Dr Sarath Amunugama, Prof Rahula Attalage conferred Order of the Academic Palms

French Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Jean-Marin Schuh, bestowed the honorary distinction of Palmes Académiques (Order of the Academic Palms) on Emeritus Professor, former Vice Chancellor (VC) of the University of Kelaniya (UoK), Dr Sarath Amunugama, and on former VC and Senior Professor at the University of Moratuwa (UoM), Rahula Attalage. The ceremony was held at the French Embassy, last week, in the presence of French Senator Hélène Conway-Mouret, who is on an official visit to Sri Lanka.

The Order of the Academic Palms was instituted by Napoleon I in 1808, to honour distinguished members of the educational community, whether teachers or not, who, either, eminently served French education system or, had actively contributed to the promotion of French culture and language in the world

Dr Sarath Amunugama, who holds a PhD from La Sorbonne, France, is an eminent Sri Lankan intellectual. As a Professor (1979-2015) and VC (2005-2014) at the UoK, he founded the French studies center, part of the Foreign Languages Department, and facilitated student exchanges between France and Sri Lanka. Dr Amunugama also published many referent manuals on French teaching. This specialist of French language is a founder and an active Member of the Alliance Française de Kotte in Colombo.

Through his notoriety in the academic field and through his great involvement in the Alliance Française de Kotte in Colombo, Dr Amunugama has widely contributed to the development of French language learning and to the promotion of French culture in Sri Lanka.

Mr Rahula Attalage holds a PhD in Energy Engineering from one of the best and most famous French Engineering schools, the Ecole des Mines de Paris. As a recognized intellectual and scientist, Mr Attalage is one of the main partners of the French Embassy in academic exchanges.

Former Deputy VC of the UoM, this eminent Professor received the award for Outstanding Research Performances on 5 consecutive occasions. He played a key role in the implementation of a partnership between the UoM and the French consortium of Engineering schools “n plus i”, signed in 2016. He also supported many of the Embassy’s actions towards climate change.