Sri Jayawardhanapura University is one of the national universities of Sri Lanka having a fairly long illustrious history and a wide spread fame for Buddhist and oriental studies. This University was established in 1958 by reorganizing and upgrading the Vidyodaya Pirivena, one of the two hallowed centres of Buddhist and oriental studies, established in 1873 by the internationally reputed scholar monk, most Ven. Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala, who was also a pioneer of the island’s Buddhist revival movement of the mid 19^th centery.

At the inception this was named the University of Vidyodaya, a continuation of its earlier name. Later, with the University reform that came into effect in 1966, it was designated as the Vidyodaya Campus, and at present it is designated as the University of Sri Jayawardhanapura.

This is one of the premier Universities of Sri Lanka that provides facilities for undergraduate as well as post-graduate students pursuing Buddhist Studies and also Buddhism related subjects. There are four main courses for undergraduate students, designed to give them a fairly comprehensive knowledge regarding these subjects, enabling also those who desire to follow post-graduate studies to engage in indept research.

The Four Courses are :

· Pali
· Buddhist Culture
· Buddhist Philosophy
· Philosophy and Psychology.

Besides, There is also a year-long compulsory course on “Sri Lankan Society and Buddhist Culture.” There is a vast student population pursuing these courses, and the course work is conducted by a suitably qualified permanent academic staff of nine members, assisted by an approved set of visiting teachers mainly drawn from the other Universities.

There is a three-year fulltime course for the B.A. general degree and a four-year fulltime course for the special degree. This University also follows the newly introduced unit system in which, a student following a general Degree has to offer three subjects and complete 10 units in each subject; a student following a Special Degree couse has to complete 22/24 units in the main subject of his choice, and also 16 units in the subsidiary subject. The students for special Degree Courses are selected on the basis of the results of the General Arts Qualifying Examination.

The permanent academic staff consists of the following.

Prof. Ariyapala Perera
(Head of the Department of Buddhist and Pali Studies) B.A.(Hons) Vidyodaya University M.A. (Sri Lanka) Ph.D. (Benares)

Prof.Chandima Wijebandara
(Former Dean of the Faculty fo Arts, and present Acting Vice-Chancellor) B.A. (Hons) Ph.D. (Lancaster)

Ven. Prof. Meegoda Pannaloka
B.A. (Hons) M.A. (Vidyodaya) Ph.D. (Sri Jayawardhanapura)

Ven.Dr. Nayimbala Dhammadassi
Senior Lecturer B.A. (Hons) (Sri Jayawardhanapura)
Ph.D. (Lancaster)

Mr. H.M. Moratuwagama
Senior Lecturer B.A. (Hons) (Peradeniya) M.Phil. (Kelaniya)

Mr. W.A.G. Perera
Senior Lecturer B.A. (Hons) (Kelaniya) M.A. (Kelaniya)

Mr. K.A. Weerasena
Senior Lecturer B.A. (Hons) ((Sri Jayawardhana-pura) M.A. (Sri Jayawardhanapura)

Ven. Magammana Pannananda
Lecturer B.A. (Hons)(Sri Jayawardhanapura)

Mr. W.M. Yaparatne
Temporary Lecturer B.A. (Peradeniya) M.Phil. (Sri Jayawardhanapura)