General Convocation

The Coronation Ceremony of Country’s Scholars’ alma mater- University of Peradeniya, established back in 1st of July, 1942, is the proud heir to an eighty years old University tradition. It is the 1st University of Sri Lanka which is originally named as the University of Ceylon.

The 81st Convocation of the University of Peradeniya; Annual General Convocation 2018 will be held on 04th July at University Gymnasium presiding over by the Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya; Professor Kingsley M.de Silva. The Annual General Convocation 2018, was held on 05th July 2018 at the University gymnasium. There, 3,444 Degrees were awarded and the Faculty of Arts received the highest with 831, while the Dental Faculty received the lowest with 79. Also, 881 Postgraduate Degrees were awarded. Convocation is the University Graduation Ceremony where any undergraduate/ postgraduate is awarded their graduation certificate; making them the official graduates. They are a part of an 800-year tradition which started with the establishment of the first Universities in Europe. It originated in the 12th century, when the Latin was the language of scholarship. This grandeous Convocation Ceremony is characterized by a unique dress code, a typical convocation procession etc. Normally the dress code which is worn by graduates and the academic staff at the convocation ceremony is the gown and a hood . The attire has evolved from the daily dress of University staff in the Middle Ages, which was created based on the attire worn by medieval clergy. Nowadays the gown and the hood are strictly controlled and they indicate the wearer’s University and degree. Normally in Sri Lankan state universities, dress code for undergraduates is only the gown. The hood is included in the dress code of Postgraduates. The convocation procession normally consists of Chancellors’ procession, the procession of the members of senate, the procession of the other staff and the graduands’ procession. At the ceremony the graduands’ procession will be the leading procession, followed by the procession of the staff, the procession of the members of senate and Chancellors’ procession respectively. At the Convocation Ceremony while the Chancellor is presiding, the Vice Chancellor announces the awarding degree name and the batch. Then a Dean, a Director or a Head of a department nominated by the vice chancellor presents the graduands to the audience to be graduated by the chancellor. Annually about 26 000 graduates are introduced to the society by the state universities of Sri Lanka. The University of Peradeniya stands as the proud creator of about 3500 graduates of them.