Kaushalya Perera Academics involved in education policy like to say that there is no such thing as a private university in Sri Lanka. The only ‘universities’ in the country are state universities; anything else offering degrees are private higher education institutions (HEIs). This position is technically accurate. Yet, in the discourse and imagination of the […]
Udari Abeyasinghe It has been almost two months since the judgement of Abeyasinghe v Tilakaratne and others by the Supreme Court. Since then, I have often been asked a simple question, which I too have asked myself. “Has anything actually changed?” my answer is both yes and no. Judgements can uphold the law, direct institutions
The Perfect Victim: How Institutions Respond Read More »
Nandaka Maduranga Kalugampitiya The biggest part of the challenge of a critical scholar in the humanities is having to engage critically with the very realities that define her existence as a social being. She cannot even begin to comment on the focus of her study without creating shock waves that would hit her own self
The Burden, and also Strength, of the Critical Scholar in the Humanities Read More »
Mahendran Thiruvarangan A public university relies on its teachers in fulfilling its responsibilities to the wider community. While teaching remains the chief responsibility of the academic staff, they also conduct research and play a central role in keeping the university a vibrant space where they and students can freely participate in conversations that concern not
Pitfalls and Exclusions in Academic Recruitment Read More »
By Sivamohan Sumathy Free Education has been with us for more than 80 years now. It predates independence. One of its clearest objectives was to give the people, far and wide, an equitable chance. Given the fragile economy we have, first dependent on export crops and now, on exporting labour, through a volatile manufacturing sector,
Deep Seek Matters: Education and its divides Read More »
By Ramya Kumar Over seven years after making an initial complaint of sexual harassment against her research supervisor, Dr. Udari Abeyasinghe, then a temporary lecturer and now a senior lecturer at the University of Peradeniya, has been finally served justice. On May 8, 2026, the Supreme Court made the following directions regarding Udari’s fundamental rights
Ramya Kumar A new batch arrived at our Faculty again. Students representing almost all districts of the country remind me once again of the wonderful opportunity we have for promoting social and ethnic cohesion at our universities. Sadly, however, many students do not interact with each other during the first few semesters, not only because
General education reforms: What about language and ethnicity? Read More »
By Sasindu Patabendige Aragalaya which is/can be (mis)translated to English as ‘struggle’ or ‘revolt’ is getting suppressed and appropriated in multiple ways at the time of writing this piece, ironically (perhaps), with the sanction of the de facto president who claims to be ‘liberal’ and ‘democratic’. The attempt of this column is to present some
In the national media of 21 August 2022, the UGC Chairman goes on record saying that, as university authorities deliberate the possibilities of bringing students back to campuses while the nation grapples with a devastating economic collapse
Free education is the canary in the coalmine Read More »
