In the early 1970s, Sri Lanka embarked on a bold experiment in higher education reform. Under the sweeping changes introduced by the Jayaratne Report and the Universities Act No. 1 of 1972, the country’s university system was restructured with a vision to align academic pursuits with national development goals. One of the most ambitious initiatives to emerge from this reform was the Development Studies Degree Programme—a job-oriented alternative to the traditional General Arts degree, launched at the Colombo and Vidyodaya campuses.
A New Kind of Degree for a New Kind of Graduate
The Development Studies programme was designed to produce graduates ready to serve in key sectors such as Statistical Services, Fisheries, Tourism, Taxation, Estate Management, Valuation, and Education. Students began with a Foundation Year that included Mathematics, General Science, and English, followed by three years of specialised study in employment-oriented streams. These courses were crafted in consultation with government agencies and private sector stakeholders—at least in theory.
.jpg "My Group of Development Studies Degree") |
My Colleagues of the Development Studies Degree Programme - 1975 |
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| University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, (Photo Archive Library (c) Turrance Nandasara) |
But reality proved more complicated.
Despite initial enthusiasm, many of the very institutions that had called for these specialised graduates refused to employ them once they completed their degrees. A particularly disheartening example was the B.Ed. programme, which admitted 700 students to train as teachers. Before they even graduated, the Ministry of Education—ironically, the same body that had requested their training—announced it would not absorb them into the teaching service.
As Prof. V.K. Samaranayake, one of the architects of the programme, candidly remarked:
“My view at that time was that politicians did not want those coming out of universities employed as teachers.”
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he Statistical Services Stream: A Beacon of Innovation
Among the most forward-thinking components of the Development Studies programme was the Statistical Services job stream, introduced in 1973 at the Colombo Campus. Spearheaded by Prof. V.K. Samaranayake and Dr. Roger Stern, this stream offered students from the Faculty of Arts a rare opportunity to delve into Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Programming—fields traditionally reserved for science students.
Out of 210 students enrolled in Development Studies, 30 were selected for this rigorous specialization. The curriculum was rich and modern, featuring subjects like:
Computer Programming
Mathematical Statistics
Econometrics
Mathematical Economics
Operations Research
Dr. Roger closely monitored the progress of the course, as evidenced in a letter he sent on 20th May 1975, in which he wrote:
“For the statistical services job range our aim has been for the course to be such that the students could become statistical investigators and require virtually no further training. For this reason, we are designing parts of the course in collaboration with the Department of Census and Statistics.”
Students engaged in hands-on projects, including a pioneering study on student reactions to the course itself. This research culminated in a joint paper published in 1979 by Prof. Samaranayake, Mr. Indralal de Silva (then a student, now Professor Emeritus of Demography), and Mr. Abeysekara.
The programme produced several distinguished alumni, including:
Prof. Lakshman Dissanayake – Former Vice Chancellor, University of Colombo
Dr. S.T. Nandasara – D.Eng. holder and IT expert, now Consultant at Colombo University Press
My Journey: From Arts to Science
I entered the Colombo Campus of the University of Sri Lanka on 3rd October 1975 as an undergraduate student in the Faculty of Arts. At the time, I had no idea that my academic path was about to take a dramatic and life-changing turn.
By a stroke of extraordinary fortune, I was selected to join the Development Studies Special Degree Programme—not through the Faculty of Arts, but through the Faculty of Science, under the Department of Mathematics. This accidental enrollment into the third batch of the programme transformed my academic identity. I graduated with a Second Upper Special Degree in Development Studies, majoring in Computing, Mathematics, and Statistics.
This shift from Arts to Science was more than symbolic—it laid the foundation for my lifelong career in Computer Science. The programme gave me the tools, confidence, and intellectual grounding to pursue advanced studies across the globe. My academic journey took me to:
University of Reading, Essex, and Lancaster – United Kingdom
Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) – Thailand
National University of Singapore (NUS) – Singapore
Keio University, Fujisawa Campus – Japan
Toyohashi University of Technology (TUT) – Japan
Nagaoka University of Technology (NUT) – Japan, where I earned my Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.)
Nagaoka University of Technology (NUT), Japan Where I received my Doctor of Engineering degree, (Photo Archive Library (c) Turrance Nandasara)My Contributions to Computing and Language Technology
My academic career formally began in 1980, just after graduation, and continued until my retirement in January 2019 from the University of Colombo School of Computing (UCSC). After retirement, I joined the newly established Colombo University Press as a full-time Consultant, where I continue to serve.
“We didn’t just adopt technology—we adapted it to speak our languages, our needs, our future.”
My deep grounding in Computer Science—particularly from my time in the UK—enabled me to pioneer several landmark innovations in Sri Lanka’s digital landscape:
Developed the first Sinhala/Tamil/English Trilingual Word Processor for IBM PCs in the late 1980s, a marketable product that gained national recognition
Created word processors for Windows 95/98/2000/NT, and desktop publishing software for Sinhala/Tamil/English on DOS, interfacing with Ventura Publisher
Played a leading role in standardising Sinhala characters, working closely with ISO and the Unicode Consortium
Served as Sri Lanka’s National Contributor for the initiation of the Sinhala Unicode Standard, a milestone in digital language preservation
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| Screenshot of Wadantharuwa (Wordstar) Wordprocessor Opening Screen. (Photo Archive Library (c) Turrance Nandasara) |
These contributions were not just technical—they were cultural. They helped bridge the gap between technology and Sri Lanka’s linguistic heritage, ensuring that our native languages could thrive in the digital age.
From Rejection to Redemption
Students who pursued the statistical stream faced similar employment hurdles. Many were denied teaching appointments despite their qualifications. However, a silver lining emerged: those who completed a one-year full-time postgraduate programme in Mathematics at Vidyodaya Campus were eventually appointed as graduate teachers in government schools. Remarkably, many of them rose through the ranks to become Principals of Central Colleges.
The Curtain Falls
Despite its promise, the Development Studies Degree Programme was short-lived. The political shift in 1977 led to the abandonment of many reforms initiated by the previous regime. The Faculty of Arts reverted to its traditional structure, and the momentum for innovation was lost.
It’s a poignant reminder of how visionary academic reforms can falter without sustained institutional and political support. Yet, the legacy of this programme lives on through its alumni—trailblazers who bridged the gap between arts and science, and who continue to shape Sri Lanka’s academic and professional landscape.
Conclusion: A Life of Purpose and Preservation
The Development Studies programme gave me more than a degree—it gave me direction. It transformed me from an Arts undergraduate into a scientist, a technologist, and a steward of Sri Lanka’s digital heritage. My work in multilingual computing and Unicode standardisation has helped ensure that our languages thrive in the digital age.
Even now, through my work at the Colombo University Press, I remain committed to documenting the stories that matter—stories of transformation, forgotten reforms, and individuals who dared to cross boundaries.
Because history isn’t just what happened. It’s what we choose to remember.
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