11 Notable alumni of University of Colombo
Updated: June 22, 2026 EliteDegrees
University of Colombo is ranked #1,634 in the world and #1 in Sri Lanka by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 11 notable alumni from University of Colombo sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with University of Colombo won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Jayalath Jayawardena
1953-2013 (aged 60)
politician
Ruban Canistus Jayalath Jayawardena MP, commonly as Jayalath Jayawardena, was a medical doctor who was elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka for the opposition United National Party (UNP) in 1994. Jayawardena was known as a human rights activist. Jayawardena is also popular for his sheer commitment and loyalty for the UNP.
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2. Malaka Dewapriya
1979-. (aged 47)
television producer
screenwriter
film director
Malaka Dewapriya is a Sri Lankan film maker, visual artist, Sinhala Radio Play writer, short film and video director.
3. Soundarie David Rodrigo
pianist
Soundarie David Rodrigo is a pianist, accompanist, music director and music educationalist from Sri Lanka. She is in the panel of judges of the Sri Lanka's Got Talent originated from the Got Talent franchise and the world Choir Games She is also the founder and music director of Sri Lanka's premier female ensemble ‘Soul Sounds’– that has performed and won...
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4. Nimal Bopage
1961-. (aged 65)
Bopage Nimalweera, more commonly known as Nimal Bopage (Sinhalese: නිමල් බෝපගේ, Tamil: நிமல் போபகே) is a Sri Lankan lawyer, charted accountant, auditor, civil servant, diplomat, academic and lyricist. Currently he is the additional secretary to the president of Sri Lanka and adviser to the president of Sri Lanka and the chairman of the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau and former...
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5. U. S. Jayawickrama
1930-. (aged 96)
academic
Upendra Srinath Jayawickrama, is a Sri Lankan physician (endocrinologist) and an artist. He was the founder of the Diabetes Association of Sri Lanka and a professor of pharmacology at the North Colombo Medical College.
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6. Kumar Sangakkara
1977-. (aged 49)
cricketer
Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara is a Sri Lankan former professional cricketer who represented Sri Lanka from 2000 to 2015. A former captain for Sri Lanka in all formats. Born in Matale, Central Province, Sangakkara played first-class cricket for Nondescripts Cricket Club from 1997–98 to 2013–14 and for Surrey County Cricket Club from 2015 to 2017. He was a key part of...
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7. Ranil Wickremesinghe
1949-. (aged 77)
lawyer
politician
Ranil Wickremesinghe is a Sri Lankan politician who served as the ninth president of Sri Lanka from 2022 to 2024. He has also served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 1993–1994, 2001–2004, 2015–2018, 2018-2019 and in 2022. Wickremesinghe has held several ministerial roles, including Minister of Finance, Minister of Defence, Minister of Technology and Minister of Women, Child Affairs...
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8. Lasantha Wickrematunge
1958-2009 (aged 51)
lawyer
politician
journalist
Lasantha Manilal Wickrematunge was a high-profile Sri Lankan journalist, politician, broadcaster, and human rights activist who was assassinated in January 2009.
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9. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena
1945-. (aged 81)
politician
Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena is a Sri Lankan politician and land proprietor. He was the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka from 2020 to 2024.
10. Sarath Gunapala
physicist
engineer
Sri Lanka Ranjana Dr Sarath Gunapala is a solid-state physicist, senior research scientist and group supervisor at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He works primarily in Quantum Well Infrared Photo Detecting. He is also a board member of Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector Technologies LLC. Gunapala lives in the suburbs of Los Angeles. He was born in Sri Lanka.
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11. Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala
1979-. (aged 47)
women's rights activist
mountaineer
Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala is a Sri Lankan women’s rights activist with 20 years of experience and a rock climber / mountaineer for nearly as long. She has worked at national, regional, and global levels as a technical advisor, advocate, trainer, researcher, and program manager on issues relating to gender, gender-based violence, sexuality, masculinity, women’s human rights, and more recently, women in...
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