South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine

South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine
Type Private
Established 2008 (2008)
President Dr. Neville Fernando
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ananda Samarasekara
Academic staff
 194
Location Malabe, Sri Lanka
Campus Main Campus, 4 acres (Suburban), Malabe
Colors Blue, green
        
Affiliations Buckinghamshire New University, Asian Institute of Technology, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy
Website www.saitm.edu.lk

The South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) (originally known as the South Asian Institute of Technology and Management) is a privately owned educational institution providing higher education in Sri Lanka.[1] It is the first private sector Green Campus to be established in the country.[2] In July 2016, the Government of Sri Lanka suspended the provision for new admissions at the medical faculty of SAITM.[3]

History

The South Asian Institute of Technology and Management was established in 2008 by Dr. Neville Fernando with the aim to provide tertiary qualifications in Medicine, Engineering and Information Technology, Management and Finance, and Information Communication Technology and Media. The institute was initially affiliated with the Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy (Russia), the Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand) and Buckinghamshire New University (England), awarding degrees through those respective institutes.[4] In 2011 SAITM applied for recognition from the University Grants Commission (UGC) as a degree awarding institution, with the ability to award its own degrees.[5] The UGC, in 2013, granted SAITM a degree awarding status despite protests from the Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) and the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA).[6] SAITM held their first convocation in March 2013, conferring degrees to ten students from the Faculty of ICT and Media and eighteen students from the Faculty of Management and Finance.[7]

In October 2016 SAITM appointed an acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Deepal Weerasekera,[8] whilst the current Vice Chancellor, Professor Ananda Samarasekera, was on a leave of absence, relating to his alleged involvement in the Wasim Thajudeen murder case.[9]

Controversies

Medical qualifications

In 2016 the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) and the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) have both publicly stated that they were opposed the provisional registration of medical graduates from SAITM to practice as doctors in Sri Lanka.[10][11][12]

Wasim Thajudeen murder case

In the ongoing investigations into the suspected murder of rugby player Wasim Thajudeen the Vice Chancellor of SAITM, Ananda Samarasekera, is suspected for misplacing the bones of the deceased during the post investigations.[13][14][15][16][17] On 3 October 2016 the Criminal Investigation Department of Sri Lanka confiscated 26 human body parts from the Institute's laboratory during a search operation carried out to locate the missing body parts of suspected murder victim Wasim Thajudeen.[18][19]

Lasantha Manilal Wickrematunge murder case

Dr. K. Sunil Kumara, who is accused of giving a false post mortem report on Lasantha Manilal Wickrematunge and is accused of removing of Wickrematunge's body parts and Dr. Ananda Samarasekera are both currently working at South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM).[20]

References

  1. ↑ Jayakodi, Jayasri (16 January 2009). "MoU signed to set up first private sector Green Campus". Daily News. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  2. ↑ Perera, Gayani (1 February 2009). "SAITM for education with character". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  3. ↑ Hettiarachchi, Kumudini (24 July 2016). "SAITM: Govt. agrees to immediately halt admission of new students to Medical Faculty". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  4. ↑ Jayaweera, Lakshitha (27 September 2009). "SAITM - The first Green campus in Sri Lanka". Sunday Times. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  5. ↑ "SAITM -On a journey to become the best higher education institution in South Asia". The Sunday Times. 24 July 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  6. ↑ Kumar, Ramya (26 December 2015). "Should the government open state hospitals to SAITM medical students?". The Island. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  7. ↑ "SAITM Convocation 2013 – A Grand Event". The Sunday Times. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  8. ↑ "SAITM appoints new acting Vice Chancellor". Daily News. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  9. ↑ Sooriyagoda, Lakmal (24 August 2016). "SAITM Vice Chancellor seeks anticipatory bail". Daily News. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  10. ↑ Jayamanne, Dilanthi (7 September 2016). "SAITM graduates stake their right to practise medicine". The Island. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  11. ↑ Karunaratne, Vickramabahu (27 August 2016). "SAITM needs guidance". Daily News. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  12. ↑ "SAITM Students demand Equal Rights". The Sunday Leader. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  13. ↑ Sooriyagoda, Lakmal (21 September 2016). "Wasim Thajudeen murder: Missing body parts taken to SAITM". Daily News. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  14. ↑ "Thajudeen murder: missing body parts moved to SAITM - CID". Adaderena. Ada Derana. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  15. ↑ "Thajudeen murder: Missing body parts taken to SAITM". The Nation. The Nation. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  16. ↑ "Thajudeen's body parts sent to SAITM by ex-JMO=". Colombo Gazette. colombogazette. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  17. ↑ Ferdinando, Shamindra (9 September 2016). "AG's submissions in respect of Thajudeen's missing body parts IUSF wants govt to go whole hog". The Island. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  18. ↑ "Thajudeen Murder: CID Confiscates 26 Body Parts From SAITM". Colombo Telegraph. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  19. ↑ "Thajudeen murder: Body parts were dispatched to SAITM". Front Page. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  20. ↑ Kannangara, Nirmala (12 September 2016). "Lasantha's Autopsy Report Issued To Mislead Probe". The Sunday Leader. Retrieved 22 September 2016.


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