Education & Career

Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku is a man of versatile experience. His career has spanned the worlds of education, public service, diplomacy, and of course, politics.

Born in 1945, he received a Bachelor’s degree in Economics with Honors at the University of Kelaniya. He went on to do graduate studies at the University of New England in Australia on a Colombo Plan Fellowship.

Dr. Kodituwakku’s first job was as a lecturer of Economics at the University of Sri Jayawardenapura. He served in this capacity for six years before leaving for graduate studies. Upon his return to Sri Lanka, he went back to lecturing and also took on the position of Director & Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Employment. Among his many achievements in this capacity was the establishment of the Graduate Placement Service for university graduates who were not in a position to find gainful employment on their own. It was a tremendous success in the 1980s, but after Dr. Kodituwakku left this position, the placement service was unfortunately dismantled. Since then, there has been no such agency for unemployed graduates and even today, we see them often involved in protests, picketing, and clashes with authorities.

Vice-Chancellor Duties

In 1983, in the wake of clashes at and the closure of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura between some of its students and academic and non-academic staff, as well as the villagers of the area, President J.R. Jayewardene appointed Dr. Kodituwakku to the position of Competent Authority to settle the situation. The appointment was for three months. However, later, he was appointed as the Vice Chancellor, a position he held till April 1988, and he became the longest-served Vice Chancellor of the USJ up to now.

His tenure as VC saw the establishment of the university’s Postgraduate Institute of Management in 1986. This has now become the most sought-after MBA program in Sri Lanka, and has even set up a branch abroad. Another accomplishment was the launching of postgraduate studies in forestry for the first time in the university system in Sri Lanka with financial support from the World Bank. The replanting program launched alongside this is the root of the beautifully verdant campus today.

The decision to set up the university’s medical faculty was also decided on at that time. A computer center was established for the first time at the university in 1984 and various academic courses were introduced, including English-medium for Commerce Studies, which now has the majority of Commerce and Management students.

During this time, Dr. Kodituwakku was elected as the Chairman of the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Directors of Sri Lanka. In this capacity, he served as a Executive Member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, which is based in London. He participated at Vice Chancellors’ Conferences in many parts of the Commonwealth.

Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Japan and the Republic of Korea

Dr Kodituwakku was appointed as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Japan in 1988 and then as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Republic of Korea in 1989. His achievements in Japan and the Republic of Korea are detailed in the Diplomacy Section.

Founder Chairman – Geological Survey & Mines Bureau

At the end of 1991, Dr. Kodituwakku returned to Sri Lanka and re-commenced his academic career at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. In 1993, he concurrently served as the Founder Chairman of the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau of Sri Lanka. Geological regulations in place at present were first formulated under his leadership, bringing sand mining into some sort of formal regulation.

Director – National Academy of Political Education

In the same year, Dr. Kodituwakku was appointed as the Director of the National Academy of Political Education, in which position he served until 2002. The Academy provided political education and training to youth who aspired to be politicians.

In National Politics

In 1993 Dr Kodituwakku was appointed as the Governor of the North Western Province.

In 1994 he was elected as a Member of Parliament and then went on to become the Cabinet Minister of Education, Cultural Affairs and Human Resource Development from 2001-2004.  His achievements in these portfolios are detailed in the National Politics Section.

He was elected as the Representative for Asia and the Pacific to the Executive Board of UNESCO in 2003.