BIRTH & GROWTH OF FACULTY OF ANIMAL SCIENCE AND EXPORT AGRICULTURE
The Faculty of Animal Science and Export Agriculture (FASEA) is one of the three founding faculties of Uva Wellassa University (UWU), established in 2005 in Badulla, Sri Lanka. It was founded alongside the Faculty of Management and the Faculty of Science and Technology (currently the Faculty of Applied Sciences). Since its inception, FASEA has been contributing to the vision of the university — “To be the centre of excellence for value addition to the national resource base” — by focusing primarily on agriculture and its allied sectors.
The mission of the faculty is “to excel in teaching, learning, research, and outreach activities in undergraduate, postgraduate, and extramural programmes, emphasizing value addition to agricultural and allied resources through scientific and emerging technological approaches.” FASEA recognizes livestock, agricultural crops, and aquatic resources as key national assets and strives to enhance their value through technology-driven education, entrepreneurship development, and research and innovation in value addition.
At present, the faculty comprises three academic departments. The Department of Animal Science and the Department of Export Agriculture have been functioning since the inception of the university, while the Department of Food Science and Technology was established in 2022 as the newest addition. Together, these departments offer several undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes designed to meet the growing demands of the agricultural sector.
FASEA currently offers six undergraduate degree programmes under the Sri Lanka Qualifications Framework (SLQF) Level 6. These include the Bachelor of Science Honours in Animal Production and Food Technology, Bachelor of Science Honours in Export Agriculture, Bachelor of Science Honours in Aquatic Resource Technology, Bachelor of Science Honours in Tea Technology and Value Addition and Bachelor of Science Honours in Palm & Latex Technology and Value Addition. The latter two-degree programmes were later merged in 2023 to form the Bachelor of Science Honours in Plantation Management and Technology degree programme. The total proposed annual student intake of the faculty is 543.
In addition to undergraduate education, FASEA offers postgraduate research degrees (MPhil/PhD) in several disciplines, including Agricultural Biotechnology, Agricultural Biology, Agricultural Production and Processing, Agricultural Extension, Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management, Aquaculture and Fisheries, Food Science and Technology, and Soil Science. The faculty also plans to introduce taught postgraduate programmes (MSc/Master’s/PGDip) in the near future. Moreover, in response to societal and industry needs, the faculty conducts external degree programmes and extension courses.
Since its establishment, the leadership of the faculty has played a significant role in its continuous growth and development. Prof. N.E.M. Jayasekara served as the inaugural Dean in 2005, followed by Dr. G. Chandrasena in 2007. Prof. S. C. Jayamanne assumed the position of Dean in 2014, and Prof. H. M. S. K. Herath has been serving as the Dean since 2020, continuing to guide the faculty toward excellence.
Demonstrating its commitment to maintaining high academic standards, FASEA received “A” grades from the Quality Assurance Council (QAC) of the University Grants Commission (UGC) for its Bachelor of Animal Science Honours/Bachelor of Animal Production and Food Technology, Bachelor of Science Honours in Aquatic Resource Technology, and Bachelor of Science Honours in Export Agriculture degree programmes during the programme reviews conducted in 2019–2020. These achievements reflect the faculty’s dedication to quality education, innovation, and continuous improvement in agricultural science and technology.
Respecting the three pillars of service of the university – (i) Teaching and Mentoring, (ii) Research (focusing on value addition to the local resource base), and (iii) Community Service Activities/Corporate Social Responsibility – the faculty aims to extend its services toward a better future for the country by providing more opportunities at the undergraduate, postgraduate, and extramural levels. Overall, we expect our graduates to become leaders in adding value to the agriculture sector and, in turn, to contribute to the development of the national economy for a prosperous future of the country and beyond.
