Engineering Faculties at Kelaniya, Sri Jayawardenapura, Colombo campuses soon: Higher Education Ministry

Three Engineering Faculties will be established in Kelaniya, Sri Jayawardenapura and Colombo Universities, Higher Education Ministry Secretary Sunil Nawaratne told the Education Times.

“A 25- acre plot of land in Boralesgamuwa, belonging to the Urban Development Authority (UDA), has been allocated to the Sri Jayawardenapura University to put up an Engineering and Technology Faculty, with Rs 2.5 billion allocated for its construction. It will be ready in three years,” he said.

Dr Nawaratne said that, initially, they expect to enroll 500 students, with hikes in intake later.

‘ This is the first time Sri Jayawardenapura University will have an Engineering Faculty, with a range of Engineering courses including Logistics, Nano technology, Space engineering and other new fields, he said.

He said they hope to attract a number of students who travel overseas for these courses, as some of the subjects are not available in Sri Lanka.

Past pupils and the School Development Society of Devapathiraja College, Rathgama, have appealed to the Education authorities to reconsider the construction of the proposed new buildings for the school at the selected location, as there is a water path flowing underneath the area and could cause damage in the future.

They have proposed that another location at the school be selected, as the school is on a 10-acre plot of land.

“We appreciate that funds have been allocated for the new building, but we would like to see that the building will last for a long period,” said a spokesman for the Past Pupils Association. The school which is nearing a century, was badly damaged in tsunami 2004, and thereafter, a new building was put up on the land side, with Japanese funding.

The new building is to be constructed at a cost of Rs 30 million, for a Technology Laboratory.