As the incumbent Dean, it is my humble honour and privilege to warmly welcome you to the esteemed Faculty of Indigenous Medicine of the prestigious University of Colombo. Since its inception, the Faculty of Indigenous Medicine has been serving as the epitome of excellence in the higher education of Sri Lankan indigenous medicine. It was inaugurated on 10^th June 1929 as the ‘College of Indigenous Medicine’ by the former Governor-General of Ceylon, Sir Herbert James Stanley, and distinguished medicus Captain Dr. A.N.N. Panikkar presided as its first principal. With the enactment of the Ayurveda Act No. 31 of 1961, the college was affirmed as the ‘Government College of Indigenous Medicine’, and subsequently, by the Institute of Ayurveda Statute No. 01 of 1977, published in the Government Gazette Extraordinary No. 258 dated 30^th March 1977, it was affiliated with the world-renowned University of Colombo as the ‘Institute of Indigenous Medicine’. Most recently, by decree of the Government Gazette Extraordinary No. 2319/22 dated 13^th February 2023 of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, the ‘Faculty of Indigenous Medicine’ was duly bestowed as the 10^th Faculty of the prodigious University of Colombo, effective 1^st March 2023. Across its rich history, the Faculty has metamorphosed from the golden cradle to the beacon of brilliance in the higher education of Sri Lankan indigenous medicine.

Presently, the Faculty of Indigenous Medicine proudly furnishes over a thousand undergraduate students in the B.A.M.S. and B.U.M.S. degree programmes and over a hundred scholars in postgraduate and mid-career development programmes. The Faculty is enriched with skilled, accomplished, and committed academic, administrative, and non-academic staff members, complemented by up-to-date policies & curricula, bountiful resources & infrastructure, and above all, indefatigably adorned by its unfathomable wealth of talented students. The Faculty of Indigenous Medicine primarily comprises six proficient academic departments dedicated to the Ayurveda & Unani systems of medicine, a dynamic postgraduate and mid-career development unit offering a multitude of postgraduate programmes & external certificate courses, extensive library premises, and a dexterous information technology unit. The Ayurveda National Hospital of Sri Lanka ably operates as the teaching hospital of the Faculty, facilitating clinical practice and critical pedagogy via specialised professorial units. Moreover, as the Faculty of Indigenous Medicine, we pledge to pursue our formal collaborations with the Department of Ayurveda of the Ministry of Health & Mass Media, other pertinent faculties, and the Postgraduate Institute of Indigenous Medicine.

The Faculty has been functioning efficiently as a multifaceted international knowledge hub of traditional medicine, pioneering in academic, research, clinical, community empowerment, and industry linkage domains. The Faculty of Indigenous Medicine has undoubtedly been the premier paragon and the vital nucleus of higher education in the sector of Sri Lankan Ayurveda and indigenous medicine. For nearly a century, we have been nurturing and moulding graduate professionals equipped with a fine blend of authentic theoretical principles, practical ideologies, clinical experiences, modern scientific research exposures, and evidence-based medical practices. Consequently, we fortify our competent graduates with updated knowledge, refined skills, and passionate attitudes that drive them to effectively serve the noble field of indigenous medicine nationally as well as internationally.

As the Dean of the Faculty, I aspire to foster a conducive learning environment, augment inherent capabilities, empower all stakeholders, and thereby, expand the horizons of the Faculty to become the absolute pinnacle of all-round excellence in the higher education of Sri Lankan indigenous medicine. Rest assured, we are an enthusiastic, focused, and committed team wholeheartedly devoted to realising our vision of becoming ‘a nationally and internationally acclaimed centre of excellence in Ayurveda, Unani, and traditional systems of medicine in Sri Lanka’.

I cordially invite you to explore our illustrious, exemplary, & unparalleled legacy and amalgamate with our elite fraternity of students, professionals, and academics of the esteemed Faculty of Indigenous Medicine of the prestigious University of Colombo to embark on a journey destined for resolute success. Thank you for your keen interest in our Faculty, and best wishes!!!