Appreciations
View(s):He made his students fall in love with physics
Prof. Rohan Jayasundera
Distinguished professor, Rohan Jayasundera sadly passed away on July 18 leaving behind not only his loving and devoted family and friends, but a legacy that will live on.
This interview by co-op student Sophie Twardus, Special Projects (Teaching Stories), CTE. University of Waterloo, Canada is republished here as a tribute to him:
In 1987, Arthur Chickering and Zelda Gamson, with the assistance of other experts in higher education, identified what they called “Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education.” There’s little doubt that all seven of these principles are enacted by Rohan Jayasundera – a recipient of Waterloo’s Distinguished Teacher Award – but one principle in particular stands out: namely, high expectations.
“I don’t believe in making life easy for students,” says Jayasundera. “I don’t think that giving easy midterms or assignments is the way to motivate them. They come to university to study something. They are here because they want to be here. They need to be challenged.”
Perhaps because he is a physicist, Jayasundera is also keenly aware that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction: he knows that if he is going to have high expectations of his students, then he in turn needs to be there to support them. “To challenge them,” he says, “I have to demand hard work from them, and if I demand that then I have to be available to them. So, my door is open for students anytime.”
Jayasundera means what he says. On weekdays he meets with students in his office until evening, and again on Saturdays for half a day. Students recognize – and appreciate – both Jayasundera’s high expectations of them and his corresponding dedication to them. “He’s tough,” says one student “but he goes out of his way to make sure each and every one of his students succeeds.” Another student comments that “All the extra time he spends with the students is incredible. He’s a very devoted teacher, and always willing to help you understand everything he teaches.” A third student sums up Jayasundera’s instructional approach this way: “He doesn’t have office hours – because his office is never closed!”
After 31 years of teaching at Waterloo, how does Jayasundera maintain this level of dedication to his students? The answer perhaps lies in what he identifies as his teaching philosophy: “If you enjoy what you do, you’ll do a good job; if you do a good job, your students benefit; if your students benefit, they are happy; if they are happy, they love you; if they love you, then it helps you enjoy what you do – and back to square one!”
The word “love” might seem surprising in an academic context, but Jayasundera uses it very intentionally: he emphasizes that “if you don’t love your students and love what you are doing, then you don’t succeed.” His ardour for his students and his discipline is infectious. “He makes his students fall in love with physics,” says one of them. “He loves to teach and loves to help,” says another. “I’m going to miss him,” says a third, as the course draws to an end.
Jayasundera’s high expectations – of his students and of himself – are at the heart of his teaching practice, and are also what made him a natural choice for the position of Senior Teaching Fellow in the Faculty of Science. In that role, he recognizes that there is no single template for good teaching. “Every instructor,” he says, “has to find a teaching style that suits his or her personality.” Still, if one is looking for a role model, Rohan Jayasundera is hard to beat.
Remembering a business entrepreneur with a rare vision
N. U. Jayawardena
It is with a deep sense of regret that I read in the Sunday papers of the 115th birth anniversary of late N.U. Jayawardena, fondly remembered by all as NU. I consider it a privilege to have known him and closely associated with him from 1974 to 1991, when I was the partner in charge of all the audits of Mr. Jayawardena.
He was a business entrepreneur with a vision that few others in the world could imagine. To this end I was privileged to serve him during those years with great admiration. I was very fortunate that his offices were located almost adjoining our office on Queens Street.
He built his business empire through Mercantile Credit by harnessing the savings of citizens of Sri Lanka and with the able assistance of his son Nimal who was a great help to calm the seas during NU’s ambitious plans for the future. He was ably assisted by his daughter and a small retinue of office staff consisting of peon Yapa and office assistant Thissa Jayasinghe and ever smiling Wignarajah. Of course he had a whole host of other professional staff and assistants.
He recognized that board building was a pioneer industry in Sri Lanka and therefore acquired Bonars which was renamed Premier Engineers and handed over the management to his son-in-law Darmin. He recognized Kotte as the alternate hub of Colombo by having Mercantile Housing and Mercantile Developments own large tracts of land well before President Jayewardene decided to relocate the Parliament in Kotte.
All these he thought about for utilising the depositors’ money in more fruitful ventures.
Certain other ventures which he started during his time were the introduction of leasing to Sri Lanka by establishing a separate company by the name of Mercantile Lloyds Leasing which was in collaboration with Lloyds Bank of United Kingdom, Mercantile Produce and stock brokering companies, Federal Express agency, Merc Holiday Resource Ltd – owners of then Fortress hotel in Koggala and many other ventures.
He was instrumental in setting up a pioneering insurance company called Union Assurance Ltd in collaboration with other parties and last but not least Sampath Bank which stands today as a pioneering local bank in Sri Lanka.
He was a devout Buddhist and the Dhanesalawa at Mettarama temple at Lauries Road, Bambalapitiya was an outright gift from him in memory of his late wife who gave him two lovely boys and a beautiful girl whom he adored.
One day I still remember, he showed me a book written by Dr. Lal Jayawardena, a renowned economist. The book was endorsed by the then German Chancellor
He contributed to many other temples and Buddhist causes. May he attain Nibbana in our long journey of Sansara.
Gamini Fonseka
His invaluable service to public life should not be forgotten
Dr. A. M. A. Azeez
I pen these lines as a mark of respect to the great educationist and academic Dr. A. M. A. Azeez. He hailed from a respectable family in Jaffna. He attended the Vaideshwara and Jaffna Hindu Colleges and these institutions gave him ample knowledge that had a positive impact on his life.
In 1929, he entered the Ceylon University College. Devoted and hardworking, he excelled in his undergraduate studies. His performance earned him a place in St. Catherine’s College, Cambridge where he studied History. Dr. Azeez was the first Muslim to enter the prestigious Ceylon Civil Service in 1935. He retired in 1948 with the sole idea of serving his community and country. The furtherance of education among Muslims became his noble mission.
He functioned as the Principal of Zahira College, Colombo for 13 years. No other principal had such a record of service at Zahira. All credit should go to Dr. Azeez for having built up an institution with a firm foundation and successfully guiding its destiny.
Zahira was Dr. Azeez and Dr. Azeez was Zahira; such was the thinking that prevailed then. With the help of his administrative skills, he made the college a leading Muslim institution in Sri Lanka.
Dr. Azeez was confronted with many challenges during his stewardship, but faced them bravely and tactfully. He was a man of principle and proved himself to be an exemplary and efficient Principal.
Zahira produced many doctors, engineers, architects, chartered accountants, professors and teachers; they are indebted to him for where they are today.
Dr. Azeez wrote a number of articles on Muslims in Sri Lanka and they were published in ‘The Voice of Islam’ in Karachi, Pakistan. He published the book ‘The West Reappraised’ in 1964. At the first International Conference on Tamil Studies held in Kuala Lumpur in April 1966, an interesting research contribution was made by Dr. Azeez.
The invaluable service rendered by Dr. A. M. A. Azeez to public life should not be forgotten.
His life and deeds should serve as a shining example to the Muslim community and its leaders.
Dahlan Salahudeen
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