Prof. Indika Mahesh Karunathilake has been appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor of the University of Colombo by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
He received the letter of appointment from the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday, according to the President’s Media Division (PMD).
He is the 20th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Colombo.
Prof. Karunathilake is the first ever Professor in Medical Education at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
He is, at present, the Head of the Department of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo and the Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine.
Prof. Karunathilake has conducted extensive research and authored over 100 publications in peer reviewed international journals and over 150 research presentations at international and national level.
He is a recipient of the President’s Award for Scientific Publications. He also serves as the editor-in-Chief of the South East Asian Journal of Medical Education (SEAJME).
Prof. Karunathilake is the founder President of the College of Medical Educationists. He has made contributions towards at the regional and global level through several leading international organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH), Asia Pacific Action Alliance on Human Resources (AAAH) and South East Regional Association for Medical Education (SEARAME). He is also the Secretary General of APACPH.
