Kusuma Karunaratne
Encyclopedia
Kusuma Karunaratne nee Ediriweera Jayasooriya (November 21, 1940 ) is a Sri Lankan academic, university administrator, Professor and scholar of Sinhalese language and literature.
, Dodampahala to a business family of Mr. and Mrs. D. E. Jayasooriya. She had her school education at Dodampahala Vidyalaya and then at Vijitha Vidyalaya, Dickwella.
She completed her undergraduate education at the University of Ceylon
in the Peradeniya
campus; there in 1964, she became the first female student in her discipline to earn a First class honours degree from that institution. She later married Samarajeewa Karunaratne
, an engineer by profession. They have two sons, Savant Kaushalya and Passant Vatsalya, both electrical engineers specializing in Image processing
. The elder, Savant Karunaratne has a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Sydney
, Australia
. The younger, Passant Karunaratne is a Principal Research Engineer in United States
.
. In 1967, Mrs. Karunaratne and her husband traveled to the United Kingdom
where both furthered their education with post-graduate studies, with her studying Sociology of Literature at the University of Essex
. Later she pursued graduate studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies
in London
. She was awarded her doctorate from the University of Colombo
.
Karunaratne became the first female lecturer in Sinhala Department at the University of Columbo, and she was to be the first female Professor of Sinhala and the first woman to head that Department. Professor Karunaratne would later go on to become the Dean and the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Colombo.
During her career she had taught Sinhala to many Japanese
, including professors and diplomats, thus helping to strengthen the relations between Japan and Sri Lanka. She had translated many English and Japanese novels to Sinhala.
Personal life
Kusuma Jayasooriya was born on November 21 in 1940 at DickwellaDickwella
Dickwella, also known as Dikwella, is a small town in the Matara district in Southern province of Sri Lanka. It is located east of the city of Matara.Dickwella is the location of Sri Lanka's largest seated Buddha statue, which is tall....
, Dodampahala to a business family of Mr. and Mrs. D. E. Jayasooriya. She had her school education at Dodampahala Vidyalaya and then at Vijitha Vidyalaya, Dickwella.
She completed her undergraduate education at the University of Ceylon
University of Ceylon
The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the University of Sri Lanka which existed from 1973 to 1978. In 1978 it was...
in the Peradeniya
Peradeniya
Peradeniya is a town of about 50,000 inhabitants on the outskirts of Kandy in Sri Lanka. It is situated on the A1 main road connecting Kandy and Colombo, just a few kilometres west of Kandy....
campus; there in 1964, she became the first female student in her discipline to earn a First class honours degree from that institution. She later married Samarajeewa Karunaratne
Sam Karunaratne
Emeritus Professor Samarajeewa "Sam" Karunaratne, FIET, FIESL is an Professor of Engineering and a leading Sri Lankan academic who is the founding & current Chancellor of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology and the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Moratuwa...
, an engineer by profession. They have two sons, Savant Kaushalya and Passant Vatsalya, both electrical engineers specializing in Image processing
Image processing
In electrical engineering and computer science, image processing is any form of signal processing for which the input is an image, such as a photograph or video frame; the output of image processing may be either an image or, a set of characteristics or parameters related to the image...
. The elder, Savant Karunaratne has a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The younger, Passant Karunaratne is a Principal Research Engineer in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Academic career
An academic career began with her appointment as an assistant lecturer of the Department of Sinhala at the University of CeylonUniversity of Ceylon
The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the University of Sri Lanka which existed from 1973 to 1978. In 1978 it was...
. In 1967, Mrs. Karunaratne and her husband traveled to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
where both furthered their education with post-graduate studies, with her studying Sociology of Literature at the University of Essex
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965...
. Later she pursued graduate studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. She was awarded her doctorate from the University of Colombo
University of Colombo
The University of Colombo is a public research university located primarily in Colombo, Sri Lanka...
.
Karunaratne became the first female lecturer in Sinhala Department at the University of Columbo, and she was to be the first female Professor of Sinhala and the first woman to head that Department. Professor Karunaratne would later go on to become the Dean and the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Colombo.
During her career she had taught Sinhala to many Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
, including professors and diplomats, thus helping to strengthen the relations between Japan and Sri Lanka. She had translated many English and Japanese novels to Sinhala.
Publications
- A Glimpse of Japanese Culture
- Selected Sri Lankan Short Stories, Vol. I & Vol. II. , co-authored (with Sarath Wijesooriya), published by Godage Publishing 10-ISBN 9-552-06238-1, 10-ISBN 9-552-06239-x
- English-Sinhalese translation of Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises
Honors and awards
- Ruhunu Putra Award
- Liya Waruna Award
- Fulbright, Fellow.
- Japan FoundationJapan FoundationThe was established in 1972 by an Act of the Japanese Diet as a special legal entity to undertake international dissemination of Japanese culture, and became an independent administrative institution under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Ministry of Japan on 1 October 2003 under the "Independent...
, Fellow. - Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays and Neck RibbonOrder of the Rising SunThe is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...