As part of its 17th Anniversary celebrations, the Career Skills Development Society (CSDS) of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura successfully organized “Sneha Manudam”, a university-wide spiritual and community engagement programme on the Asala Full Moon Poya Day. The initiative was designed to promote mindfulness, emotional well-being, ethical values, and spiritual development among undergraduate students.
The programme provided students with an opportunity to step away from the pressures of academic life and engage in spiritual reflection, meditation, and values-based learning. It encouraged the development of self-awareness, resilience, compassion, emotional intelligence, and responsible citizenship, thereby contributing to the holistic development of undergraduates.
The initiative directly supports the Career Guidance focal areas identified in University Grants Commission (UGC) Circular No. 938, particularly by promoting students’ personal and social development, psychological well-being, life skills, ethical values, and career readiness. By strengthening students’ emotional resilience, self-management, interpersonal understanding, and sense of social responsibility, the programme complemented the University’s career guidance and graduate employability initiatives.
A notable feature of Sneha Manudam was the participation of undergraduate students representing diverse faculties, cultures, ethnicities, and religious backgrounds. The programme fostered mutual respect, inclusion, intercultural understanding, and peaceful coexistence, creating an environment that celebrated diversity while strengthening unity within the university community.
The programme also demonstrated the enduring commitment of the CSDS alumni community, whose continued engagement reflected a strong culture of volunteerism, mentorship, and service to the University. Their support reinforced the values of lifelong learning, leadership, and community engagement among current undergraduates.
Overall, Sneha Manudam demonstrated how student-led initiatives can enrich university life by integrating spirituality, leadership, volunteerism, and community engagement. The programme further strengthened the University’s commitment to producing graduates who are academically competent, emotionally resilient, ethically responsible, socially conscious, and well prepared to contribute to a peaceful, inclusive, and sustainable society.
