Rajarata University of Sri Lanka

Rajarata University of Sri Lanka
රජරට විශ්වවිද්‍යාලය
ரஜரட்ட பல்கலைக்கழகம்
Type Undergraduate, Postgraduate Education
Established 1996
Location Mihintale, Sri Lanka
Website www.rjt.ac.lk

Rajarata University of Sri Lanka (Sinhalese: රජරට විශ්වවිද්‍යාලය, Tamil: ரஜரட்ட பல்கலைக்கழகம், abbreviated RUSL) is a university located in the historic city of Mihintale, near Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. The Rajarata University of Sri Lanka was established as the eleventh National University in Sri Lanka and was inaugurally opened on the 31st January 1996 by her Excellency President Chandrika Kumaratunga as per the Gazette Notification 896/2 and the University act 16 of 1978.

Vision

“To be a center of excellence in higher education, research and dissemination of knowledge”

Mission

“To produce high quality, innovative intellectuals with creativity and discipline, develop competencies and dedication of staff create a conducive environment for teaching, learning, research and promote co-existence with mutual respect and ethical behavior”

History

The rajarata University of Sri Lanka was established as the eleventh National University in Sri Lanka and was inaugurally opened on the 31st January 1996 by her Excellency President Chandrika Bandaranayake as per the Gazette Notification 896/2 and the University act 16 of 1978.


Sirimavo Bandaranayake, then Prime Minister, Hon. Speaker K.B. Rathnayake, Minister of Higher Education Richard Pathirana, Deputy Minister of Higher Education Wiswa Warnapala, Governor NCP Maithripala Senanayake, Chairman UGC Prof. Stanley Thilakaratne, The first Vice Chancellor of RUSL Prof. W.I. Siriweera graced the inaugural ceremony Dr. Jayantha Kelegama was the first chancellor of RUSL. It is quite significant that the RUSL was established in Mihintale, a sacred land which is a few kilometers away from the Historical Kingdom of Anuradhapura.

It is not an exaggeration to introduce Mihintale as the cradle of Buddhism, 15 km to the East of the Ancient Kingdom, Anuradhapura, a land gifted with ancient architecture and irrigation which paved the way through Buddhism for an admirable life style and scholars of Rajarata University of Sri Lanka are fortunate to receive education in this seat of learning.

Having examined the Social variables encountered by Sri Lanka in the two decades 1970 and 1980, the then government decided to establish Affiliated University colleges to provide opportunities for higher education for youth who are qualified but deprived of University education. Consequently, Affiliated University colleges were established in Makandura, Kuliyapitiya and Anuradhapura. Subsequently on 07th of November 1995, the Affiliated Universities were amalgamated and the affiliated university of Kuliyapitiya and Makandura were named as Wayamba Campus of Rajarata University of Sri Lanka.

At the inception, four faculties namely Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Faculty of Management Studies, Faculty of Agriculture and Faculty of Applied Sciences were established and in the year 2006, the Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences was established as the fifth faculty of RUSL. The faculties of Social Sciences and Humanities, Faculty of Management Studies and Faculty of Applied Sciences are conveniently located in the Mihintale premises while the Faculties of Agriculture and Medicine and Allied Sciences are situated in Puliyankulama and Saliyapura respectively.

During the past sixteen years, the contribution made to tertiary education by the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka is immense.

In November 1995 the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka (RUSL) was established by the Gazette Notification No: 896/2 of 7 November 1995 in the administrative District of Anuradhapura. The Central Province Affiliated University College (CPAUC) in Polgolla, located 140 km from the main campus at Mihinthale, Anuradhapura was amalgamated to the RUSL as its Faculty of Applied Sciences (FASc). The immediate task of the FASc was to upgrade all the students of the CPAUC who had successfully completed their diploma requirements, to the graduate level. On this task the FASc was inaugurated on 10 January 1997 to commence the third-year degree programme with a batch of 102 students, who graduated in 1998. The first batch of students who were directly sent by the UGC to follow the degree programme was enrolled in November 1997.

After functioning for nearly 10 years at Polgolla, the faculty was established in the main campus at Mihinthale, on 16 January 2006 upon completion of Stage I of the building complex.

Faculties

The university consists of five faculties, Applied Sciences, Agriculture, Management Studies, Medicine and Allied Sciences,Social Science and Humanities

Faculty of Agriculture (FA)

Faculty of Agriculture (FA) offers B.Sc. Agriculture(Special) four-year degree in Agriculture[1] On the recommendation of the committee on affiliated University colleges (1994), nine Affiliated University colleges spread out in various provinces of the country were merged to from two National Universities, the Rajarata and the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka in 1996. The Affiliated University college of the North Western province which consisted of two academic sections namely; Home science and Nutrition and the Agriculture, originally affiliated with the University of Kelaniya and Peradeniya respectively, were merged to from the Wayamba Campus of the Rajarata University in terms of the provisions of the section 18 and 47(1) of the University act. No 16 of 1978 and campus board ordinance NO: 3 of 1995. Two faculties were set up to from the Wayamba Campus namely, the faculty of Agricultural Science and the faculty of Applied Sciences, each with three departments of study. The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences constituted the Department of plantation Management, Horticultural Sciences and Food Technology and Agricultural Engineering. A three-year general degree in Agricultural Science was offered. Later in 1999, a committee was appointed to make recommendations to upgrade the Wayamba Campus to a fully-fledged university. Based on the recommendations of this committee the Wayamba University was established in August 1999. With that faculty of Agricultural Sciences taken over to the Wayamba University in 1999 and Rajarata University loses its Agriculture Faculty. In the year 2001, a new Agriculture Faculty of the Rajarata University has incepted at Puliyankulama closes to ancient Anuradhapura and about ten kilometers away from Mihintale where administration building complex and other sister faculties were located. It was started at a renovated paddy store complex where the faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities was located earlier. From the beginning, there were three departments namely,

A new curricular was designed with the objective of uplifting dry zone agriculture and awarded a B.Sc degree in Agriculture which is a four-year special degree. The first batch of 17 students was recruited on 21 April 2001 under the patronage of the first dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at Puliyankulama Prof. S.H. Upasena. From that two comprehensive curriculum revisions were carried out in 2003 and 2006. The total annual intake is 100 students today.

Faculty of Applied Sciences (FASc)

FASc main hall

The following degree programs are offered by the FASc.

The FASc, Mihintale consists of two departments: Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences. The Department of Biological Sciences offers courses in the fields of Botany/Zoology/Biology while the Department of Physical Sciences offers courses in the fields of Chemistry, Physics, Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics and Computer Science and Information and Communication Technology.

All the courses are offered in English.

Faculty of Management Studies

Faculty of Management Studies offers first-level and postgraduate degrees. It consists of four departments that offer B.Sc. degrees in

These degree programmes are conducted in English. The Faculty of Management Studies, Rajarata University is the only faculty that offers B.Sc. Degrees in Tourism & Hospitality Management and Business Information Technology in Sri Lanka.[2]

Postgraduate studies involves postgraduate diplomas, MBA and Msc (Management).

Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences (FMAS)

This faculty was started in 2005 as a concept of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The first acting dean was Prof. Malkanthi Chandrasekara followed by Prof.Malani Udupihille. In 2013 first dean from the permanent staff was appointed. The faculty was originally for 120 students and due to the problems prevailing in the country in 2007, 60 students from an eastern university was also sent to FMAS. After that each year nearly 180 students enters the faculty and three batches of students have already graduated (2014). Prof. Sisira Siribaddana, founding professor in Clinical Medicine in FMAS works as the present dean. Amidst notable problems related to inadequate staff, students performances are par with all other faculties in Sri Lanka. Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences official webpage

Faculty of Social Science and Humanities (FSSH)

Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities continues to function from the inception of the university in 1995. The Faculty of Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities is the oldest in the Rajarata University and located in great historical Mihinthale premises. Three departments were assigned with Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.rjt.ac.lk/agri/his.html
  2. ↑ http://www.rjt.ac.lk/mgt/index_2008_997.htm
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