The Architecture of Excellence: How SLIIT built a culture of recognition

In higher education, what gets recognised gets repeated.

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Professor Ruwan Jayathilaka receiving the award from the CEO, Vice Chanslor Professor Lalith Gamage, Ms Asangi Jayasinghe, Director-Research Services Office of Research. From left: Professor Ruwan Jayathilaka, Dr Shantha Yapa, Miss Sandali Ehalapitiya, Chancellor Professor Lakshman Rathnayake and Ms Asangi Jayasinghe, Director-Research Services Office of Research.

It's a simple principle with profound implications. When institutions systematically celebrate achievement, whether scholarly publications, innovative business proposals, or sustainable practices, they don't just honour past accomplishments. They architect future excellence. At the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, this principle has been elevated to an organizational philosophy, creating a comprehensive ecosystem of recognition that spans research, student achievement, entrepreneurship, and organizational innovation.

The numbers tell part of the story. Six SLIIT academics now stand among the world's top two percent of researchers according to the 2024 Stanford-Elsevier Rankings. Dr. Bhagya Nathali Silva from Computing, Prof. Dush Jayakody from Engineering, and Prof. Dhanushka Udayanga from Humanities and Sciences have earned places on both single-year and career-long lists, a testament not just to individual brilliance but to institutional culture. SLIIT's conquest of the number one position in the AD Scientific Index World Young University Rankings 2025 confirms what these individual achievements suggest: research excellence here isn't accidental, it's engineered.