W. A. Wiswa Warnapala

Watareke Arachchilage Wiswa Warnapala (26 December 1936 – 27 February 2016) was a Sri Lankan academic, political scientist, and politician. He played a central role in developing political science as a discipline in Sri Lanka and later served as a National List Member of Parliament, holding key ministerial portfolios throughout his career. He received his early education in Economics and Political Science at the University of Ceylon, graduating with Honors in 1964. In 1967, he obtained a master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh in the United States as a Fulbright Scholar and later earned his Ph.D. from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom in 1970.

Following his doctoral studies, he entered diplomatic service and served as counsellor at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Moscow from 1974 to 1977. He subsequently pursued an academic career, holding the chair of Political Science at the University of Peradeniya, where he served as professor of Political Science prior to entering parliament. Alongside his permanent academic post, he held several international visiting appointments, including visiting professor at the University of Tasmania, Australia (1983–1984), the University of Connecticut, USA (1990), and the University of Ghent, Belgium (1992–1993). He subsequently earned an M.A. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1967 and a Ph.D. from University of Leeds in 1970. His studies focused on political science, public administration, and comparative governance. His difficult but remarkable journey stands as an enduring testament of the possibility of an individual to rise beyond humble beginnings through independent merit and effort.