The following people spent time at the University of Colombo as either teaching staff or students.
Heads of state and government J. R. Jayewardene – former President and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa – former President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe – former President and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
Prominent figures in the independence movement Dr Charles Alwis Hewavitharana, FRCS – leader in the independence movement
Legislators and political figures Hector Abhayavardhana – Trotskyist Professor Ranjith Bandara, Member of Parliament in Sri Lanka A. Amirthalingam – former Opposition leader, Member of Parliament and Tamil separatist Hon. Tissa Attanayake – former Cabinet Minister; former Member of Parliament Professor Sir Nicholas Attygalle, FRCS – former President of the Senate of Ceylon, Vice-Chancellor of University of Ceylon, Dean Faculty of Medicine & Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hon. Ronnie De Mel, CCS – former Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament Hon. William de Silva – former Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament Deshamanya Neville Kanakeratne – former Governor of the Southern Province Hon. Anil Moonesinghe – former Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament Senator Somasundaram Nadesan – former Senator Hon. Professor G. L. Peiris – former Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament Hon. M. Sivasithamparam – former Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hon. Doctor Tissa Vitharana – current Cabinet Minister of Science and Technology and Member of Parliament Hon. Doctor Nissanka Wijeyeratne, CCS – former Cabinet Minister of Education, Higher Education and Justice; Member of Parliament; Sri Lankan Ambassador to the Russian Federation; former Permanent Secretary; Diyawadana Nilame of the Temple of the Tooth
Clergy and religious figures Cardinal Thomas Cooray, OMI – former Archbishop of Colombo; first Cardinal from Sri Lanka Rt.Revd. Dr. Lakshman Wickremasinghe – Bishop of Kurunegala; youngest bishop in the Church of England
Civil servants Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe, CCS – former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance & Treasury, Ministry of Health (also listed in Diplomats) Deshamanya C.A. Coorey, SLAS – former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance & Treasury Deshamanya Dr Gamani Corea – former Secretary-General of the UNCTD (1974–1984); Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs; Senior Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of CeylonGamani Corea of Sri Lanka, Secretary-General UNCTD Tissa Devendra – former Chairman of Public Service Commission; Chairman of Salaries Commission; first President of the Colombo University Alumni Association Hemasiri Fernando – former Secretary to the Prime Minister Bernard Peiris, OBE, JP – former Cabinet SecretaryMemoirs of a Cabinet Secretary - Bernard Percival Peiris M. J. Perera, CCS – first Chairman of the Rupavahini Corporation; former Permanent Secretary of the Education and Cultural Affairs Ministry; Vice-Chancellor of University of Peradeniya G.V.P. Samarasinghe, CCS – former Cabinet Secretary and Permanent Secretary of Defence and Foreign Affairs S.J. Walpita, CCS – former Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Industries & Fisheries; Vice-Chancellor of University of Ceylon, PeradeniyaIn times of turbulence he showed courage and compassion, S. J. Walpita Bradman Weerakoon, CCS – former Secretary to the Prime Minister
Diplomats T. D. S. A. Dissanayake – former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Indonesia and Egypt Yogendra Duraiswamy, SLOS – former Sri Lankan diplomat Deshamanya Dr Vernon Mendis, SLOS – former United Nations' Special Envoy to the Middle East, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Canada; Ambassador to USSR, Cuba and Secretary General of the Non Aligned MovementSri Lanka’s Father of Diplomacy Dr. Vernon L. B. Mendis reminisces his trail blazing career spanning over a half century with Nation Eye Daya Perera, PC – former Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Canada; Ambassador to the United Nations in New York Wickrema Weerasooria – former Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Australia and New Zealand; Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Plan Implementation
Military General Deshamanya Sepala Attygalle, MVO, idc, psc, SLAC – former Commander of the Sri Lankan Army (1967–1977) and Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Major General Anton Muttukumaru – first Ceylonese Army officer to serve as Commander of the Ceylon Army Major General Dr. Chelliah Thurairaja, USP, SLMC – former Director Army Medical Services and Colonel Commandant of the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps
Police Sydney de Zoysa – former Deputy Inspector General of Police, Range II; Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Internal Security; a leader of the attempted military coup in 1962Sydney Zoysa was tough C. C. Dissanayake – former Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) and a leader of the attempted military coup in 1962Coup of 1962: an inside story S.A. Dissanayake – former Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Additional Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs and Defence N. K. Illangakoon – current Inspector General of Police (IGP)New Police chief assumes duties tomorrow
Academics Vice Chancellors Professor Savitri Goonesekere – former Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo Professor Kshanika Hirimburegama – current Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo Professor Vidya Jyothi V. K. Samaranayake – former Dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Colombo and founder of University of Colombo School of Computing Professor Stanley Wijesundera – former Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo
Professors and scholars Professor Hithanadura Janaka De Silva – Foundation Professor of Medicine, University of Kelaniya; Dean of Faculty of Medicine Kelaniya (Student Faculty of Medicine 1977-1982) Professor Nalin de Silva – professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Kelaniya Professor Rangita de Silva de Alwis – adjunct professor of Global Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania Law School Dr Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri – historian and Head of the Department of History, University of Colombo Professor Deshamanya J B Disanayake – professor and former Head of the Department of Sinhala, University of Colombo Professor Devaka Fernando – Foundation Professor of Medicine, University of Sri Jayawardanapura; Visiting Professor of Endocrinology University of Newcastle upon Tyne, University of Sheffield; Honorary Professor Sheffield Hallam University (Student Faculty of Medicine 1976-1981 and Senior Lecturer in Medicine 1994-1996) Dr. Brendon Gooneratne – Head and Senior Lecturer, Department of Parasitology, University of Ceylon, Peradeniya Professor Yasmine Gooneratne – poet, short story writer and essayist Priyanga Ranasinghe – professor in Pharmacology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo. Professor Shan Ratnam – Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University Hospital of Singapore Professor A. Suri Ratnapala – Professor of Law, T.C. Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland Professor Ediriweera Sarachchandra – playwright, novelist and poet Professor K. N. Seneviratne – Professor of Medicine; founder director of Sri Lanka's Postgraduate Institute of Medicine http://www.doctorndtv.com/profile/profile.asp?alias=CGoonaratna He was many things all rolled into one Professor Jayadeva Uyangoda – professor and former Head of the Department of Political Science, University of Colombo Dr Maitree Wickramasinghe – academic and senior lecturer at the Department of English of the University of Kelaniya Professor Nira Wickramasinghe – historian and Professor of Modern South Asian Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands Dr Gihan Wikramanayake – Head and Senior Lecturer, Department of Information Systems Engineering of the University of Colombo School of Computing Dr Ruchira Wijesena - Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Technology, University of Moratuwa
Artists Novelists, poets and playwrights Professor Ediriweera Sarachchandra – Sri Lanka's premier playwright
Actors Jackson Anthony – actor, director, singer Iranganie Serasinghe – actress
Visual artists Malaka Dewapriya – filmmaker, short film director, video artist, radio play writer
Judges Hon. Justice Saleem Marsoof – former Judge of the Supreme Court Hon. Justice Neville Samarakoon – former Chief Justice of Sri Lanka Sri Lankabhimanya Hon. Justice Christopher Weeramantry – former Judge of the International Court of Justice and the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka
Medicine Hithanadura Janaka De Silva – Foundation Professor of Medicine University of Kelaniya, Dean Faculty of Medicine Kelaniya Devaka Fernando – Foundation Professor of Medicine University of Sri Jayawardanapura; Visiting Professor of Endocrinology, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, University of Sheffield; Honorary Professor, Sheffield Hallam University Brendon Gooneratne – scholar and author Charles Alwis Hewavitharana – independence activist Richard Lionel Spittel, CMG, CBE – naturalist and author
Journalists Sulochana Peiris - journalist and documentary film maker Eva Ranaweera – feminist editor, poet and novelist Regi Siriwardena – journalist and writer
Sportsmen Brigadier Dr. H.I.K. Fernando – former Ceylon cricketer Lasantha Fernando – tennis champion and Davis Cup playerAppreciation 'King Lasantha' reigns no more Jehan Mubarak – cricketer Tambyah Murugaser – former Vice President of the Board of Control for Cricket; Sri Lanka team managerTamil Union felicitates Tambyah Murugaser Dr Ajith C. S. Perera – former test-match-panel senior cricket umpire; disability activist Mano Ponniah – former Ceylon cricketer and member of the Cambridge eleven Kumar Sangakkara – captain of the Sri Lankan national cricket team
Lawyers T.B. Dissanayake – former Commissioner of Assize Palitha Fernando, PC – current Attorney General of Sri Lanka and Judge Advocate of the Sri Lanka Navy
Engineers B. D. Rampala – former chief mechanical engineer and general manager of the Ceylon Government Railway
Activists Rajini Thiranagama – human rights activist and feminist
Faculty Professor Sir Nicholas Attygalle Professor Sir Charles Irwin Ball Professor Nalin de Silva Dr Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri Professor Deshamanya J B Disanayake Professor J B Disanayake Professor Christie Jayaratnam Eliezer, AM Professor Savitri Goonesekere Professor Kshanika Hirimburegama Professor Kumari Jayawardena Professor Amal Jayawardane Professor Sir William Ivor Jennings Professor Kusuma Karunaratne Professor Sarath Kotagama Professor S.R. Kottegoda Professor Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera Professor Dharmasena Pathiraja Professor G. L. Peiris Professor Vidya Jyothi V. K. Samaranayake Professor Ediriweera Sarachchandra Professor Anuradha Seneviratna Professor K. N. Seneviratne Professor Priyani Soysa Hedi Stadlen Professor Deepika Udagama Professor Jayadeva Uyangoda Professor Nira Wickramasinghe Professor Stanley Wijesundera
References