The project involves construction of a Faculty of Technology at the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka (RUSL) in Mihintale, Anuradhapura. Construction of the new faculty comes under the government’s Science and Technology Human Resource Development (STHRD) project, which is implemented with funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The project aims to increase the technology-oriented workforce via establishment of industry-relevant technology education and research facilities, and support for curriculum development, staffing, and capacity improvement.
The new faculty will be developed on a 2-acre land and feature an 800-seat capacity auditorium, a large 3-storey library, multiple lecture halls, flexible learning spaces, state-of-the-art laboratories, meeting rooms, common areas, collaborative student spaces, service outlets, and a dedicated industry collaboration cell.
Once completed, the faculty will house five departments including Bio-Process Technology, Materials Technology, and Information & Communication Technology (ICT), and will offer a number of industry-focused, practical-oriented degree programmes that prepare undergraduates for careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Establishment of such a faculty will also generate new employment opportunities and simultaneously contribute to skill development in key sectors of the Sri Lankan economy.
The faculty is designed in partnership with Engineering Consultants Limited (ECL), one of the largest multi-disciplinary consulting providers in Sri Lanka, behind some of the most iconic buildings and infrastructure projects in the country. The design will retain Rajarata University’s unique architectural style, merging its colonial and traditional architectural features within a sustainable and green learning environment. A domed greenhouse will make up the centerpiece of the new faculty, not only setting the tone for a green campus, but also forming an integral component of the biosystems wing of the campus and providing space for bioprocess technology research and experiments.
