The newly established ‘University of Vavuniya’ - the 17th state university of Sri Lanka - is all set to be declared open today under the patronage of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

An extraordinary gazette was issued on June 08, 2021, to elevate the Vavuniya Campus of the University of Jaffna to a separate state university and be established as the “University of Vavuniya, Sri Lanka” with effect from the 1st of August 2021.

Then-Minister of Education, Prof G.L. Peiris had published the said communiqué by virtue of the powers vested in him by section 21 of Universities Act, No. 16 of 1978.

The new state university was established for the purpose of providing, promoting and developing higher education in the branches of learning of Business Studies, Applied Science and Technology Studies.

The university premises is located approximately 10km away from Vavuniya town along the Vavuniya Mannar Road at Sopalapuliyankulam, Pampaimadu. The university owns 195 acres of land, and it is a residential university.

It expects to increase the student intake through introducing new study programs along with the establishment of the proposed faculties, namely, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Aquaculture, Fisheries and Marine Studies, Faculty of Natural Resources, Environment and Sustainable Energy Studies, Faculty of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Media and Communication Studies, and Faculty of Built Environment.