Remembering Prof. Harshana Rambukwella:Scholar, Teacher and Father

He served on the Executive Committee of the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) and was a trustee of The Gratiaen Prize. He is the author of ‘The Politics and Poetics of Authenticity’, a widely cited work in postcolonial literary studies

Prof. Harshana Rambukwella, a distinguished academic and literary scholar, passed away unexpectedly at his residence in Abu Dhabi on April 21. He was 50.  

At the time of his passing, Harshana Rambukwella was serving as Professor of Literature and Creative Writing at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD). He is remembered as a dedicated teacher, respected colleague, and cherished friend by students and faculty alike.   

He is survived by his wife, Prashani Rambukwella (née Wijesinghe), and their two daughters, Heili (15) and Vithulya (12). He is also mourned by his mother, Patricia Eunice Rambukwella, and his brother, Sanjeewa Rambukwella. He was preceded in death by his father, Kalinga Singha Rambukwella.   

The final rites will be conducted in accordance with the family’s wishes at the Al Ain Crematorium in Abu Dhabi, in a private ceremony at 9.30 a.m. on April 28. His ashes will be interred in Sri Lanka at a later date to be announced.   

NYU Abu Dhabi will host a memorial service in honour of Professor Rambukwella’s life and contributions on May 5, with the ceremony to be live-streamed for those unable to attend in person.   

An old boy of Dharmaraja College, Kandy, and a graduate of the University of Peradeniya, Professor Rambukwella obtained his PhD from the University of Hong Kong. He previously taught at the University of Hong Kong and the Open University of Sri Lanka.   

He served on the Executive Committee of the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) and was a trustee of The Gratiaen Prize. He is the author of ‘The Politics and Poetics of Authenticity’, a widely cited work in postcolonial literary studies.   

He continues to be deeply missed by his family, colleagues, students, and the wider academic and literary community.   

GDC