UGC head denies conflict of interest

March 7, 2013, 9:11 pm

by Dasun Edirisinghe

Chairperson of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama yesterday said that her institution was only handing over the names selected from the respective universities to the President when selecting a Vice Chancellor.

She was responding to the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) claim that there was a conflict of interest as UGC Chief Prof. Hirimburegama’s husband was also a nominee for the Colombo University Vice Chancellor’s post.

Prof. Hirimburegama said that it was a fundamental right of any qualified aca demic to apply for the VC’s post.

As a professional body the UGC was not favouring anyone and it was only handing over names of three nominees elected by the University Council, she said.

"When I was nominated to the VC post in the same university in 2007, I was a commission member of the UGC, but I went away when the commission processed the names at the time," Prof. Hirimburegama said.

The Colombo University VC post fell vacant as Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama assumed duties as the UGC Chairman on Feb. 01. When the university called applications for the post, Dr. Kumara Hirimburegama of the Colombo University’s Science Faculty, Prof. Laskhman Dissanayake of its Arts Faculty and Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa of the Kotalawala Defence University sent in their applications.

The council meets on March 11 to endorse the nominees.

However, FUTA President Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri said that they accepted that Dr. Kumara Hirimburegama was qualified to hold the post and there was no legal barrier to prevent him from applying for it.

"We raised the issue of possible conflict of interest when his name went to the UGC as his wife headed that body," he said.