The University of Colombo, founded in 1921, is Sri Lanka’s oldest Higher Education Institution. In keeping with its motto बुद्धिः शर्वत्र भ्रजते (Buddhi Sarvathra Bhrajate), translated from Sanskrit as “Wisdom Enlightens”, the University of Colombo continually strives to maintain academic excellence in all fields of study. The University is organized across 9 Faculties and 56 academic departments, along with 7 Institutes, a Campus, a School, and 8 Research Centres, including one dedicated to social policy research.
Located primarily in the Colombo metropolitan region, the University of Colombo is structured as a state institution which provides access to higher education across the country. The main campus is sited in the heart of Colombo, on a sprawling 50-acre estate, and comprises contemporary urban constructions as well as old colonial architecture considered national heritage sites.
The pioneer Medical Faculty in Sri Lanka, the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo celebrates its 150th Anniversary in 2020, while the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Education of the University of Colombo are the only such Faculties in the state-run, free education system of Sri Lanka. The University is a proud member of the Asian Universities Alliance of which the Executive Presidency for the period 2019-2020 is held by the University of Colombo.
In addition to a large and diverse academic portfolio, the University of Colombo also offers library services, career guidance, sports, student societies, and accommodation on campus. Other facilities include an arts theatre where students can showcase their skills in performing arts.
The University prides itself on being a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic institution that emphasizes values of social harmony, cultural diversity, equal opportunity and unity among its staff and students. Several scholarships are available for international students, and the University boasts a number of academic partnerships with overseas universities, including Uppsala University in Sweden, Justus Liebig University in Germany, the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, the University of Heidelberg in Germany, the University of Zurich in Switzerland, Chartered Institute in Management Accounting (CIMA) in the United Kingdom, Western Sydney University in Australia, Queensland University in Australia and the University of Granada in Spain.
The University of Colombo actively engages in improving student life in numerous ways to supplement academic learning. Over the years, the University has built strong links with the industry in order to enhance the value of the education we provide. Similarly, the sports facilities provided by the university encourage the students to balance academics and social life, and many national and international achievements are recorded by our students every year in the sports arena.
Away from campus, students of the University can enjoy Colombo’s many attractions including museums and shopping malls, historical sites and Buddhist temples, a planetarium, a zoological garden and an ocean-front park.
