/2014, and 2017/2018.
- Founder of the IEEE Student Branch of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka in 2017.
- Founder Head of the Department of Computing & Information Systems of the Faculty of Applied Sciences (June 2011 – August 2014). There were many things to do with industry and the department, these are some of them.
- Development and Revision of B. Sc Hons in Information Systems Curriculum based on ACM/IEEE Guidelines
- The proposal was written to launch a new Degree program B. Sc Hons in Software Engineering
- Several memorandums were prepared to accommodate undergraduates of the department to participate
- Mentoring students with industry requirements
- Participated and mentored in many industrial–university student events
- Worked as a coordinator to InfoTEL 2013/2014 representing Faculty of Applied Sciences.
- Worked as a coordinator to showcase IT Career Fair and IT Exhibition at the Faculty Premises in 2013.
- Served as a Person In Charge (PIC) of Quality and Innovation Grant (QIG) Activity 1, Round 2, Window 2 –from 04.03.2014 to 03.03.2015.
- Served as an expert for the curriculum revision of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resources Management Degree Program – 13.02.2013.
- Served as the editorial board member for the development of the final year project / industrial training report guidelines of the Department of Computing and Information Systems in 2011.
- Served as the editorial board member for the development of the final year project report guidelines of the Faculty of Applied Sciences in 2014.
- Meeting of selection committees in the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka for recruiting Lecturer (Probationary), Lecturer (Unconfirmed) and Senior Lecturer Grade I/II I in Department of Computing and Information Systems, Lecturer (Probationary), Lecturer (Unconfirmed) and Senior Lecturer Grade I/II I in Department of Physical Sciences and Technology, Lecturer (Probationary), Lecturer (Unconfirmed) and Senior Lecturer Grade I/II I in Computer Science in Department of BioSystems Technology since 2012 to date.
- Founder of Society of Computer Sciences of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka in 2012.
- Coordinator for web committee of SUSL – March 2012 to March 2014.
- Served as the academic sub-Warden for the academic year 2010/2011 – 15.10.2011 to 14.10.2012.
- Served as a student counselor 15.10.2010 to 14.10.2012.