The book titled “Smārṭ Aḷevikaraṇaya”, authored by Mr. Dimuthu Chathuranga Gunasena, Junior Research Fellow in Public Relations and Media Management at the Department of Mass Communication, University of Kelaniya, was officially presented to Senior Professor Nilanthi de Silva, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya. The presentation took place on the 1^st of January 2025, at the Vice-Chancellor’s Office. Published by Godage Publications, the book explores the relationship between advertisements and consumer behavior in the context of smartphones. See more

The "Climate Tank Accelerator" community awareness program on climate change, organized by the American government, together with the non-governmental organization, Seeds of Peace, was successfully held on the 12^th of December 2024 at American Corner premises in Kandy.

2500 university students representing 5 South Asian countries were registered for this, and after completing an online certificate course in the first phase, 18 teams from various universities representing Sri Lanka were selected at the end of the first phase. After the completion of the first phase, each group started their projects and around 80 projects were submitted from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal representing various universities.

The SL Team 06, representing the University of Kelaniya, consisted of Chamodya Kodippiliarachchi, Aditya Hapuarachchi, Aruni Tennakoon, and Savindu Dilshara from the Department of Geography. The team "Reclaim" presented under the theme "Less Waste, More Energy" under the supervision of lecturer Indunil Ruwanwella.

The biogas unit designed focusing on the canteen of the university's new girls’ hostel premises, as per the project, was officially handed over to the university during a ceremony, held on the 14^th of October 2024, at the Board Room of the Faculty of Social Sciences, and was  attended by Professor M. M. Gunathilaka, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences; Senior Professor and Chair Lal Mervin Dharmasiri, Head of the Department of Geography along with other academic and non-academic staff members of the department; Mr. K. K. K. Dharmathilaka, the Registrar along with the members of the university administration; and representatives of the United States of America.

The certificate and prize-giving ceremony  of the competition was held on the 12th of December 2024 at the American Corner premises in Kandy, and the Reclaim team representing the University of Kelaniya was awarded the second place in Sri Lanka and a cash prize of $500. In addition, the delegation representing the American Embassy, ​​who appreciated this project as a very effective project, invited the Reclaim team for their future projects.

Afterwards, the team also met with Senior Professor Nilanthi de Silva, Vice-chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, on the 16^th of December 2024 at the Vice-chancellor’s office. See More

Dr. Priyanwada Wanigasooriya assumed duties as the new Head of the Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya. The appointment letter was handed over to the Head by Senior Professor Nilanthi De Silva, Vice-chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, on the 17th of December 2024, in the Vice Chancellors office.

Dr. Wanigasooriya is a Senior Lecturer (Grade I) in the Department of Library and Information Science at the University of Kelaniya. With over two decades of academic and professional experience, she has been instrumental in promoting bibliographic control, cataloging, and library service quality in Sri Lanka. She holds a Ph.D. in Library Science from Wuhan University, China; an MSSc in Library and Information Science; and a B.A. (Hon.) from the University of Kelaniya.

Dr. Wanigasooriya’s research focuses on bibliographic control, knowledge management, and library automation, with notable contributions such as the Handbook of MARC21. She has presented papers at international conferences and is a recipient of the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Senior Researcher in 2021.

In addition to her academic contributions, Dr. Wanigasooriya serves as a member of key national committees, including the National Library of Sri Lanka. She is a resource person for various workshops and has played a pivotal role in curriculum development for Library and Information Science programs in Sri Lanka.

The event was attended by Professor M. M. Gunathilake, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, along with all the academic staff members of the department, including the Cadre Chair, Senior Professor M. K. Weerasinghe, and Senior Professor W. A. Weerasooriya. See More

The National Workshop on “Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Library Professionals,” organized by the Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kelaniya, in collaboration with the Alumni Association of Library and Information Science, was successfully held on the 1^st and 2^nd of December 2024 at the IT Laboratory K3 001 of the Faculty of Social Sciences.

The workshop aimed to equip librarians and information professionals with essential AI tools and knowledge to enhance their roles in modern library settings.

The workshop was led by Dr. P. Venkata Rao, a distinguished expert in Knowledge Management, who currently serves as a fellow at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration, India. Dr. Rao’s extensive experience, spanning over 26 years in various library settings, enriched the sessions. Participants engaged in both theoretical discussions and practical applications of AI in library operations.

The workshop covered key topics such as AI in libraries, knowledge management through AI, and practical demonstrations of AI tools for research and information management.

The workshop was attended by more than 75 participants, including librarians, scholars, and Library and Information Science (LIS) students.

Cadre Chair and Senior Professor M. K. Weerasinghe, Head of the Department of Library and Information Science; Senior Professor W. A. Weerasooriya from the Department of Library and Information Science; and the staff members of the department graced the event. See More