A newly conceptualised university with a futuristic vision to be the Centre of Excellence for Value Addition to the national resource base was established in 2005 in Badulla in the salubrious surroundings of a panoramic location in the hills.
From that milestone, Uva Wellassa University (UWU) has begun its journey towards success in its every step with the support of academic, non-academic and administrative staff in achieving the excellence.
The 14th national university of Sri Lanka, the UWU has now changed the conventional culture of universities in the country, as it envisioned in the beginning of academic journey, quality oriented attitudinal pathways of the ancient countrymen have now been unveiled.
It is the quality that matters in education, as it is driven by Buddhist spiritual contemporaries in Sri Lanka in historical periods. Economic, social and spiritual well-being was established all around the country with a connected sharing basis network of human resources. This had been engraved in the monumental structures, such as Jethavanaya, Abhayagiriya and Ruwanweli Mahaseya incomparable to world’s largest physical structures as pyramids.
Even the engineering discipline and the technology of the ancients were profound in nature. In order to enhance the potentials of the people, countrymen had envisioned the livelihood with a broader perspective which encouraged the self-exploration of human existence. Having experienced the richness of the nation at its physical and psychological dimensions, Uva Wellassa University has focused on corresponding mind map of such development, sketched to tap the attitudinal advancement which is the key to the meaning in life.
Higher Education
Higher education is the education provided by universities, colleges and other institutions that award academic degrees. Higher education includes both the undergraduate and the postgraduate levels. Professional education and vocationally or professionally oriented Higher education theoretically will also enable individuals to expand their knowledge, skills and attitudes which express their thoughts, behaviour, speech and writing, grasp abstract concepts and theories and increase their understanding of the world and their community at a better level. Four years of hard work and more than six thousand plus hours of well-trained mindsets of graduates are an enormous wealth to the nation.
Convocation
The term “Convocation” typically states something about a group of people in a College or University that gather for some sort of a ceremony. Convocation is a Latin phrase, meaning “calling together.”
The Convocation focuses on welcoming activity to the workforce of the country. A convocation ceremony is a special day in the academic life of students as after years of hard work and dedication, they get their hard-earned education degrees.
Wearing the traditional academic regalia and walking up the stage is the dream of every student in front of his colleagues, friends and family members who have supported them in their difficult endeavour. It is a defining moment in every student’s life giving his self-esteem a boost. Convocation is the academic excellence and reputation of any institution depends on the quality of education and training imparted. The much-awaited convocation ceremony is a living proof of the quality of education that has been imparted to the students. It is a culmination of the hard work they have put in to achieve their degrees.
History of graduation
Ceremonies for graduating students date from the universities in Europe in the twelfth century. At that time, Latin was the language of scholarship. A “universitas” was a guild of masters (MAs) with licence to teach. “Degree” and “graduate” come from gradus, meaning “step”.
The first step was admission to a bachelor’s degree. The second step was the Masters step, giving the graduate admission to the universitas and license to teach. Typical dress for graduation is gown and hood, or hats adapted from the daily dress of university staff in the middle Ages, which was in turn based on the attire worn by medieval clergy.
Graduation at the college and university level occurs when the presiding officer confers degrees upon candidates, either individually or in masses, even if graduates receive their diploma earlier or later at a college or departmental ceremony, when ceremonies are associated, they usually include a procession of the academic staff and candidates and a valediction.
Establishment of UWU
The faculty will usually wear academic dress at the formal ceremonies, as will the trustees and degree candidates. After the completion of a degree, graduates can be referred to by their graduating year.
Uva Wellassa University is an investment of hard-working people of Sri Lanka and now, the investment has matured with fruitful results. Cabinet approval was granted to establish the university on October 26, 2004, later with clear supervision, actual construction commenced on August 2005 with the foundation laying ceremony. The completion of the main lecture hall and the computer laboratory by May 2006 was a remarkable achievement. Administrative building, Senate building, three canteens, four hostels, Medical centre, Labs, were completed in last couple of years with an efficient work force. A Gymnasium, Faculty of Technology Studies building, Staff learning centre and Library buildings are a few of the projects to be completed soon.
Faculty development
In the Year of academic program establishment in 2006, the UWU had only three faculties and under that five degree programs, 167 students were taken in to academic programs.
Four faculties have set their benchmark on outcome-based education, achieving their intended learning outcomes measuring the standards of quality education at different levels. They are Animal Science and Export Agriculture, Management, Applied Science and Technological Studies. Under those, there are thirteen-degree programs and 788 students.
Human Resource Development
No academic institution is free from national responsibilities and commitment to growth. It’s all about people and their quality of work which entrust the organisational commitment and growth. Academic establishments are the key to success of any country and its development. Well educated human capital would enhance the quality of life as a nation. In this context, human resource management and Human Resource Development (HRD) are the frameworks for helping employees develop their personal and organisational skills, knowledge, and abilities within the frame of organisation.
HRD is one of the most significant opportunities that employees seek when they consider their employer. The ability and encouragement to continue to develop their skills help retain and motivate employees.The focus of all aspects of HRD is on developing the most superior workforce so that the organisation and individual employees can accomplish their work goals in service to the nation.
The UWU has deployed the procedures to absorb the best of the best from the available in providing the platform for them to experience the zenith of the academic path.
Research, Innovations and Publications
Development is merely a product of research. Research is a creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of humans, culture and society and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications. A clear understanding of what an innovation represents is crucial to assess the innovativeness of organisations. Innovativeness can be defined as the capacity of an organisation to produce novelties continuously and is considered to entail important organisational outcomes. Innovation as an organisational phenomenon has a long tradition of research and has been studied in many different fields.
Publications are the act of making such innovative and informative information or stories, pictures and posters available to people in printed or electronic form.
The UWU research intensions are far ahead of conventional approaches and always forward. Below charts is an expression of start-up academic organisational gradual fluctuation of value addition to resources in resourceful ways.
Financial Support from Treasury Grants
It doesn’t matter what we have all that matter is what we do with it. The major component of the funding of Sri Lankan public higher education institutions comes from the treasury grants and consists of three separate strands; for teaching (salaries and other current expenditures), for research and for investment.
Withholding that righteous image, the UWU has begun its journey towards success in its every step with the support of young and enthusiastic team of Academic staff, Administrative staff and Academic support staff who are committed in making the students enriched with better knowledge, skills and competencies. They also widen their contribution in supporting the students in each and every way to make every young citizen of the University to be unique in his or her endeavours. We welcome all perspectives, but above all, the UWU salute humanity, service and quality.
Resourceful outcomes of the UWU
Probably the strongest outcomes to measure because, for the most part, they are quantifiable and people care about them. Below chart shows in how many students graduated in the University
Above chart is a measure of quantifiable outlook of infinite quality-oriented personas, what UWU has achieved in past few years in the spectrum of academic harvest.
Graduate employability
Within the past nine graduation years, UWU has generated an active work force. UWU graduates have been recruited by public and private sector organisations. Majority of them hold positions directly relevant to their areas of speciality. A significant portion serves in various capacities where the Bachelor’s degree is the minimum required qualification. Depending on the discipline, the graduate employment range is above 65 percentages.
The present Chancellor is Most Venerable Bengamuwe Sri Dhammadinna Nayake Thera.