CDS ATTENDS THE GENERAL CONVOCATION 2023 OF KDU

General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) held the General Convocation - 2023 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) on the 3rd and 4th October for conferment of MPhils, Masters and Bachelors Degrees on graduands who have successfully completed studies in Management, Engineering, Management and Technical Sciences, Commerce and Arts streams. The final session of this year’s convocation was held in the evening hours yesterday under the gracious presence of His Excellency the President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the chief guest.

The General Convocation at KDU is a symbol of excellence and dedication to academic and military education. It serves as a testament to the university's commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders in various fields, particularly in the domains of defence.

The chief guest of the convocation, HE President Ranil Wickremasinghe awarded the trophies to the students who have excelled in their respective fields of studies. Addressing the gathering, HE the President extended his heartiest congratulations to all new graduates of the year 2023 who have successfully accomplished a milestone achievement in their lives. Further the president stated that not only Sri Lanka but the all the countries in the world are presently experiencing a challenging chapter. Therefore, HE requested to practice the hardly earned knowledge for the betterment of the country as the future of the nation lies in their hands.

The President also attributed the success of the KDU to its vision to match the evolving needs of the country. Describing the importance of such universities, he stated that the government intends to introduce more universities to the youth in the near future and the KDU would provide a better model for such universities. The President also said that service personnel are educated, well-disciplined, and law-abiding, and those essential qualities need to have flourished within the society.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Shavendra Silva WWV RWP RSP VSV USP ndc psc MPhil attended the pinnacle of the year's studies in the KDU at the invitation extended by the Vice Chancellor (VC) of KDU Rear Admiral HGU Dammika Kumara, VSV, USP, psc, MMaritimePol, BSc (DS). The CDS commended the service and commitment of the VC and staff of the KDU in producing competent and qualified personalities for the nation. He further congratulated the 1775 graduates of the year 2023 who received their parchments at this year’s convocation.

National Security Advisor Mr Sagala Ratnayaka, State Minister of Defence Hon Premitha Bandara Tennakoon, Chancellor of the KDU General Shantha Kottegoda (Retd), Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Tri-Forces Commanders, Inspector General of the Police, Heads of universities, government officials, Academic Staff of the KDU, Parents of the graduands, Tri-Service officers and a large gathering of distinguished invitees witnessed the day’s proceedings.