University History
Rajarata University of Sri Lanka was established as the eleventh National University in Sri Lanka and was inaugurally opened on the 31st January 1996 by her Excellency President Chandrika Bandaranayake as per the Gazette Notification 896/2 and the University act 16 of 1978.
Sirimavo Bandaranayake, then Prime Minister, Hon. Speaker K.B. Rathnayake, Minister of Higher Education Richard Pathirana, Deputy Minister of Higher Education Wishwa Warnapala, Governor NCP Maithripala Senanayake, Chairman UGC Prof. S. Thilakaratne, The first Vice Chancellor of RUSL Prof. W.I. Siriweera graced the inaugural ceremony Dr. Jayantha Kelegama was the first chancellor of RUSL. It is quite significant that the RUSL was established in Mihintale, a sacred land a few kilometers away from the Historical Kingdom of Anuradhapura.
It is not an exaggeration to introduce Mihintale as the cradle of Buddhism, 15 km to the East of the Ancient Kingdom, Anuradhapura, a land gifted with ancient architecture and irrigation which paved the way through Buddhism for an admirable lifestyle and scholars of the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka are fortunate to receive education in this seat of learning.
Having examined the Social variables encountered by Sri Lanka in the two decades 1970 and 1980, the then government decided to establish Affiliated University colleges to provide opportunities for higher education for youth who are qualified but deprived of University education. Consequently, Affiliated University colleges were established in Makandura, Kuliyapitiya and Anuradhapura. Subsequently, on the 07th of November 1995, the Affiliated Universities were amalgamated and the affiliated university of Kuliyapitiya and Makandura were named Wayamba Campus of Rajarata University of Sri Lanka.
At its inception, four faculties, namely the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Faculty of Management Studies, Faculty of Agriculture and Faculty of Applied Sciences were established and in the year 2006, the Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences was established as the fifth faculty of RUSL. The faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Faculty of Management Studies and Faculty of Applied Sciences are conveniently located in the Mihintale premises, while the Faculties of Agriculture and Medicine and Allied Sciences are situated in Puliyankulama and Saliyapura respectively.
During the past sixteen years, the contribution made to tertiary education by the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka has been immense.
