Jubilee Congress of the Faculty of Medicine, Peradeniya

January 17, 2012, 12:00 pm , The Island.


by Prof. Upali Illangasekera

When most of the universities in the country are in turmoil, a magnificient event took place in the Faculty of Medicine at Peradeniya when the 50th Jubilee Congress was held during the first week of January. It was indeed a unique event where outstanding alumni of the faculty presented their contributions to medicine. Nearly 40 medical scientists made presentations at the academic sessions which lasted for 3 days. These alumni included Prof. Nimal Senanayake who was the first to describe to the world a previously unrecognized illness caused by agrochemicals called ‘The Intermediate Syndrome’, Prof. Sriyal Malik Peiris from the University of HongKong who was able to identify the virus causing the illness called ‘SARS’ and Prof. Shanthi Mendis who currently holds the position of Director of Cardiovascular research in the World Health Organization in Geneva. Incidentally Prof. Peiris is the only Sri Lankan to be honoured by the highly prestigious Royal Society in United Kingdom with its Fellowship (FRS).

The deliberations were not confined to academic activities but also to social and cultural events. An exhibition of books written and paintings by the alumni was held at the faculty library. A highly acclaimed film produced by Prof. Nimal Senanayake was held at the arts theatre and as a mark of respect to the first dean of the Faculty the late Prof. Senaka Bibile the Annual Bibile Memorial Oration was delivered by the Dean of the faculty Dr. Gamini Buthpitiya on Prof. Bibile’s contributions to the rational use of drugs. A coffee table book consisting of accounts of the history of the faculty, people, places and events and reminiscences of its alumni was launched. The academic congress was followed by the annual Pemsaa (Peradeniya Medical School Alumni Association) sessions which culminated in a gala dinner in a leading hotel in Kandy.

However the most touching aspect of the congress was the opportunity it provided to its alumni to travel down memory lane to rekindle the spirit of Peradeniya with its beautiful surroundings, the serenade of the ripples of the Mahaweli and the sunset over the mountains of Hantana. Those who were able to visit the halls of residence recounted with nostalgia the times they spent and interacted with students of the other faculties where lasting friendships were made, the clashes with the police and even the army in the 1960s, events that were caused mainly by youthful exuberance with no political undertones. The batch get togethers held by individual batches were well patronized where we were able to meet some of our friends after nearly four decades. There was a large representations from our Tamil friends from the north and east. We recounted the times we spent in their houses in Jaffna where were treated as their own. Decades of exposure to the western culture has not made them any different from us maintaining the same refinement and the cultural values for which the people of Jaffna were famous for. Most of them were happy that peace has at last returned to Sri Lanka and have even visited the north. They certainly do not belong to the Tamil Diaspora which is a minority among the expatriate Tamils and are in fact making great efforts to help the people of the north and the east. There is a lot to be learnt by the present day students as well as the politicians about the attitudes of the university students those days which unfortunately is not to be seen today in either group of them.