About Us-UOJ

The establishment of a full fledged University in Jaffna had been a long standing aspiration of the people of Jaffna. This was fulfilled when a campus of the University of Srilanka was established in 1974 by an order made by the Honourable Minister of Education. The campus became an independent and autonomous University bearing the name University of Jaffna on January 01, 1979.

The academic and administrative activities of the university are governed by the Universities Act. No. 16 of 1978., as last amended by Act No 1 of 1995.

From a small beginning in the thirty acre campus of the then Parameswara College premises founded by the veteran philanthropist, Sir Ponnampalam Ramanathan, the University has grown enormously and is today the home of eight faculties with fifty seven academic departments, several service/academic/support units and centers and a Campus at Vavuniya, about 130 Km from Jaffna. In addition a few more Faculties, Departments and Centres are scheduled for development and will, in time, further open the UniversityÂ's door to the public and increase its role, responsibilities and commitments to the region around it.

The student population of the university is about seven thousand. This includes about six thousand two hundred internal students in the main campus, about five hundred postgraduate students and about three hundred and fifty of the Vavuniya campus. Although some students are housed in a few halls of residence, majority of the students find their own non-University accommodation.

August 1974:	Jaffna Campus of the University of Srilanka was established as the sixth Campus of the University of SriLanka on 01 August 1974 at the Parameswara College premises at Thirunelvely about four kilometers from the Jaffna Town Vice-Chancellor of the University of SriLanka: Mr L.H.Sumanadasa President of Jaffna Campus: Prof.K.Kailasapathy Faculties of Humanities,Law and Science and a Department of Physical Education was proposed.
October 1974:	The Faculty of Humanities with four departments of study and the administration offices were sited at the Parameswara College buildings at Thirunelvely. The Faculty of Science commenced its activities at the Undergraduate Section of the Jaffna College, Vaddukoddai which was taken over by the Ministry of Education for this purpose. At the beginning it offered courses in Mathematics and Statistics only.
1975:	The Faculty of Humanities was renamed the Faculty of Arts and the number of Departments increased to ten.
October1975:	Faculty of Science commenced offering courses in Biological and Physical Sciences with five Department of study, namely Botany, Chemistry, Mathematics and Statistics, Physics and Zoology.
01Dec. 1975:	The administration of the Ramanathan Academy of Fine Arts was brought under the administration of the Jaffna Campus and started functioning as a unit under the Department of Fine Arts.
June 1978:	Faculty of Science was shifted to Thirunelvely premises.
07 Aug. 1978:	Faculty of Medicine was established at Kaithady in the building of the Ayurvedic Hospital Kaithady. Jaffna General Hospital was elevated as a Teaching Hospital.
01 Jan. 1979:	The Jaffna Campus became an independent and Autonomous University bearing the name University of Jaffna.
1981:	The Faculty of Medicine was shifted to its own new building at Thirunelvely, with construction work of a portion of the building completed. Construction work on a new library building and Student Centre commenced. Work on the first stage of the Arts Block commenced.
July 1984:	The Siddha section of the Institute of Indigenous Medicine, affiliated to the University of Colombo was transferred to the University of Jaffna and started functioning as a department in the Faculty of Arts.
1985:	A computer Unit was established in the Faculty of Science.
1986:	The Library was shifted to its own building, with a portion of the Library Block completed.
1987:	Economic embargo of Northern Srilanka: The University to function under severe strain (for ten years). All construction works came to a standstill.
Oct.-Nov.1987:	Military operation by the Indian Peace Keeping Forces caused extensive damages to the University.
1988:	Building work of the Faculty of Medicine completed.
October 1989:	The UGC approved the establishment of a Faculty of Engineering at Kilinochchi. The Vice-chaccellors' Fund inaugurated.
December 1990:	Establishment of Faculty of Agriculture at Kilinochchi.
1990:	Establishment of the External Examination Unit.
1991:	Establishment of the Department of Computer Science in the Faculty of Science.
May 1991:	Commencement of the Workers Education Program.
1991:	The Northern Province Affiliated University College (NPAUC) was established at Vavuniya. It had two academic section namely Mathematical Sciences and Accountancy and Finance.
October 1992:	Establishment of the Extra Mural Studies unit.
October 1993:	The administration of the Department of Siddha Medicine was detached from the Faculty of Arts and placed under the direct administration of the Vice-chancellor.
October 1995:	Mass exodus of civilians from the Jaffna town and the Valigamam region to Thenmaradchi, Vadamaradchi and the MainLand. Shifting of the University administration to the Agriculture Faculty premises in Kilinochchi.
May 1996:	The University administration recommenced its activities in Jaffna, after the SriLankan Army regained control of the Jaffna Peninsula.
1997:	The NPAUC was upgraded as the Vavuniya Campus of the University of Jaffna with two Faculties, namely Faculty of Applied Science and Faculty of Business Studies.
1997:	Recommencement of the building work of the Arts Block Stage II, Student Centre and Library which were suspended following the economic embargo in 1987.
1999:	The Faculty of Arts was bifurcated and a new Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce was established.
1999:	A Faculty of Graduate Studies was established.
1999:	A Centre for the Development of Fisheries (CDF) was established.