Karunasena Kodituwakku

The Honourable Dr Karunasena Kodituwakku
Sri Lankan Ambassador to China
Incumbent
Assumed office 2015
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 the North Western Province
In office 1993–1994
Sri Lankan Ambassador to Japan and South Korea
In office 1988–1991
Personal details
Born	21 March 1945 Sri Lanka
Nationality	Sri Lankan
Political party	United National Party
Spouse(s)	Chandani Dahanayake Kodituwakku
Children	Manikya, Isankya and Danushka
Occupation	Academic Diplomat Politician
Profession	Economist, University Lecturer
Religion	Buddhist

Karunasena Kodituwakku (born March 21, 1945) is a Sri Lankan politician, academic and diplomat. He is the current Sri Lankan Ambassador to China^[1] and former Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister of Education, Human Resources Development and Cultural Affairs^[2] and the 3rd 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.

Early life & Education

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.

Academic career

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.

Diplomatic career

In 1988 Kodituwakku left Sri Lanka to serve as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Japan (1988–1989) and South Korea (1989–1991). After his return to Sri Lanka, he became the Governor of the Northwestern Province in 1993.

Political career

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.^[2]

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.^[3]

In 2015, Dr. Kodituwakku was appointed the Sri Lankan Ambassador to China^[4]

References

1. New Ambassadors and High Commissioners appointed. Ada Derana, Retrieved on 19 November 2015.
2. UNF cabinet reshuffled after five postponements
3. Representation on the Executive Board, UNESCO. Sri Lanka in United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
4. New Ambassadors and High Commissioners appointed. Ada Derana, Retrieved on 19 November 2015