Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka

Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka

ශ්‍රී ලංකා සබරගමුව විශ්වවිද්‍යාලය இலங்கை சபரகமுவ பல்கலைக்கழகத்தின்
Motto	Naththi Pagnna Sama Aabha (Pali)
Established	1991
Chancellor	Prof. Ven. Kamburugamuwe Vajira Thero
Vice-Chancellor	Prof. Chandana P. Udawatte
Administrative staff	200
Undergraduates	4,250
Location	Balangoda, Sri Lanka
Affiliations	University Grants Commission
Website	www.sab.ac.lk

The Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka (Sinhalese: සබරගමුව විශ්වවිද්‍යාලය, Tamil: சபரகமுவா பல்கலைக்கழகம்) is in Belihuloya, Balangoda, Sri Lanka. It was founded on 20 November 1991 and consists of five faculties.

This ancient university was established by Kalikala Sahittya Sarvagna Pandita ParakramaBahu, the Second (1235-1271 AD) in the Dambadeniya period. Bhikku Dharmakirti held its chancellorship. Meanwhile, the monastic institution of higher education in Sabaragamuwa had been in the custody of Deva Pathiraja, the royal agent to the King Parakramabahu, the Second.

During the early 1990s, the Sri Lankan government came up with the concept of "University Affiliated Colleges". The concept was triggered by social problems faced by the younger generation, in addition to several committee reports which made recommendations to the government on youth unrest. Based on these reports, the government decided to open new avenues for the younger generation by means of establishing diploma-awarding bodies, which were to be affiliated with several national universities.

The Sabaragamuwa Affiliated University College (SAUC) was one such institution formed in affiliation with the University of Sri Jayawardenepura. Established at Belihuloya in the Sabaragamuwa Province on 20 November 1991 under the Sabaragamuwa Province Affiliated University College Ordinance No. 14 of 1992, the SAUC was ceremoniously declared open by His Excellency R. Premadasa, then President of Sri Lanka, on 8 February 1992. Following the opening, academic programmes of the SAUC commenced on 7 May 1992.

Prof. Dayananda Somasundara, the founding director of the college, determined that the SAUC should become a national university. Guided by his motivation, the academic, administrative and non-academic staff, students, and the nearby communities actively contributed towards the development and promotion of SAUC into a national university. As a result, the government decided to elevate SAUC to the status of a national university, amalgamating the Uva Affiliated University College (UAUC) at Rahangala and the Buttala Affiliated University College (BAUC) as the Faculties of Agricultural Sciences and Applied Sciences respectively. (Before this amalgamation, the SAUC at Belihuloya and the UAUC at Buttala were affiliated to the University of Sri Jayawardenepura, while the UAUC at Rahangala was affiliated to the University of Peradeniya.) The directors of the UAUC and BAUC were the Rev. Elle Wimalananda Thero and Prof. Arthur Bamunuarachchi respectively.