President Anura Kumara Disanayake has appointed Professor I.M. Karunathilake as the new Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo.

The official letter of appointment was handed over to Professor Karunathilake on Friday  (23) at the Presidential Secretariat by Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

Professor  Karunathilake is a pioneer in the field of medical education in Sri Lanka and holds the distinction of being the first Professor of Medical Education at the University of Colombo. He has been a member of the university’s academic staff since June 2000. He is an alumnus of the University of Colombo and the University of Dundee in Scotland, UK, and also holds senior fellowships from  UK’s Higher Education Academy and the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

Internationally recognized for his expertise in medical education, Professor Karunathilake has contributed significantly at both regional and global levels through his work with leading organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH), and the South-East Asian Regional Association for Medical Education (SEARAME).

He has previously served as the Secretary of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) and was the founding President of the College of Medical Educationists (CME) in Sri Lanka. He has also served as Vice President of the Organization of Professional Associations (OPA). In 2021, Professor Karunathilake was unanimously elected as Secretary-General of the APACPH, becoming the first Sri Lankan to hold this prestigious position.

With this appointment, Professor I.M. Karunathilake becomes the 20th Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo, an institution originally established in 1921 as the University of Ceylon.