Fifty Years of Scholarship and Service: A Golden Jubilee Commemoration
The Faculty of Arts, University of Jaffna, commemorated its Golden Jubilee with a formal celebration recognising fifty years of academic service, cultural enrichment, and institutional development. The event was held with the participation of faculty members, students, alumni, and distinguished guests, highlighting the Faculty’s enduring contribution.
The Golden Jubilee celebration was thoughtfully structured into three main segments, each reflecting a different aspect of the Faculty’s legacy and academic culture. The first segment, featuring the release of the Faculty Volume, the commemorative publication, documents the scholarly achievements and institutional milestones of the Faculty over the past fifty years. The second segment involved the unveiling of a photo archive, which presented a visual chronicle of the Faculty’s historical evolution and key events. The final segment was a book exhibition, showcasing publications authored by academic staff and student societies, further underscoring the Faculty’s intellectual contributions and engagement with the broader academic community.
Release of the Faculty Volume
The first segment, release of the Faculty Volume, began with the lighting of the traditional oil lamp, a customary ritual signifying the pursuit of knowledge and enlightenment. This was commenced with an announcement by Mr. R. Sarveswara and followed by the rendition of the Tamil Mozhi Vazhthu by Dr.Gayathree Sutharshan, invoking a sense of cultural reverence and identity.
The welcome address was delivered by Senior Professor K. Visakaruban, who reflected on the Faculty’s historical journey and extended his gratitude to those who contributed to its development over the decades. A Veena performance followed, offering a moment of musical reflection. The Presidential Address was delivered by Professor Subathini Ramesh, who acknowledged and honoured the unwavering support of the Dean, along with the dedicated efforts of the Golden Jubilee Committee and faculty staff, in ensuring the success of the celebration. Subsequently, a documentary film screening was organized to showcase over sixty diverse events conducted by various departments and units in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee. The event continued with an address by the Dean, Professor S. Raguram, who highlighted the significance of the Golden Jubilee year, reflecting on the Faculty’s rich history and achievements over the past fifty years. In his speech, the Dean emphasised the importance of the celebrations in recognising the collective efforts of both the faculty and the students.
After that, the significant moment in the Golden Jubilee celebration was marked by the formal release of the Faculty Volume by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. S. Srisatkunarajah. This commemorative publication encapsulates messages from distinguished dignitaries, along with the Faculty’s scholarly achievements, academic contributions, and institutional milestones over the past fifty years.
Every department under the Faculty of Arts contributed to this commemorative effort. All the compiled histories have been edited into a Golden Jubilee Volume, which serves as a permanent printed record of the Faculty’s development. This volume features departmental narratives, reflections from past and present and messages from the Vice Chancellor, Deans, and former dignitaries.
This historical documentation marks a landmark effort in institutional memory preservation. The structure of the documentation includes subjects covered and their orientation, commencement of discipline and the factors prompted, growth of the subject as a discipline, the curriculum of the subject, development of the subject to date, subsequent expansion of the discipline, pioneering individuals and outstanding academic contributions, research interests of the staff, staff and students at present, dissemination of knowledge and outreach activities and community engagement.
The volume not only honours the pioneers who laid the foundation of the Faculty but also inspires future generations to appreciate and uphold its values. The Golden Jubilee of the Faculty of Arts, University of Jaffna, is a celebration of resilience, scholarship, and community service. The documentation of its fifty-year history is a testament to the Faculty’s commitment to reflection, continuity, and intellectual growth.
Following the release of the Faculty volume, the Vice Chancellor delivered a keynote address, commending the Faculty for its resilience, intellectual contributions, and role in shaping the academic landscape of the Northern Province. The first segment of the celebration concluded with a Vote of Thanks delivered by Dr. P. Ahilan, who acknowledged the efforts of all stakeholders in making the celebration a success.
Photo Archive Exhibition
As the second segment of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Faculty of Arts, University of Jaffna, a special initiative was undertaken to curate a Photo Archive Exhibition.
This decision was made following a discussion chaired by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts on 26 July 2024, to showcase the historical journey and significant milestones of both the Faculty of Arts and the University of Jaffna through archival photographs.
The project aimed to collect, curate, and preserve photographic records documenting key events, milestones, and everyday life within the Faculty of Arts over the past five decades.
- To establish a visual repository that vividly captures and preserves the faculty’s historical moments, ensuring this legacy is conveyed to future generations.
- To engage current and former students and university staff in the celebration by inviting them to contribute photographs and other materials related to the faculty for inclusion in the archive.
Heads of Departments and event coordinators were requested to submit Concept Papers outlining the proposed structure and content for the exhibition. The Concept Paper was submitted on 10 March 2024.
The following members were appointed to carry out the Photo Archive activity.
- (Mrs.) Maithili Visakaruban – Deputy Librarian (Activity Lead)
- Y. Kesavan – Assistant Librarian
- K. Sajanthan – Assistant Librarian
- M. Kohulan – Network Manager
- N. Thileepan -Staff Management Assistant, Dept. of Computer Science
- R. Thananchayan – Library Information Assistant
- V. Nisanth – Library Information Assistant
From the Faculty of Arts, Dr. P. Akilan (Head, Department of Fine Arts) and Mrs. P. Srisangeerthanan (Head, Department of Media Studies) were also appointed as activity members for the Photo Archive.
A budget was allocated, with financial support from the University, and additional sponsorship was sought from the Alumni Association of the Faculty of Arts (AAA). Through collaborative discussions, it was agreed that the remaining cost for printing the quality photographs would also be sought from AAA. After arranging and organising the photographs for the Photo Archive activity, selected images would be included in a souvenir published by AAA.
Rare photographs required for setting up the Photo Archive were collected through various sources. A significant portion was obtained from the archive section of the Vithiananthan Library. Photographs related to early student cohorts were sourced from the Alumni Association (AAA). Prof. P. Pushparatnam and Dr. N. Pratheeparajah (Head, Department of Geography) contributed to the fieldwork photographs.
A considerable number of photographs were gathered through direct contact with relevant individuals. The photo collection efforts for the archive were the result of nearly a year-long dedicated initiative.
Approximately 80 photographs were displayed in the exhibition, which took place over three days – 28th, 29th, and 30th April 2025. On 28.04.2025, the exhibition was officially inaugurated by the Vice-Chancellor of the University. It was attended and viewed by Senate members, Deans, Heads, Students, and Alumni.
Approximately more than a thousand visitors attended the exhibition over the three days, reflecting strong engagement and interest from the university community and the alumni. Feedback was received from 851 attendees. All the feedback offered highly positive comments, appreciating the exhibition’s quality, historical significance, and its emotional resonance in highlighting the legacy of the Faculty of Arts and the University of Jaffna.
The Photo Archive Exhibition was a significant success, contributing meaningfully to the University’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. It preserved valuable visual history, strengthened alumni engagement, and instilled pride within the university community. The effort reflects a model for future heritage-based initiatives at the University of Jaffna.
Exhibition of Publications of the Academic Staff
The third segment of the Golden Jubilee celebrations was significantly enriched by the contributions of Mrs. Piratheepa Vipulan and Dr. Maithili Visakaruban who curated an exhibition featuring publications produced by staff members and student societies affiliated with the Faculty. This segment aimed to provide a platform for showcasing the academic, research, and literary outputs of the Faculty community. The Chief Guest officially declared the book exhibition open, marking the commencement of this intellectually engaging segment of the celebration.
The publications from the staff and student societies of the Faculty of Arts were showcased. These collected publications have been arranged by departments and units, including Christian and Islamic Civilisation, Drama and Theatre, Economics, Education, English Language Teaching, Fine Arts, Geography, History, Linguistics and English, Media Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, Tamil, Translation Studies, and Home Economics. Additionally, publications from Library Science, Cintanai, and the Sri Lanka Journal of South Asian Studies and the proceedings of the conferences held under the Faculty of Arts were included.
A total of 542 books were exhibited. The Tamilology library staff and the staff of the Faculty of Arts supported in arranging this event successfully. This event created a platform to show the rare books of our pioneer staff, too. Students had opportunities to learn about the existing resources available to their respective departments. Students who attended the exhibition expressed a scholarly interest in this section. The event received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the audience, who expressed their appreciation.
The Golden Jubilee celebration of the Faculty of Arts was a fitting tribute to its fifty years of academic excellence, cultural contribution, and institutional growth. Each segment of the event—from the release of the Faculty Volume and the unveiling of the photo archive to the book exhibition—reflected the Faculty’s commitment to scholarship, history, and community engagement. The event concluded on a successful note, with all three segments executed with purpose and significance, leaving a lasting impression on all participants.