Karunasena Kodituwakku | |
---|---|
Sri Lankan Ambassador to China | |
In office 2015–2020 | |
Preceded by | Ranjit Uyangoda |
Succeeded by | Dr. Palitha Kohona |
Asia-Pacific Representative to the UNESCO Executive Board | |
In office 2003–2007 | |
Cabinet Minister of Education,Human Resources Development and Cultural Affairs | |
In office 2001–2004 | |
3rd Governor of North Western Province | |
In office 13 October 1993 –7 July 1994 | |
Sri Lankan Ambassador to Japan and South Korea | |
In office 1988–1991 | |
Member of Parliament for Colombo District | |
In office 25 August 1994 –7 February 2004 | |
Personal details | |
Born | British Ceylon | 21 March 1945
Nationality | Sri Lankan |
Political party | United National Party |
Spouse | Chandani Dahanayake Kodituwakku |
Children | Manikya,Isankya,Danushka |
Occupation | Academic Diplomat Politician |
Profession | Economist,University Lecturer |
Karunasena Kodituwakku (born March 21,1945) is a Sri Lankan politician,academic and diplomat. He was educated at St. Servatius' College,Matara. He was the Sri Lankan ambassador to China,and non-resident ambassador to Mongolia and North Korea. [1] [2] [3] He was the former Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister of Education,Human Resources Development and Cultural Affairs [4] and the third governor of the North Western Province of Sri Lanka. He also served as the vice chancellor of University of Sri Jayewardenepura and Sri Lankan ambassador to Japan and Republic of Korea.
Kodituwakku received his higher education at the University of Kelaniya,where he gained a BA (Hons) degree in economics in 1968. He received his MA degree in economics from the University of New England (Australia) on a Colombo Plan scholarship,and his doctorate (D.Litt.) from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.
Between 1968 and 1991,he served as a senior lecturer in economics at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. In 1978 he was seconded to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Employment as a planning director with the responsibility for the introduction of the graduate placement scheme to help ease high unemployment among graduates in the 1970s. In 1983 he was appointed by the then-Sri Lankan president,J.R. Jayawardena,as the competent authority of the university when the incumbent Vice Chancellor resigned his post,and July that year he was appointed its Vice Chancellor which he held till April 1988. Post-graduate Management Institute (PIM),post graduate studies on forestry department,medical faculty and the library complex were started during his time as the VC. In 1986 he became the President of the University Vice-Chancellors' Federation and was elected an Executive member of the London -based Association of Commonwealth Universities.
In 1988 Kodituwakku left Sri Lanka to serve as the ambassador of Sri Lanka in Japan (1988–1989) and South Korea (1989–1991).
In 2015,Kodituwakku was appointed the Sri Lankan ambassador to China. [5] He is also the Non-resident Ambassador to Mongolia and North Korea. [2] [3]
After his return to Sri Lanka,he became the 3rd Governor of the Northwestern Province in 1993.
Kodituwakku resigned from this position in 1994 to run for Parliament of Sri Lanka from the United National Party (UNP) and was elected as a Member of Parliament representing Colombo District in the 1994 Parliamentary Elections and re-elected in the subsequent 2000 Parliamentary Elections.
The 2001 Parliamentary Elections victory of the UNP saw him appointed to the Cabinet as the Cabinet Minister of Education,Human Resources Development,and Cultural Affairs. [4]
Kodituwakku was nominated as Sri Lanka's candidate to the UNESCO Executive Board in 2003. He was elected as the Asia-Pacific Representative to the UNESCO Executive Board for 2003-2007,recording the highest number and a record number of votes in the election held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris,France. [6]
Sri Lankabhimanya Karu Jayasuriya is a Sri Lankan politician. He was the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Previously he was Mayor of Colombo from 1997 to 1999,Minister of Power and Energy from 2001 to 2004,Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs from 2007 to 2008,and Minister of Buddha Sasana,Public Administration,and Democratic Governance in 2015. He has served as Chairman of the Leadership Council of the United National Party (UNP),as well as Deputy Leader of the UNP. He is a member of parliament representing the Gampaha District since 2001. He had served as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to (Germany). As Speaker of Parliament,he also acts as Chairman of the Constitutional Council.
Patrick Mendis is an educator,diplomat,author,and executive in government service in the United States. A former American diplomat and military professor during the Clinton,Bush,and Obama administrations,he held various positions in the U.S. Departments of Agriculture,Defense,Energy,and State. He was appointed twice as a commissioner of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO at the State Department by the Obama administration. His appointment to the UNESCO Commission ended during the Trump administration when the White House withdrew from the UN agency.
Deshamanya Nissanka Parakrama Wijeyeratne,known as Nissanka Wijeyeratne,was a Sri Lankan politician,civil servant,diplomat and English language poet. He was also the 17th Diyawadana Nilame of the Sri Dalada Maligawa,Kandy from 1975 to 1985. At the time of death he was serving as the chairman of The Law and Society Trust in Sri Lanka.
Subaiya Natesan was a Ceylonese politician,Member of State Council,Member of Parliament and senator.
Nambukara Helambage Rajitha Harischandra Senaratne is a Sri Lankan dentist,politician,member of parliament and former cabinet minister. He is currently a member of parliament representing Kalutara district
Sajith Premadasa is a Sri Lankan politician. He is the current Leader of the Opposition of Sri Lanka and a Member of Parliament for the Colombo District. He is the current leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.
Gamini Lakshman Peiris is a Sri Lankan politician and academic. He was the Cabinet Minister of External Affairs and is a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka from the National List. He was also the State Minister of Defense on 18 April 2022,serving until 11 July 2022. He previously served as the Minister of Education,Minister of Justice in previous Sri Lankan Governments. He belongs to the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna,serving as its chairperson.
Achchige Don Susil Premajayantha is a Sri Lankan politician,former cabinet minister and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.
Muthu Sangaralingam Sellasamy was a Sri Lankan trade unionist,politician and former minister of state.
Upali Tissa Vitharana is a Sri Lankan politician,former Member of Parliament and former cabinet minister. He is the current leader of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) and served as Governor of North Central Province from 2019 to 2020.
Deva Manoharan Swaminathan is a Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer,politician and ex cabinet minister.
Rajapakse Mohottige Don Suranimala Rajapaksha was a Sri Lankan politician. Rajapaksha was first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 1994 and he was the Minister of School Education in Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in 2001 to 2004. He was a member of the United National Party (UNP) and a member of UNP Working Committee. He was also appointed as the Coordinating secretary to the prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in 2015. At the time of his death he acted as the special envoy (representative) to the Prime Minister. His younger son Kanishka Rajapaksha was also appointed as the Coordinating Assistant to the Prime Minister after the death of Rajapaksha. Kanishka is an Attorney at Law in his profession.
M. A. Abdul Majeed was a Sri Lankan politician,Member of Parliament and deputy minister.
Deshamanya Noel Wimalasena was a Sri Lankan lawyer,politician and the first Governor of Sabaragamuwa.
The following lists events that happened during 1994 in Sri Lanka.
Sathasivam Viyalendiran is a Sri Lankan Tamil politician,Member of Parliament and state minister.
Sampath Amaratunge is the chairman of the University Grants Commission,Sri Lanka. He was appointed by the president on 2 January 2020,and assumed the role the following day. Amaratunge was previously the vice-chancellor at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura,Sri Lanka,and the chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Directors (CVCD). He was elected as a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities United Kingdom as a member representing constituency II.
Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon is a Sri Lankan politician,former Cabinet Minister,former provincial minister and Member of Parliament. He served as the Minister of Ports and Shipping in the Cabinet of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Basnayaka Yasarathnalage Gunapala Rathnasekara is a Sri Lankan academic,politician and Member of Parliament.