K. Kunaratnam facts for kids

Kanthia Kunaratnam (born April 30, 1934 – died September 9, 2015) was a smart scientist and teacher from Sri Lanka. He was a physicist, which means he studied how the world works at a very basic level. He also used to be the leader, called a vice-chancellor, of the University of Jaffna.

Early Life and Studies

Kanthia Kunaratnam started his university studies in 1954. He went to the University of Ceylon, Colombo. He worked very hard and graduated in 1958. He earned a special degree in physics with top honors.

After finishing his first degree, Mr. Kunaratnam worked at two universities in Sri Lanka. He then traveled to London, England, to continue his studies. From 1960 to 1963, he studied at Imperial College London. There, he earned a special diploma and his PhD degree. A PhD is a very high academic degree.

Teaching and Research Career

Mr. Kunaratnam spent time as a visiting researcher and teacher. In 1971, he worked at the University of Durham in England. He studied geophysics, which is about the Earth's physical processes. Later that year, he was also a visiting researcher at Queen Elizabeth College.

In 1975, Mr. Kunaratnam became the first head of the Physics Department. This was at the new University of Sri Lanka Jaffna campus. He led the department until 1980. He also taught at the University of Science, Malaysia for a short time in 1981. After that, he returned to the University of Jaffna. He became the head of the Physics Department again until 1985.

He continued to travel and learn. From 1988 to 1989, he was a visiting professor at the University of Edinburgh. He also visited the University of Cambridge in 1989. There, he worked in the Earth Sciences Department.

Leadership Roles

Mr. Kunaratnam took on more leadership roles at the University of Jaffna. From 1991 to 1993, he was the head of the Computer Science Department. He also briefly led the Physics Department again in 1994.

He served as the dean of the Faculty of Science two times. First, from 1977 to 1978, and then from 1985 to 1988. His biggest leadership role was as the vice-chancellor of the university. He held this important position from April 1994 to February 1997.

Mr. Kunaratnam retired from his full-time work in April 2000. Even after retiring, he continued to be an emeritus professor in the Physics Department. This means he kept his title and could still do research until he passed away.

Achievements and Recognition

Mr. Kunaratnam received many honors for his work. In 1998, he became a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. This is a group for people who study space and stars. In 1999, he became a fellow and a chartered physicist of the Institute of Physics. This shows he was a highly respected physicist.

In 2001, the University of Jaffna gave him an honorary doctorate. This is a special degree given to people who have achieved great things. He also wrote several scientific papers. These papers were about magnetic changes in the Earth's magnetic field.

Kanthia Kunaratnam passed away on September 9, 2015, in Colombo, Sri Lanka.