The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) today called upon the Chairperson of the University Grants Commission to step down from the position. Sending a letter to Professor Kshanika Hiriburegama, the FUTA has highlighted serious instances of misconduct and abuse of power by her.
We publish below the letter in full;
Professor Kshanika Hirimburegama
Professor Kshanika Hirimburegama
Chairperson
University Grants Commission
Ward Place
Colombo-07.
Dear Professor Hiriburegama, Call for Resignation
As you know, the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) has brought several serious issues to your notice for some time. You have unfortunately not responded satisfactorily to any of these issues. Additionally, your actions in recent times have brought the office of the University Grants Commission (UGC) to disrepute. Those actions constitute abuse of your position as Chairperson of the UGC. These include:
1. Campaigning for a Presidential candidate misusing your position and authority as Chair of the UGC and using your position to influence university academics to sign a petition in favour of Presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapakse and publicly campaigning on his behalf, thereby subjecting to partisan politicization the important public office you hold.
2. Ignoring instances of clear conflict of interests such as accepting positions to the boards of various private higher educational institutions and your failure to recuse yourself from the matter relating to the appointment of the Colombo University Vice-Chancellor in which your spouse was an applicant. This coupled with the fact that your spouse was eventually appointed although he received the lowest votes in the University Council compels us to conclude that you manipulated the process in his favour.
3. Blocking of the appointment of a qualified and deserving candidate to the post of Professor of Surgery at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, during your tenure as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Colombo, and further obstructing the course of justice and misusing your position as UGC Chair by refusing to take remedial action in this instance, even when advised to do so by the then Secretary to H.E the President Mr Lalith Weeratunga.
Furthermore you have failed to respond to issues that have been raised with you by FUTA on several occasions. These include:
1. Nominating Dr Priyantha Premakumara to attend ASAHIL International Conference in June 2014 despite his ineligibility.
2. Selection of a student to the University of Ruhuna violating all established procedures, based on a letter provided by Mr. Namal Rajapakse, Member of Parliament.
3. Ignoring the serious allegations of malpractice at several universities, including the Eastern University and Jaffna University, which were brought to your notice on several occasions.
Due to these extremely serious instances of misconduct and abuse of power, you have unfortunately lost the confidence and respect of the university academic community. As such, you will agree that you are not in a position to give leadership to the university community. Therefore, as unanimously agreed at the Emergency FUTA Executive Committee meeting held on the 16th of January 2015, we have no option but to request you, on behalf of our entire membership that you immediately resign from your position as Chairperson of the University Grants Commission. Your failure to do so will create a crisis situation in the university system which we are sure you would wish to avoid at all cost.
Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Chandraguptha Thenuwara – President/FUTA and Prof. Rohan Fernando – Secretary/FUTA
Palayang Yako / January 19, 2015
How about addressing that clown parading as the new Minister of Advanced Education, Rajiva Wijesinha?
It would really be interesting to watch that low life have to act in contradiction to the things he was party to while sucking up to MR.
Come on folks, write him a letter and publish his response!
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Humbug / January 19, 2015
Palayang yako, all those who sucked up to MR, on realization left him long before the election. The new set up will surely take all these suckers who have misused their authority, to task.
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Samuel Jayaweera / January 22, 2015
Even if all these would fall against the mentioned prof. But she should not be the person to be blamed. It was the system being applied by MR regime made all these happening. Having watched yesterday s news items, I myself felt the way the Prof was treated by the journalists were not within the guideliness of YAHAPALANYA. This is why I kindly request almost everyone to be patient when taking due action against anyone who has gone wrong being supportive to last regime. Then only the picture on Yahapalanaya will be accurately being depicted in the hearts and minds of the people. PEOPLS POWER IS WHAT FAILED DURING THE LAST FEW YEARS TO FALL THE COUNTRY THAT DEEP. There Media puppeted by the main hand of the undemocratic regime should take the responsiblitiy. These levels were not even seen in the last days of Premadasa regime.
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MirakRajBanda / January 19, 2015
Rajiv W is a DJ version of My3 Govnt. 80 more days for a serious purge in My3 ruling. Rajiv and Abeykoon should pack their stuffs and go away….
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justice / January 19, 2015
This shameless woman ensured her appointment as Chair UGC, and her husband’s appointment as VC by offering honorary degrees to Mahinda and Gota.
No other university did so.
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raja / February 19, 2015
Unfortunately srilankans have a very short memory. They have forgotten the 30 year war, the terror that gripped the country, the thousands of families that lost their dear ones and those who were disabled for the rest of their lives by terror attacks.
The fear that gripped the nation was unimaginable. Families not knowing whether they would return home from work or their children would return from school. The innocent lives that were destroyed by bombs. Families travelling on different cars to avoid the whole family being killed in case there was a suicide bomber.
The western countries capitalising on the situation by providing arms that helps to prop up their economies.
Only one person stood up to the terror and to the western propaganda.
If he does not deserve nation’s gratitude; who does?
Don’t tell me that politicians before this regime were all honest and acted with integrity. This leader destroyed the terror and gave our nation the Peace that alluded our country for three decades.
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kumari / May 13, 2017
Are you happy with how the universities are managed under yahapalanya?
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Sylvia Haik / January 19, 2015
I appears the culture of nepotism was not reserved to the Rajapakse family alone. It had spread to all corners of the Civil Service with impunity.
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Dissanayake Sarath / January 19, 2015
Not only this shameless woman, entire UGC commission members (all are suckers), stupid set of vice chancellors and University council members should go. The entire higher education system should be cleaned. All politically manipulated appointments should be terminated immediately. Most stupid person in the University has become the Vice Chancellor. There are vice chancellors who have never chaired a meeting! There are University council members who have never had a tertiary education! We are talking about world class Universities? Nonsense. What we have now in Sri Lanka is SB type Higher Education. We need to change the present mediocre administration of higher education in this Country with immediate effect.
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Weeraya / February 19, 2015
So you think you have superior qualities than any of these people. Your vocabulary indicate that you are no better than the people you denigrate.
You talk as though SL is inundated with people with integrity and excellent administrative abilities. Far from it.
People like you slung mud at others and pretend to be “whiter than white”. That is your pastime.
Wise up.
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saradial / March 19, 2015
Reply to Dissanayke Sarath
It is easy to write such garbage. If you are an intellectual engage in debate.
SL had world class universities until it started free education which allowed people to enter universities with attitudes and desires to disrupt the smooth running of higher education institutions. These individuals had little or no intelligence and believed that being educated and being intelligent are one and the same.
How old are the SL undergraduates when they enter universities now compared to the previous generation?
How old are they when they graduate compared to the previous generation?
It is a pity that young people in SL do not realise that they are years older than their counterparts in other countries because these so called university teachers act like mobs hell bent on causing chaos in institutions that pay their salaries.
There is increasing value placed on human qualities than the number of letters after one’s names. It will be decades before Srilankans catch up with this as they are still counting whether some one had primary/secondary or tertiary education.
Wise up man. It is not the education but how you conduct your self that matters. Your vocabulary indicate the level you represent.
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Rohan Fernando / January 19, 2015
I knew this lady 30 some years ago when I was doing my master’s degree at the Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya. A mediocre student, however got lot of support from so called Professors because she was the daughter of then Sinhala Professor at university of Colombo, Professor Sannasgala. She has no qualifications to be the UGC Chairperson. Go to Google Scholar and see how many citations she has for her research work? How may good quality papers she published during her tenure? There are so many excellent academics in Sri Lankan University system that are qualified for this position. This Lady was not qualified to be the Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo. This lady should be removed from this position.
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menike / February 19, 2015
Who are these so called excellent academics that you talk of? Who are you to say that she is not suitable to be a VC ? Let us see your cv to see YOUR suitability to judge others. Give the evidence instead of sprouting words that shows your ignorance.
Prof Hirimburegama is a world renowned academic. She was one of the 100 women in the world feted in USA.
An individual can develop their personality, leadership as they mature. Not all human beings are born the same.
Please read biographies of world famous individuals before sprouting these ignorant facts.
Watson & Crick, the world famous scientist were known to have failed their exams in university.
Read up on human psychology before making ignorant remarks.
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weeraya / February 19, 2015
How dare you make these allegations. Are you saying you were a superior student?
People like you make our once great country down.
You along with FUTA members benefitted from free education. Your level of ignorance shows that you were not suitable for your master’s degree. Perhaps you did not finish it. Perhaps you hold grudge against her for another reason.
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Nihal / January 19, 2015
Kshanika Hiriburagama is a most corrupted woman ever produced by university history. [Edited out]
She has no qualification at all. Joined to the faculty of Science as a museum curator, then move in to the lecturer at the Botany Department. [Edited out]
Please kick her our immediately.
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Lokka / February 19, 2015
Your ignorance is remarkable. People like you make out great country down.
Explain what you mean by “no qualifications” .
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Weeraya / February 19, 2015
How dare you make these allegations. Are you saying you were a superior student? People like you make our once great country down. You along with FUTA members benefitted from free education. Your level of ignorance shows that you were not suitable for your master’s degree. Perhaps you did not finish it. Perhaps you hold grudge against her for another reason.
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Jim softy / January 20, 2015
she is not running a research facility where high class resear are being conducted. She is just heading UG. I don’t think she nees that much qualifications. At least she has a PhD and experience.
It is just revenge asking her to step down. This is just witch hunting.
I don’t think that should happen.
If she is doing her job let she be there.
In order to solve corruption we can not go and find people upto the post independence time. Just start it now and let us stop it for the future.
Rajiwa Wijesinghe is, as some one said, one unprincipled man. Even though he is an english professor, I don’t think he has any idea how to prepare sri lankan universities advance.
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Pygmalion / January 20, 2015
Jim Softy
It is not revenge asking her to step down;Neither is it a witchhunt;Pl.see the charges listed out.Sending that circular to University academics to support MARA itself is a serious breach of conduct.As,for Rajiva Wijesinghe it is a case of a Poacher turned Gamekeeper!
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Jim softy / January 25, 2015
she has to follow her boss’s orders.
It is simply, every one like one’s life.
Who wants to lose the job because of this useless circular.
that happens in the west too.
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Ponkoh Sivakumaran / January 20, 2015
Why not also the Vice Chancellor of Jaffna who has hardly any qualification to hold such a position except that she stooges Doggy Devananda.
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G / January 21, 2015
When you kick people on your way up the ladder, the same people are waiting to squeeze your balls (if you have any!) when you descend!!
KSHANIKA!
what about
influencing the Jaffna VC and staff?
Blocking Colombo Dean ‘ s post
unfilled vacancies in physiology, biochemistry, community medicine and paediatric for many years
your school mafia (some) controlling you and appointments! How you hate the wife of a candidate deprived of an appointment simply because she entered the medical faculty and you could only enter the science faculty! ,,
if there is an inquiry against you you would be fit only to clean latrines!
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colombo medic / February 19, 2015
Reply to G
Your vocabulary indicate the low level you represent.
Please respect people. Those who clean latrines are thousand times more honourable than you. Please don’t degrade people because of their occupation. They may well have superior human values than the gutter level you represent.
Education does not necessarily bestow great human values on individuals. You may think you are too “superior” to clean lavatories. Your use of gutter level vocabulary indicate that you are not as intelligent or educated as you think you are.
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Gunadasa / January 21, 2015
This is all about personal slaughtering. Is it not clear the FUTA (i.e futile association)president and Rohan are ALL corrupted officials! They are talking from their ‘rectal route’
Prof Ksh is an educated lady -credit should be given for that. Her father had made an enormous contribution to the Sinhala language. Is there ANY literature book written compatible to the Sinhala sahithya afterwards??Oh yes -Rohan unlike your father and other ‘officials of yours ‘the fathers spent time on having jolly parties, socialising drinking alcohol and chatting nonsense Prof Sannasgala gave a dedicated service to the Sinhala community/language.
Live up to a decency man! G -why hide your identity? Oh yes we know that Colombo medics are a bunch of swollen heads who think no end of themselves. Cream of the society? Ha ! They are nothing but those who have dedicated themselves to cramming books from morning to night and once graduated think only of making money from the poor soles who funded their expensive medical education.
Truth is hard er?
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Rohan / January 21, 2015
Mr. Gunadasa, you seem be having a grudge against the medical profession. I feel only sorry about you. Just because father was a Sinhalese professor, do you think the daughter should be given the highest academic position in the Higher Education system in this country? Then there are better qualified people whose parents have done an unparalleled service to the nation! Don’t you think that this lady has got into the academia through parents’ influence. Look at her qualifications. B.Sc. (Colombo), M.Phil. (Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture)and Ph.D. (Belgium). Compare this qualification with the qualifications of other academic staff members who are in Sri Lankan Universities and see if she is the most qualified person to Chair the UGC. Don’t suck up to anyone just like Kshanika. Have you ever attended a meeting chaired by Khanika? Just rubbish. Only sucking up to Rajapakses. That’s how she became Colombo Vice Chancellor and then the UGC chairman.
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colombo medic / February 19, 2015
I agree although I am a Colombo medic too.
Some of these so called professors in medial faculty are socialists when it suits them but capitalists when they want to educate their children overseas.
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colombo medic / February 20, 2015
Reply to Rohan
Correction to my previous post
I don’t agree with you.
If you are in private practice in SL, you are most likely to be corrupt. but you portray yourself as “whiter than white” One set of values for you and another for others.
Your comment to Gunadasa aptly describe your mindset. He correctly describe the medical fraternity indulging in private practice as back stabbing, greedy lot that work only for money.
The scale of medical corruption in private practice in SL is unbelievable. We need a strong regulatory body that can stand up for vulnerable patients and their families. We need a system that protect patients so that they don’t have have to sell their assets to satisfy these greedy doctors. The poor patents tell me that there is no “hell (apaya)” for these doctors to go to when they die.
You have the temerity to come here and preach values when you very well know how private practice is run in SL. Why don’t you spend your energy to clean up the fraternity that you belong to? No you won’t because it will affect your pocket.
As mentioned before there are medical professors who preach socialist values but practice capitalism when they want to educate their children overseas. Double Standards
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Colombo medic / February 19, 2015
Many a citizen of SL have grudges against the doctors in SL whose only wish is to make as much money as much possible.
Who are those better qualified people? why don’t you publish their qualifications instead of making the sweeping statement that they are more qualified.
Why do you ignore other honours that were bestowed on her.
She was one of the 100 world women feted in USA. Are you saying that her family background influenced that as well?
Recently she was honoured by her excellency the Queen of Malaysia.
She started a e-learning degree for farmers.
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Gunadasa / January 22, 2015
Well Mr Rohan I am actually graduate from CMC-I know the inside of what happens in the med faculty, hence talking of experience not of a vengeance. Educated parents pass their genes to their offsprings -a basis fact as such seems to have been missed by yourself. I take no sides,but talking of experience. Unfortunately sri Lankan academic hierarchy has deteriorated to a level that a political influence is an additional qualification to sustain in a higher post. The futile association does nothing but to destabilise an establishment. Lets see who ever takes up this post be a worse sucker and a shitty person. If they rub your back side futile association will support that person. Please don’t feel sorry for myself Mr Rohan ,I have done no sins,have left the marfia medical practice and survive on the mere pay that the government pay for my service to the sick. Above all I am happy and content but just irritated as seeing the degrading quality of our higher education lecturers.
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Gunadasa / January 22, 2015
By the way Mr Rohan -you seems to be prejudiced against a Colombo BSc and a peradeniya MPhil -Does it reflects that these institutions of the 2 most prestigious universities in Sri Lanka provides worthless degree? Do you expect the VC/Chair to process basic degrees from a foreign country -oxford/Cambridge/Harvard? Wonder how a Sinhala professor dedicated to the Sinhala literature could fund an offspring to a foreign education? In my spare time I am reading the singhala sahithya wansaya -amazing, literature book od unprecedented of exceptional intellectual ability.
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Rohan / January 25, 2015
Reply to Mr. Gunadasa,
If you cannot compete and survive the very competitive private medical practice you have to confine your service to the government hospital. What else can you do? Oh yes, you can suck up to people like Khanika and her stupid spouse who destroyed Colombo University. Colombo B.Sc. is fine. Do you know a good Sri Lankan B.Sc. special degree can take you anywhere in the world. It’s common knowledge that the best B.Sc. graduates go to US, UK (not any more) or Australia on scholarships or fellowships or teaching assistantships to do postgraduate studies. But the mediocre graduates do local postgraduate studies and they should not be on the academic staff. Not because the local postgraduate degree is of inferior quality. But the person pursuing the local postgraduate degree is of inferior quality. He or she cannot find a placement in this competitive world and that’s why go for a local degree. Understand the reality like a gentleman. Don’t try to justify what is wrong.
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Colombo medic / February 19, 2015
Reply to Rohan
So you have to degrade a humble doctor like Gunadasa by saying that he/she cannot compete in private medical practice. Shame on you!
We all know how inhuman these doctors indulging in private practice are. Your reply just show how you shift the argument to suit your point. There should be a wide ranging investigation about the activities of these doctors who mint money by taking advantage of vulnerable patients and their families. We will then see the scale of corruption among these doctors.
SL needs a regulatory organisations with teeth like in UK (GMC) and in USA
So you say a person following a local post graduate degree is inferior because he/she cannot find a place overseas.
What a stupid baseless statement. There can be myriad of reasons for pursuing a local degree. Financial is one. Wanting to be in the country that they were born is another.
I am amazed by your argument. Your mentality is just what the colonial rulers instilled on the population that they conquered. It is a pity that despite 60 years of independence SL still has people with your mindset.
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weeraya / February 20, 2015
Reply to Rohan
You argue that local post graduate degrees are not inferior but the person pursuing the degree is inferior because they cannot find a postgraduate degree overseas.
Do you really believe in this argument?
If I were to turn it to medical education what you are saying is that the medical degree from Colombo is not inferior but those who do it are inferior because they cannot go to Cambridge/Oxford/Harvard or any other reputable overseas course? Your argument don’t have a leg to stand on. By the way i am a colombo medic but unlike you I have no inflated ego just because I went there.
Isn’t it the course management’s responsibility to see who is accepted on to the course?
Your reasoning is unbelievable. You assume foreign is good. Isn’t it a wonder that SL does not prosper with colonial mindsets represented by people like you
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Gunadasa / January 25, 2015
Reply to rohan. I am truly astonished with your comments on private practice.yes if you are throat cutting,back stabbing like yourself ,yes you can flourish in private practice.greed it’s driver not to provide a quality health service which NhSL is very capable of. I do not intend to enter further correspondences with you to waste my time . Try not to continue to distroy our universities.
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Weeraya / February 21, 2015
Dear FUTA
Do you think FUTA members act with integrity? How many of your members are involved in private tuition that makes a mockery of free education and gain financially because they are university teachers? How many of you work the hours that you are paid for by the universities.? How many of your medical members are engaged in private practice during the hours that they should be working for the universities? How many of these medical members conduct their private practice with integrity and honesty?
If the secretary of FUTA is the same person that has written posts under the name Rohan stating that local post graduates are inferior because they cannot find overseas postgraduate courses, is he a fit person to hold a post in FUTA? What message does this convey to local postgraduate students already enrolled in SL universities and those who plan to enrol in the future?
University Teachers should value local degree courses run by SL universities not devalue them with remarks such as Rohan has made.
Doesn’t the fact that a minister acted without going through a formal investigation process or discussing with the relevant authorities because of the pressures from FUTA makes a mockery of your organisation’s request for integrity and openness? FUTA expects the principle of yahapalanaya only when it suits them.
Thank you for taking the time to read
A beneficiary of free education and who did not use private tuition to gain entry to a SL university
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