The Harmony Centre was established at the University of Vavuniya on 25th September 2021. The Harmony Centre is working to contribute to the realisation of peace, harmony and humanity through peace research, peace education, and harmony related programs. The Harmony Centre at the University aims to encourage students’ efforts in peaceful living, promote inter-ethnic, intercultural, and inter-religious understanding and interactions, and provide comprehensive education for conflict transformation in post-war Sri Lanka. In parts of the North and East, large-scale societal tensions have existed for the past thirty years. The war’s conclusion resulted in the abolition of conflict structures, and the government has used the policy framework to re-establish strategic development mechanisms in these areas. The University of Vavuniya was established in 2021 by an order made under section 21 of the Universities Act, No. 16 of 1978 with three faculties, namely, the Faculty of Applied Science, Faculty of Business Studies and Faculty of Technological Studies with ten departments.
The University of Vavuniya’s foundation in this highly war-affected region gives a new path for growth in these places. The purpose of the Harmony Centre is to promote harmonious existence among students and staff through social, cultural, educational, research and scholarly activities and to function as a catalytic and resource centre for harmony and social cohesion at regional and national level. The University aims to provide, promote, and develop higher education in the region and at the national level. The students are admitted from all over the country and from all ethnicities and all religions. The University is located in Vavuniya, which is a multi-religious location itself.