The 8th Humanities Undergraduate Research Symposium (HUG) 2025 of the Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, was successfully held on 12 February 2026 as a one-day academic event, marking another significant milestone in the Faculty’s commitment to undergraduate research excellence.

The Inauguration Ceremony commenced at the Sri Dharmaloka Hall with the participation of Senior Professor Nilanthi de Silva, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya; Professor M. M. Gunatilake, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences; Dr Sudath Senarath, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities; members of the academic staff, and the non-academic staff.

The symposium was chaired by Dr Sudath Senarath, while Dr Anjalee Wickramasinghe, Director of the Research Centre of the Faculty of Humanities, served as the Co-Chair. The event was coordinated by Senior Lecturer Anuradha Subasinghe and Senior Lecturer Sudesh Kaweeshwara, whose efforts, together with the Organizing Committee, ensured the smooth and successful conduct of the symposium.

The keynote address was delivered by Dr Jinadasa Danansooriya, Retired Professor of the Department of Sinhala, Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya. His keynote speech, titled ‘University Education and the Humanities,’ highlighted the evolving role of humanities education within contemporary university systems and emphasized the importance of critical inquiry and scholarly engagement among undergraduates.

HUG 2025 holds special significance this year, as nearly 200 abstracts were selected from approximately 450 submissions through a rigorous and comprehensive evaluation process. This remarkable response reflects the growing research culture within the Faculty and the increasing enthusiasm of undergraduate students toward scholarly work.

The primary objective of the symposium is to enhance the research skills of undergraduate students and to improve the overall quality of undergraduate research within the Faculty of Humanities. The symposium also aims to publish a full paper volume of HUG 2025 in the future, with selected presentations being further developed into full-length research papers.

The technical sessions were conducted in three parallel slots, covering a wide range of disciplines within the humanities. The event concluded successfully, reflecting the strong commitment of the Faculty of Humanities to fostering academic excellence and promoting a vibrant research culture among its undergraduate community.