Professor Dayantha S Wijeyesekera was born on 23 rd September 1942. He was educated in Sri Lanka at S.Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, Ceylon Technical College, Maradana and Institute of Practical Technology, Katubedda and then in the United Kingdom where he graduated in Civil Engineering from Enfield College London in 1965 and was awarded the Postgraduate Degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Edinburgh in 1969 and in 1995, he was awarded the Honorary Doctorate (DUniv) of the British Open University for his contribution to distance and open learning and the Honorary Doctorate of Letters (D.Litt.) of the Open University of Sri Lanka for the contribution and development of education and University Management.

Professor Wijeyesekera was a Lecturer in Civil Engineering at the University of Edinburgh (1967-1970), Senior Research Engineer at the State Engineering Corporation of Ceylon (1970), a Senior Lecturer in Civil Engineering at the University of Sri Lanka at the Katubedda Campus (1971–1974).the Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Moratuwa (1974-2007), the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering in the same University (1980–1983), the Vice Chancellor of the Open University of Sri Lanka (1985–1994) (three terms), a Member of the Academic Advisory Panel of the International Technological University–Paris, France (1988), the Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Transport (Sri Lanka Section) in 1989/91, the Chairman of the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (1990–1994), a Member of the National Education Commission (1990–1994, 2005 onwards), a Member of the Academic Council of the National Institute of Education (1992-1994), the Secretary General of the Asian Association of Open Universities (1990-1993) and its President Elect in 1993/94, the President of the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (1991/92), a Member of the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth of Learning (1991-1993),a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Asian Institute of Technology (1992–1995), the Chairman of the Institute for Construction Training and Development (ICTAD) (1995–1998), the Vice Chancellor of the University of Moratuwa (1999-2005) (two terms), Member of Board of Governors, Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies (1999–2005), the Chairman, Uni-Consultancy Services (2002-2007), the Secretary of the Ministry of Skills Development, Vocational and Technical Education (2004-2005), the Local Team Leader and Consultant in the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded project on Distance Education Modernisation (2005-2007).

Professor Wijeyesekera is currently  

(i) from October 2007 a Consultant on the ADB funded project on Technical Education Development advising on the development of the University of Vocational Technology and the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) System which were initiated while he was the Secretary of the Ministry of Skills Development, Vocational and Technical Education .  

(ii) continues since 2005, to be a Member of the National Education Commission (NEC) and the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Tertiary and Technological Education.  

(iii) the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Association of Civil Engineers since the year 2001. He has been the only Sri Lanka to hold the Post of Vice Chancellor at two Universities in Sri Lanka, been for 9 years (three terms) in the Open University of Sri Lanka and with completion of the maximum two terms of Office as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Moratuwa, aggregating an unprecedented total length of period of over 15 years as a Vice Chancellor of State Universities.He has also been the Chairman of the Committee of Vice Chancellors on two occasions both of which are perhaps unprecedented anywhere in the world.

In 1968, Professor Wijeyesekera received the Miller Prize awarded by the Institution of Civil Engineers, London for a paper presented to the Institution. In 1981 he received an award as one of the Top Ten Outstanding Young Sri Lankans. In 2000, a Special Award of Excellence was conferred upon him for the contribution made by him towards the development of the Sri Lankan Transport industry by the Chartered Institute of Transport in Sri Lanka. He was conferred the Presidential National Honour of Vidya Jyothi by H.E.the President of Sri Lanka in November 2005, The Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka at the inauguration of its Centenary Celebrations in January 2006 conferred upon him the “Award of Excellence in Engineering” and the National Construction Association of Sri Lanka conferred the “Silver Jubilee Award “ in August 2006, Sri Lankan of the Year Award (2009) for Education.

He has over 80 presentations of papers published in recognized journals, presented at national regional and international conferences, together with several Guest Lectures, Keynote Addresses, Memorial Lectures, Convocation Addresses and Presidential addresses delivered by him. Amongst, his recent presentations have been at an International Conference in Australia of the International Association of University Presidents on the topic “Nation Building through University Building” and the Key-note address at the 98 th Annual Sessions of the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka, on the topic “ Linking Technical Education with Engineering Education” which topics have been his aspirations for nearly 45 years, as an University Academic, University Administrator and Technical and Distance Education Specialist.

He has achieved the highest position: – in the academic sphere, as a Senior Professor and a Vice Chancellor,

Professionally, as the President in three Professional bodies

in administration, as a Secretary of a Ministry.

In his nation building activities he has trained over half a million students under his leadership and tutoring at different levels and in different fields of education. This is in addition to many projects; he has been engaged in Engineering and Education for the development of the Country.