The glass blowing center at the University of Kelaniya is dedicated to provide an excellent service in the manufacture and repair of scientific glassware for laboratory use. This includes the fabrication of totally new special purpose scientific glassware as required for research and the repair of expensive broken laboratory glassware.

Our glass blowing center is well-equipped with machineries required for scientific glass blowing according to international standards. Most importantly, the center possesses highly skilled personnel who can handle any complex task pertaining to glass blowing. This is the only scientific glass blowing center currently established in the country.

From its establishment, the glass blowing center has been providing an outstanding service to Universities, Schools, Research Institutes and Industry in fulfilling their needs in the fabrication and repair of scientific glassware. We also have been conducting glass blowing training workshops for interested personnel from Universities, Schools and Research Institutes.

 

Special scientific glassware required for some researches cannot be purchased for any higher price and they have to be designed according to the requirement. The fabrication of such specially designed scientific glassware is a special service offered by the center. Thus our center directly contributes to the research activities of many government and private sector institutes including universities and research institutes.

The glassware repaired at the center, in order to make them reusable, include scientific glassware frequently used in laboratories such as measuring cylinders, beakers, flasks, burettes, pipettes, condensers, electrodes, extraction apparatus and many other more complex scientific glass apparatus.

In addition, training programmes are conducted by the center to disperse scientific glass blowing skills to interested personnel from other universities, institutes, schools and Entrepreneurs. The center also manufactures ornamental glassware such as gifts and souvenirs. However, priority is given for manufacturing scientific glassware due to the lack of human resources.

The founder of the glass blowing center at the University of Kelaniya is Dr. Kirthi Wickramasinghe, a senior lecturer in the Department of Chemistry. It was established in 1990 in the department of chemistry with basic infrastructure and glass blowing facilities acquired from University funds. The encouraging patronage from the vice chancellor at the time, Professor M. M. J. Marasinghe is highly appreciated. The service from a technical officer in the department of chemistry was employed to repair damaged laboratory glassware.

The glass blowing facility thus initiated has now extended to a highly developed center which provides service to a broad scientific community. The progressing of the glass blowing facility to the current status took place in several important phases.

The most significant milestone in the evolution of scientific glass blowing at the University of Kelaniya is the training of a technical officer, Mr. M. Thilakaratne under the Kelaniya- Glasgow Biochemistry link in 1993. With the funding received from the British Council, Mr. Thilakaratne was trained at the University of Glasgow, UK for six months. Mr. John Payne, then director of the British council and Mr. W. McCormack, the glass blower at the University of Glasgow, who transferred glass blowing skills to the University of Kelaniya by training Mr. Thilakaratne are greatly appreciated for their immense support. Mr. Thilakaratne is the first Sri Lankan to receive international training for scientific glass blowing.

A major breakthrough in glass blowing at the University of Kelaniya was accomplished in 1999 through further funding received from Asian Development Bank (ADB) project launched by the Ministry of Science and Technology. Professor Tissa Vitharana, the minister of Science and Technology at the time is greatly appreciated for his contribution to promote glass blowing at the University of Kelaniya. The achievements through ADB funding are:

• the establishment of a glass blowing training center in a building of the faculty of Science to train six persons at a time
• the purchase of machineries, essential tools and a stock of heat resistant borosilicate glass tubes and rods required to fabricate and repair scientific glassware and to train glass blowers
• training Mr. Thilakaratne again at the University of Edinburgh, UK for 6 months for gaining a high level of experience required to develop exceptional skills
• organizing two training workshops at the University of Kelaniya with the participation of Mr. Stuart Johnstone, the glass blower at the University of Edinburgh as the resource person
• training the second person Mr. C. Thuduhena jointly at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow, UK

A major breakthrough in glass blowing at the University of Kelaniya was accomplished in 1999 through further funding received from Asian Development Bank (ADB) project launched by the Ministry of Science and Technology. Then Vice chancellor Professor Senaka Bandaranayake and the minister of Science and Technology Professor Tissa Vitharana are greatly appreciated for their contribution to promote glass blowing at the University of Kelaniya.