University of Sri Jayawardanapura
| ශ්රී ජයවර්ධනපුර විශ්වවිද්යාලය ஸ்ரீ ஜயவர்தனபுர பல்கலைக்கழகம் |
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Former name
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Vidyodaya University |
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| Motto |
Vijja Uppattam Setta (among all that arise, knowledge is the greatest) |
| Established |
1873 Vidyodaya Pirivena 1959 Vidyodaya University |
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Academic affiliation
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University Grants Commission (Sri Lanka), Association of Commonwealth Universities, International Association of Universities |
| Chancellor | Bellanvila Vimalarathana Thero |
| Vice-Chancellor | Sampath Amaratunge |
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Administrative staff
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800 |
| Undergraduates | 14,000 |
| Postgraduates | 900 |
| Location |
Nugegoda,  Sri Lanka6°51′11.710″N 79°54′9.96″E / 6.85325278°N 79.9027667°E |
| Campus | Main premises at Gangodawila |
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Sporting affiliations
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Sri Lanka University Games |
| Website | www |
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The University of Sri Jayewardenepura (also referred as Jayewardenepura University or USJP) (Sinhalese: ශ්රී ජයවර්ධනපුර විශ්වවිද්යාලය, Tamil: ஸ்ரீ ஜயவர்தனபுர பல்கலைக்கழகம்) is a university in Sri Lanka. It is in Gangodawila, Nugegoda, near Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, the capital city. It was formed in 1958 out of the Vidyodaya Pirivena, a Buddhist educational centre which was founded in 1873 by Ven. Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera.
In 1956, following a change of government with Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike as the prime minister and following the policy of promoting national languages and culture, it was decided to establish two new universities by conferring university status on the Vidyodaya and Vidyalankara Pirivenas. Accordingly, the Vidyodaya University and Vidyalankara University Act No. 45 of 1958 established the universities at the Vidyodyaya Pirivena at Maligakanda and the Vidyalankara Pirivena at Kelaniya. In 1958, it was reconstituted as the Vidyodaya University of Ceylon.
In 1961, a new location was selected at Gangodawila, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) southeast from the center of Colombo and in walking distance of a main trunk road known as the High Level Road (A4). This road connects Colombo to Ratnapura and beyond. Part of these lands belonged to the nearby Sunethradevi Pirivena, associated with King Parakramabahu VI (1412–1467). The shift of the university to the new site was effected on 22 November 1961, under the direction of Sri Soratha Thera. The vice-chancellor invited the Department of the Government Archives to establish its archives within the campus, close to the University Library, to encourage research.
When Walpola Rahula was the vice-chancellor, the university grew significantly in stature. When Rahula left the university in 1969, linguist D. E. Hettiarachchi took over. A noted employee of at this time was Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was chairman of the United Corporations and Mercantile Union local on the campus. He later went on to be President of Sri Lanka.
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Wikipedia