Department of Medical Humanities – About Us

Our Aims

  • To use the field of medical humanities to foster qualities of compassionate care, professionalism and ethics in medical professionals and other health professionals who follow undergraduate studies in the Faculty of Medicine, Colombo.
  • To promote sensitivity to the social-cultural environment in Sri Lanka through the course material and teaching/ learning activities of the department.
  • To be leaders in the field of medical humanities in the region

To achieve these aims the Department of Medical Humanities will,

  • Contribute to the teaching and learning of the undergraduate curriculum, especially in the Behavioural Sciences Stream
  • Promote or explore four facets of medical humanities. These include:Improve study in the discipline through research and interactions across disciplinary boundaries (e.g. anthropology, medical sociology, ethics, philosophy, the arts). These are areas of current research interest, internationally as well as locally.
    • encouraging humane clinical practice
    • deepening our understanding of society, culture and people
    • promoting the diverse roles of the arts in therapy
    • facilitating the use of arts in healthcare settings

As the field of medical humanities is new to the university system it is proposed to build an extensive academic network of local as well as international institutions and individuals, to develop collaborative research projects and to share knowledge.

Expected beneficiaries/national level importance

  • This Department will be able to function as a national and international hub in conducting research in Medical Humanities
  • The University of Colombo will gain recognition as a pioneer in the field in the region and as a centre of excellence in the area of Medical Humanities
  • Academics of the University of Colombo will be able to use the department facilities in collaborative research
  • Academics of the Faculty of Medicine will be able to utilize the facilities in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and in research.
  • The Department of Medical Humanities will be able to conduct research and development in medical humanities
  • The research output of the University of Colombo will be enhanced by the addition of new areas of research
  • We are currently in the process of establishing and developing this new Department of Medical Humanities. We invite you to give us feedback regarding the areas which could be addressed and activities which could be conducted in order to meet the aims of the department.