The University of Ruhuna is a university in Matara, Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1978 and is organized in seven faculties. The faculties of Engineering and Medicine are in Galle. The University of Ruhuna was established by Dr Nissanka Wijeyeratne the Cabinet Minister of Education & Higher Education at the time. It was opened on September 1, 1978 as Ruhuna University fulfilling a long cherished desire of the people of the south to have a university in the region. It was housed in the Technical College buildings at Meddawatte, Matara with about 40 academics, 50 non-academics and 275 students. A new building complex for the university was designed by the world-renowned architect Geoffrey Bawa and was constructed at Wellamadama with a unique architectural landscape. The RUC was shifted to the new premises in 1984 and it was elevated to full university status. During the past 25 years, it has witnessed considerable progress and development in the academic, research and outreach spheres with substantial improvement in intellectual and infrastructure resources and has emerged as a leader of higher education in Sri Lanka.