Dedicated J'pura faculty to focus on Kidney Medicine, Environment and Water
By Ifham Nizam-April 9, 2015, 6:48 pm 
The University of Sri Jayewardenepura will pump in five billion rupees to set up a separate faculty, named Engineering and Technology, with a special focus on kidney disease, environment and water, a senior university don said.
University's Vice Chancellor, Professor Sampath Amaratunge told The Island Financial Review the proposed faculty would be a research arm for the Science faculty.
Citing examples, the Vice Chancellor said that the faculty would act also as a kidney research centre.
The focus of this centre would be kidney medicine, environment and water, he said.
Fielding questions, the VC said that they had approached Japanese and Korean funding agencies in this regard, with the prior approval of the High Education Minister and University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka. He also said that the University also working on its own funds.
He said that they were in a position to take this decision especially with the intake of students from the Advanced Level Technology stream.
Professor Amaratunge added that, likewise, they would also give priority to the engineering student for research.
The VC also said that they would seek funding from the European Union countries for the establishment of a Cancer Research Centre, adding the number of deaths due to cancer had increased and the need for researching various kinds of cancers remains a high priority. He added that prostate cancer is one of the biggest challenges in the country.
'Sri Jayewardenepura University is the only University with a Medical Faculty close to the Maharagama Cancer Hospital, thus, would be in a position to take up the challenge and work closely with the Maharagama Cancer Hospital, Amaratunga explained.
He said that they would also set up centres for rural development and Nano Technology.
The University dates back to 1873, when the Ven. Hikkaduwe Sri Sumanagala Nayaka Thero laid the foundation stone for the university as an Institute of Buddhist and Oriental Studies, named Vidyodaya (meaning "awakening of knowledge").
