Prof. Deepthi Chandrika Bandara is a distinguished academic and expert in agricultural biology and higher education quality assurance. She currently holds the position of Professor Emeritus at the University of Peradeniya, where she has served since 1986 in various capacities, including Senior Professor and Head of the Department of Agricultural Biology. Her extensive academic journey also includes significant international experience as a visiting scholar and professor at institutions such as California State University, Fresno, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Over her illustrious career, Prof. Bandara has been pivotal in shaping the academic landscape in Sri Lanka through her leadership roles, including her tenure as Director of the Staff Development Centre at the University of Peradeniya and her contributions as a consultant for World Bank-funded projects focused on higher education.

Beyond her academic achievements, Prof. Bandara has made significant contributions to institutional development and quality assurance in Sri Lanka’s higher education sector. She has served as the Chairperson of the 5-Year Institutional Review Criteria Development Committee and as a consultant on quality assurance for the Ministry of Education. Her leadership in developing minimum standards for non-state higher education institutes and her role as a board director of the Asia Pacific Quality Network (APQN) have positioned her as a key figure in advancing the quality of higher education both in Sri Lanka and across the Asia-Pacific region