Gampaha Wickramarachchi Ayurveda Institute gets upgraded to university status
View(s):Withstanding many obstacles through the years, and pursuing the mission of becoming a global centre of excellence in Indigenous Medicine, the Gampaha Wickramarachchi Ayurveda Institute was recently upgraded to become the Gampaha Wickramarachchi University of Indigenous Medicine. It will be the 16th National University of Sri Lanka.
The inaugural ceremony of the respective transformation took place recently at the Gampaha Wickramarachchi University of Indigenous Medicine, while the ceremony of its official launching took place on March 4, under the patronage of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Established in 1929 by Ayurveda Chakravarti Pandith G.P. Wickramarachchi as a centre of learning the siddayurveda tradition of medicine, the Gampaha Wickramarachchi Ayurveda Institute (currently affiliated to the University of Kelaniya) now serves as one of the leading University Institutes of Ayurveda Education in Sri Lanka.
With a proud history of more than 77 years, the institute began with a mere 20 students, and over the years it has educated many local and international students in Indigenous Medicine. Thus, the Gampaha Wickramarachchi Ayurveda Institute continues in its endeavour in meeting the challenges of maintaining its unique position in the Sri Lankan university system and preserving the methods of Indigenous Medicine in the country.
“We are delighted to launch this historic Institute into a fully-fledged university. It has been an epicentre for Indigenous Medicine for more than 77 years in Sri Lanka and we look forward to taking Sri Lankan Indigenous Medicine to the world, especially at a time where Indigenous Medicine has gained popularity due to the current pandemic,” the Competent Authority and University Grants Commission (UGC) Vice Chairperson Janitha Liyanage said.
The University will have full-time academic programmes and will also introduce new part-time postgraduate programme and an extension programme as an initiative in promoting and educating the general public on
Sri Lankan Indigenous Medicine.