The University

General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) was initially established as General Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy by the Parliamentary Act No. 68 of 1981 with a primary objective of producing highly qualified graduates for the Tri-services in Sri Lanka. The academy was elevated to university status by the Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy (Amendment) Act No. 27 of 1988, and it was renamed General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University on October 11, 2007. Degrees awarded by the university are recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in Sri Lanka, and the university is also a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (United Kingdom) and the International Association of Universities (IAU).
In 2012, KDU has started offering degree programmes for Day Scholars on a fee-levying basis, giving many deserving young people in Sri Lanka the chance to pursue a university education of the highest quality. With the opening of KDU degree programmes for Day-Scholars, KDU also commenced attracting foreign students for its degree programmes from SAARC and other friendly countries on a fee-levying basis.