History of Faculty of Technology

The Government of Sri Lanka introduced the Technology stream to the Sri Lankan school system in 2013 as a strategy of harnessing the talents of youth to capture the advantage of relevant emerging technologies to drive the economy by providing an education that embraces competencies to satisfy the needs of the Nation. Ministry of Education together with the National Institute of Education (NIE) having identified the importance of the knowledge of the Technological subjects, and decided to introduce the Technological Stream to the Advanced Level. 

The GCE Advanced Level examination under this newly introduced technology stream were held for the first time in the year 2015. The Technological stream is to be distinctly identifiable as a separate stream at the Advanced Level and more focused on the following technology subjects,

• Engineering Technology
• Biosystems Technology
• Science for Technology

Students could select either Engineering Technology or Biosystems Technology for the Advanced Level. The subject Science for Technology is compulsory for both the Engineering and Biosystems technology and will provide the necessary fundamentals of science, mathematics and information technology to directly support the learning of the chosen technology subject. The third subject could be selected from the following Basket of nine subjects: Economics, Geography, Home Economics, Logic and Scientific Method, Communication and Media Studies, Art, Information and Communication Technology, Business Studies and Agriculture Science. 

Introduction of new undergraduate programmes into the Sri Lankan university system by establishing the Faculty of Technology creates an avenue for those who are ambitious to work in the industry and/or pursue higher studies under the technology stream. The Faculty of Technology shall fulfil the mission of the University by building an educational system more suited to the technological needs of the country, which goes beyond the confines of the conventional knowledge systems and requires human resources with the technological skills and experience for the progress of technology in the Country. 

Eastern University, Sri Lanka (EUSL) had decided to establish the Faculty of Technology to support the government initiation. Thus the project of Establishment of Faculty of Technology at the Eastern University, Sri Lanka was initiated in July 2014. Faculty of Agriculture, Eastern University, Sri Lanka had come forward accepting to prepare a proposal for establishing a Department of Biosystems Technology and designing a curriculum for the Bachelor of Biosystems Technology (BBST) in Agricultural Technology and Entrepreneurship degree programme. Feasibility studies were carried out to understand the student’s attributes, breadth and depth of the curriculum. Subsequently, the proposed curriculum was presented to the University. 

The EUSL along with the Curriculum for BBST proposed to establish the following new Departments in the Faculty of Technology.

• Department of Biosystems Technology
• Department of Multidisciplinary Studies
• Department of Information and Communication Technology
• Department of Engineering Technology

The proposed curriculum for BBST in Agricultural Technology and Entrepreneurship along with the proposals for establishing both Faculty of Technology and Department of Biosystems Technology were then recommended by the Senate followed by the Council in October 2015, and approved by the UGC in October 2015. Ministry of Higher Education and Highways of Sri Lanka officially announced the establishment of the Faculty of Technology with two Departments viz: Department of Biosystems Technology, Department of Multidisciplinary Studies through the Gazette Extraordinary (No. 2002/35) under Section 27(1), The University Act No.16 of 1978, published on 18th January 2017. Later, the degree programme has been converted into BBSTHonors in Agricultural Technology and Entrepreneurship as per the decision made by the Management Committee of the UGC (989th meeting, 29.06.2018). 

The Faculty received one more new department, the Department of Information and Communication Technology through the Gazette Extraordinary (No. 2336/48) under Section 27(1), The University Act No.16 of 1978, published on 14th June 2023.