- A Call from Advocates for Protecting the University of Colombo
(Lanka-e-News -10.Dec.2024, 11.40 PM) The University of Colombo, one of Sri Lanka’s most prestigious and respected academic institutions, recently held its graduation ceremony with pride. This event, however, highlights a significant shift: students are now willing to accept their degrees under the current administration. This change is because students previously refused to accept their certificates from Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero, who had been controversially appointed as the Chancellor by a prior government.
In a past instance, when students rejected their certificates from Ananda Thero, the then-Vice Chancellor intervened to award the certificates. This act of defiance led to her removal by the Rajapaksa administration, which replaced her with the current Vice Chancellor, H.D. Karunaratne, a staunch supporter of the Rajapaksas at the time. However, after the fall of the Rajapaksa regime, Karunaratne aligned himself with the Ranil faction. Despite persistent student protests against Ananda Thero, his role as Chancellor remained secure under government and Vice Chancellor support until the National People’s Power (NPP) government took office.
The current Vice Chancellor’s term ends in April, but H.D. Karunaratne is actively working to secure a second term. Nine candidates have applied for the position, but Karunaratne’s influence over the governing council raises concerns about fair selection. Reports suggest a deliberate effort to exclude qualified candidates during the initial review, with plans to shortlist Karunaratne and two less-qualified individuals. Allegedly, a senior professor from the history department is complicit in this scheme.
In a country still reeling from political turmoil, the university community questions whether the current administration is short-sighted enough to reappoint an individual with such controversies.
Advocates for transparency urge the government to investigate the following allegations against Karunaratne before any reappointment:
1. Collecting personal funds from every paid course conducted at the university.
2. Receiving significant commissions through a specific company for enrolling foreign students.
3. Accepting bribes from ongoing construction projects, particularly for the management building.
4. Allocating scholarships and foreign study tours intended for students and staff to his family members (daughter and son-in-law) and misusing university resources and vehicles.
5. Misappropriating funds allocated for landscaping the university premises without completing the work.
6. Using his influence to include his daughter and son-in-law in revenue-generating lecture activities at the university.
7. Pressuring the recruitment of his daughter, who lacks a recognized degree, as a lecturer at the university’s Human Resource Development Institute.
8. Initiating a Japanese language course at the Institute of Indigenous Medicine specifically for his daughter, despite staff questioning its relevance to the institution.
9. Facilitating his daughter’s postgraduate degree within the same department where he worked as Vice Chancellor. While this might be her right, professors from the department allege irregularities.
10. Suppressing the rights of socialist students by preventing the establishment of student unions, a fundamental right in all universities. Karunaratne publicly stated that such unions would not be allowed during his tenure.
We urge the current administration to investigate these allegations and take corrective action instead of reinstating such a controversial individual. The University of Colombo deserves a leader who upholds the integrity of this esteemed institution.
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by (2024-12-10 18:59:08)
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