Professor Jayantha Lal Ratnasekera has been re-appointed as the Vice Chancellor of the Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka by His Excellency, The President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Professor Ratnasekera assumed duties as the Vice Chancellor of UWU for next 3 years on his birthday, November 04, 2020.
Professional Journey of Professor Ratnasekera.
Professor Jayantha Lal Ratnasekera has had his primary education at Agrabodhi Vidyalaya, Kanthale, and secondary education at Nalanda College, Colombo. Professor Ratnasekera has graduated from People’s Friendship University, Moscow, Russia with an honors degree in Chemistry in 1988. Subsequently, in 1993, he has obtained his PhD in Chemistry from the same university.
Professor Ratnasekera has joined the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka as a Senior Lecturer in August 1996, and was promoted to the post of Professor in Chemistry in 2018. He has been the Head of the Department of Physical Sciences of Rajarata University for a period of three years (1996-1999), and the Dean of Faculty of Applied Sciences for a period of six years (1999-2005).
Professor Ratnasekera has served in three World Bank funded higher education and school education projects (i.e. IRQUE, HETC and TSEP) in different capacities, such as Consultant on Quality Assurance, Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist, Deputy Project Director and Project Director. Professor Ratnasekera was appointed to the Post of Vice Chancellor of Uva Wellassa University by His Excellency the President, in January, 2017 and holds that position to date.
Thus, he has a wide knowledge and hands-on experience on the Sri Lankan higher education and school education systems.
His research interests are in the fields of renewable energy sources, environmental chemistry, theoretical chemistry, quality assurance in higher education, science education etc. He was awarded the Presidential Award for Scientific Publications published in the year 2016, and the National Research Council (NRC) Merit Award for Scientific Research published in the year 2017.
Professor Ratnasekera has contributed immensely for development of quality assurance activities in the Sri Lankan University sector. He has served as a Member of the Standing Committee on Quality Assurance, University Grants Commission (UGC) for several years, and also served as an International Reviewer in external quality assessments in a number of universities in Bangladesh.
From March 2013 to February 2015, he has served as a Member of Standing Committee on General Education, National Education Commission (NEC), and from has been serving as a Member of Standing Committee on Higher Education, National Education Commission (NEC) from 2017 to date.
Professor Ratnasekera has been a trainer and a resource person in numerous training programs and workshops. He is also well known as a freelance writer for newspapers, author and a translator.
