Professor Kapila Seneviratne appointed as new UGC chairman

Senior Professor Kapila Seneviratne has been appointed as the new Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

He succeeds Senior Professor Sampath Amaratunga, who recently resigned from the position.

Professor Seneviratne is a distinguished scholar in the field of chemistry, specializing in the chemical and nutritional properties of edible oils.

He graduated with a BSc (Special) Degree in Chemistry from the University of Kelaniya in 1990 and later earned his Ph.D. from Wayne State University, Detroit, USA, in 1997.

He further advanced his academic credentials with postdoctoral research at the University of British Columbia, Canada, in 1998-1999.

A highly respected academic, Professor Seneviratne has held several prestigious fellowships, including a Commonwealth Fellowship at the University of Leeds, UK, in 2010, and a Fulbright Fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA, in 2011.

Throughout his career, he has led multiple research projects, particularly in the field of edible oils, establishing himself as a leading expert in this area.

In addition to his research, he has served in key administrative roles at the University of Kelaniya, including as the Dean of the Faculty of Science from 2014 to 2017.

Prior to his appointment to the UGC, he was the Dean of the Postgraduate Institute and also chaired both the Research Council and the Ethics Review Committee at the University of Kelaniya.

Professor Seneviratne’s appointment is seen as a significant step in strengthening the academic and research leadership within Sri Lanka’s higher education sector.