Department of Political Science

Dr. Ambalavanar Sivarajah was a distinguished academic whose career began as an Assistant Lecturer in 1970, followed by permanent appointment as Lecturer in 1973 in the Department of Economics. He earned his B.A. from the University of Ceylon in 1969, an M.A. from the University of New Brunswick, Canada, in 1978, and a Ph.D. from the University of Peradeniya in 1988, with a research critically examining key issues in Sri Lanka’s political landscape. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1994 and to Professor in 1999. In 2000, he served as Head of the Department of Political Science. Professor Sivarajah held several important academic roles, including Chairperson of the Social Science Forum, Secretary of the Institute for International Studies, and member of the American Studies Association. A prolific scholar, he has authored many publications on Sri Lankan politics, Tamil nationalism, foreign policy, and conflict resolution. He has also contributed to public discourse through regular media commentary and held Visiting Fellowships in India and the United States. His contributions to the development of the Tamil-medium stream in the Department of Political Science are particularly noteworthy and his textbooks continue to be widely used by students preparing for the G.C.E. Advanced Level examinations. His notable works include:

• The Federal Party of Sri Lanka: The strategy of an ethnic minority party in government and opposition 1949-2002 (2007). Kumaran Book House.
• Intra-regional relations: South Asia in the 19902s (1997). In Cooray, A.G. New Dimensions in Regional Security after the Cold War: The Case of South Asia. Institute of International Studies. Colombo.
• Politics of Tamil nationalism in Sri Lanka (1996). South Asian Publishers.
• US-Sri Lanka relations in the 1980s (1995). Institute of Higher Education.
• The rise of militancy in Tamil politics. (1992). In Jayasekera, P. V. J. Security dilemma of a small state (Part II). South Asian Publishers.
• Indo-Lanka relations and Sri Lanka’s ethnic crisis: The Tamil Nadu factor (1990). Kodikara, S. U. South Asian strategic issues: Sri Lankan perspectives. Sage Publications.
• Problems of minorities in South Asia: An Overview (1986). In Sen Gupta, B., Regional cooperation and development in South Asia. South Asian Publishers.