A. Jeyaratnam Wilson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
A. Jeyaratnam Wilson
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| Born | 1928 |
| Died | (aged 71) |
| Alma mater | Royal College, Colombo London School of Economics |
| Occupation | Academic |
Alfred Jeyaratnam Wilson (Tamil: அல்பிரட் ஜெயரத்தினம் வில்சன் 1928 – 31 May 2000) was an important Sri Lankan Tamil academic, historian, and author. He was known for his work in political science. He taught at universities in Sri Lanka and Canada.
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About A. Jeyaratnam Wilson
Alfred Jeyaratnam Wilson was born in 1928. He went to Royal College, Colombo in Sri Lanka. Later, he studied at the University of Ceylon and the London School of Economics (LSE). He earned a PhD and a DSc in Economics.
Wilson married Susili, who was the daughter of S. J. V. Chelvanayakam. They had three children: two daughters named Malliha and Maithili, and one son named Kumanan.
His Teaching Career
Wilson started his teaching career in 1952. He taught at the University of Ceylon in Sri Lanka for 20 years. He helped create the political science department there in 1969. He became its first professor.
After leaving Sri Lanka, Wilson moved to Canada. He taught political science at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) from 1970 to 1994. After he retired, he continued to be an emeritus professor at UNB. This means he kept his title and connection to the university.
Research and Advisory Roles
During his time as a professor, Wilson often took breaks called sabbaticals. These breaks allowed him to do special research at other famous universities. He was a research scholar at the London School of Economics and a research fellow at the University of Leicester. He also worked as a research associate at McGill University and Columbia University. He was also a senior fellow at the University of Manchester and St Antony's College, Oxford.
Wilson also advised important people and groups. He was a special advisor to the President Junius Richard Jayewardene from 1978 to 1983. He also helped the United States Department of State with advice on South Asia. He worked with Canadian organizations like the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). He also helped with immigration cases in the USA.
He was part of the editorial teams for several academic journals. These included The Round Table and Asian Survey.
His Books and Writings
A. Jeyaratnam Wilson was a very active writer. He wrote eight books and over 100 articles. His writings often focused on politics and history in Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries.
Some of his well-known books include:
- Politics in Sri Lanka, 1947–1973 (1974)
- The Break-up of Sri Lanka: The Sinhalese-Tamil Conflict (1988)
- S. J. V. Chelvanayakam and the Crisis of Sri Lankan Tamil Nationalism, 1947–1977: a Political Biography (1994)
- Sri Lankan Tamil Nationalism: Its Origins and Development in the 19th and 20th Centuries (2000), which he wrote with A. J. V. Chandrakanthan.
Later Life
Alfred Jeyaratnam Wilson passed away on May 31, 2000. He was 71 years old. He died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Toronto, Canada.
