I begin this letter by wishing you the best in the significant changes you are implementing across the country. It is clear that the government’s mechanisms are working to establish the “Clean Sri Lanka” theme, which is commendable.
However, I am writing to bring your attention to an unresolved issue of academic corruption within the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka (SEUSL). There have been multiple documented cases of academic malpractices among prominent professors and academics at the university, which have been brought to the public’s attention through media reports, supported by substantial evidence. An open letter detailing these issues was also addressed to the former president of the country. Despite this, the same individuals—professors and academics involved in these corrupt practices—continue to teach students, supervise undergraduate and postgraduate research, speak at scientific forums, and earn millions in government funding annually. Alarmingly, to my knowledge no investigation or scrutiny has been undertaken regarding these proven cases of academic corruption.
For comparison, we witnessed the Speaker of your government resign when allegations were made against his doctoral degree, which served as a clear example of the system working to ensure accountability. However, Mr. President, it is disheartening to note that professors and academics at SEUSL, who are clearly implicated in academic corruption, remain in their positions within the university system without any repercussions.
A notable example of this is the former Vice Chancellor of SEUSL, Rameez Aboobacker. To my knowledge, no other vice chancellor in Sri Lanka has faced such a large number of serious allegations concerning academic integrity. Aboobacker’s tenure was marked by substantial academic corruption, yet he continued in office without shame. Despite the University Grants Commission (UGC) taking steps to remove him based on various findings, he remained in his position for three years, securing an interim order from the Court of Appeal (Case No. CA/WRIT/323/2023). This case contains a significant body of evidence, including submissions from the Ministry of Education and UGC, as well as a report from a subcommittee chaired by Professor Gamini Senanayake, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ruhuna.
It is also noteworthy that other professors from SEUSL are implicated in similar instances of academic corruption. The “Report on the Complaints and Compliments on the Appointment of the Vice Chancellor of South Eastern University of Sri Lanka,” prepared by a UGC subcommittee and signed on 27th October 2022, outlines further concerns. Specifically, on page 9 of the report, significant issues related to academic corruption at SEUSL are highlighted.
“Serious Violation of Circulars had taken place at SEUSL with respect to promotions to the post of professor and may have led to misappropriation of government funds. A candidate without having a PhD degree had been appointed to the post of professor. Further, the qualifications and experience of certain members of evaluation panel is questionable. Publications submitted for the promotion were in either predatory journals or local journals that do not fall into the indexed journal category”
Page 10 of 11 states as
5.2. Recommendations;
“Committee recommends conducting an in-depth investigation on appointments to the post of Professor (on Merit) made at SEUSL”.
Hon. President, As someone who is a product of a reputable government university and has consistently advocated for fair and quality education throughout your career, I believe you will be deeply concerned by the corruption and misappropriation of funds through academic fraud that persists at the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka. I respectfully urge your intervention to implement the full set of recommendations outlined in the subcommittee report (prepared in October 2022). Furthermore, I request that you consider the establishment of a Presidential Commission to conduct a thorough investigation of all the findings presented in the report, and to take exemplary actions—such as revoking professorships, academic positions, and holding accountable those responsible for defrauding public funds—in order to restore the academic integrity of the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka.
A letter, written to the former President and published in the media on July 8, 2024, documents the extensive academic corruption within South Eastern University of Sri Lanka (SEUSL). In summary, it provides evidence of corrupt practices spanning multiple generations of academics and professors at the university. The contents of this letter further substantiate the findings outlined in the Subcommittee report, which was chaired by Professor Gamini Senanayake, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ruhuna.
by A Concerned Citizen
