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© Proceedings of the Ruhuna Quality Assurance Sessions 2021 (RUQAS 2021)
st
21 September 2021

Preface

Quality assurance in higher education can be defined as “A planned and systematic review process of
an institution or programme to determine whether or not acceptable standards of education, scholarship

and infrastructure are being met, maintained and enhanced”. An efficient and effective high quality

higher education system which is internationally recognized and a well-established national quality
culture are essential for socio-economic development in any country. Furthermore, a sustainable

quality assurance programme enhances employment opportunities, improves the education and
training of future employees, harnesses future leaders, facilitates the learning environment, and

enriches the academic and intellectual landscape at any higher education institution. The development

of quality assurance is a continuous process and, therefore, continuity of strategies, actions and efforts
is vital for maintaining the quality in the higher education sector in Sri Lanka. Therefore, any higher

education institution needs to foster and nurture the quality culture within their entity with a view to
enhancing the recognition of its teaching, research and outreach programmes both locally and

internationally.

The University of Ruhuna, having accepted the need for ensuring quality assurance in the higher

education sector in Sri Lanka, took measures to establish the Internal Quality Assurance Unit (IQAU)
in tandem with establishment of the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Council (QAAC) of UGC in

2005. The IQAU was upgraded and renamed as Centre for Quality Assurance (CQA) in the year 2019
and the vision of the Centre is “To assure the highest quality in all study programmes of the University

that is respected worldwide”. Currently, the CQA is functioning under the directions and guidance of
the Quality Assurance Council (QAC) of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and is responsible

for promoting and inculcating the quality culture in the spheres of teaching, research and outreach

activities with a view to uplifting the University of Ruhuna to the international level. The activities of
the CQA are supported and implemented by Internal Quality Assurance Cells (IQAC) established at

each and every Faculty of the University. Having realized the importance of quality assurance in

higher education, the CQA took timely and appropriate measures to organize the Ruhuna Quality
Assurance Sessions (RUQAS) as an annual event with the broad objective of providing a common

platform for the academics and researchers, attached to various universities and research institutions in
the country, to meet together and share their findings in quality assurance. The RUQAS 2021 appears

to be the first conference of its kind organized in the entire national university system in Sri Lanka
under the general theme “Internalizing Good Practices in Quality Assurance: Keeping Pace with the

Global Trends”. The editorial board, having adopted a rigorous double-blind review process, selected

a total of 21 technical presentations on quality assurance (oral) and included in the technical
programme of the RUQAS 2021 under three categories, namely, Research Papers/Reviews/Extended

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