Wednesday, March 13, 2013

FUTA sees problems ahead if UGC Chairman’s husband is made Colombo VC



 

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by Dasun Edirisinghe

 Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) yesterday warned that if the government appointed Dr. Kumara Hirimburegama, the husband of University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairperson Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama, as the Vice Chancellor of the Colombo University it would lead to several problems.

"If Dr. Kumara is appointed the VC, the UGC chief will have to withdraw herself, not merely from the appointment process for the VC, but also on all later occasions when the UGC is allocating limited budgetary resources, cadre, and other resources to universities," FUTA President Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri said.

Addressing a media conference at the Colombo University Faculty Centre, he said that although UGC Chief stated that they were only forwarding the three nominations selected by the University Council to the President, the University Act clearly indicated that the UGC would recommend a person to the President.

According to Section 34 (1) of the Universities Act as amended in 1995, the Vice Chancellor of a University shall, subject to the provisions of paragraph (b), be appointed for a term of three years by the President, upon the recommendation of the Commission, from a panel of three names recommended by the Council of that University, Dr. Dewasiri said.

He said that it was a conflict of interest when one of the nominee’s wife headed the UGC.

"UGC Chief appointed two new members to the University Council after closing the applications for the electing of a VC and one of new member is a husband of a current member," Dr. Dewasiri said adding that it was very unethical.

The university council endorsed the applications of Dr. Kumara Hirimburegama of the Colombo Science Faculty, Prof. Lakshman Dissanayake of the Colombo Arts Faculty and Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa of the Law Faculty.

Dr. Devasiri charged that only one of the three current applicants for the post of Vice Chancellor was a university professor, the highest academic position in the university system.

The senior academic said that two applicants, including the husband of the Chairperson, UGC, were not professors, nor have they held high administrative posts in the University of Colombo. One of these is a Senior Lecturer and currently Dean in a newly established Law Faculty at the Kotalawela Defence University, which is not a university under the existing Universities Act.

Answering a query by The Island as to why the FUTA did not oppose, when former Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake was involved in conflicts of interest, Dr. Dewasiri said it was an outside matter, "but this issue is directly related to the university."

Courtesy: The Island 13/03/2013