Established in 2022 as Sri Lanka’s first dedicated fire safety engineering institution, leading the nation through scientific rigor and innovation.
The origins of the Centre for Fire Safety Engineering (CFSE) at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura traces back to 2018. During the establishment of the Faculty of Engineering, founding member Prof. K. M. C. Konthesinghe identified the strategic importance of introducing new research domains and advanced experimental facilities that would extend beyond the scope of existing engineering faculties in Sri Lanka, and recognized Structural Fire Safety Engineering as a critical yet underrepresented field with significant implications for public safety, infrastructure resilience, and sustainable development. Accordingly, Prof. Konthesinghe adopted a two-stream development strategy. The first focused on capacity building through education and research, by introducing postgraduate-level training and research supervision in fire safety engineering. The second stream aimed at the establishment of a dedicated structural fire testing laboratory, through the identification and acquisition of major research funding to support advanced experimental infrastructure.
As part of the knowledge creation and transfer initiative, Prof. K. M. C. Konthesinghe commenced his first doctoral supervision in 2019, focusing on investigating the fire performance of lightweight concrete panels. This research was conducted in collaboration with Associate Professor Keerthan Poologanathan of Northumbria University, United Kingdom, the principal international collaborator, and Professor Anura Nanayakkara of the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. This collaboration marked an important milestone in introducing structured research activity and international expertise in Structural Fire Engineering to Sri Lanka.
Following extensive proposal development, consultations, and exploration of multiple funding avenues, a major breakthrough was achieved in January 2022. Prof. Konthesinghe successfully secured a research grant of LKR 169.98 million under the Competitive Research Grant Scheme of the Science and Technology Human Resource Development Project of Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka funded by the Asian Development Bank. This grant laid the financial foundation necessary to procure specialised fire testing equipment, and to establish a comprehensive research laboratory.
Based on the availability of secured funding and the demonstrated technical capacity to develop a national level fire testing facility, a formal proposal was submitted to establish the Centre for Fire Safety Engineering (CFSE) at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. The proposal was approved by the University, and the CFSE was officially established in August 2022. Following its establishment, systematic procurement and installation of laboratory equipment were undertaken in accordance with the approved research and development plan.
In 2023, Prof. K. M. C. Konthesinghe was appointed as the Director of the Centre for Fire Safety Engineering, continuing his academic and strategic leadership of the Centre’s research, education, and industry engagement activities.
The Centre for Fire Safety Engineering is Sri Lanka’s first and the only dedicated fire testing and research facility today. It has been created to address the growing national and international demand for evidence-based fire safety solutions by integrating advanced experimental infrastructure, specialised expertise, and modern research methodologies. Its facilities support a broad range of fire-related investigations, including material characterisation, assessment of structural fire behaviour, and performance-based fire engineering evaluations.
Beyond its core research mandate, CFSE functions as a national platform for innovation, consultancy, and industry engagement. The Centre supports both experimental investigations and advanced computational modelling, enabling comprehensive assessment of fire behaviour and structural performance. Strong collaborations with international universities, industry partners, and regulatory bodies further enhance its ability to translate research outcomes into practical applications. Through these activities, the Centre for Fire Safety Engineering plays a central role today, in advancing fire safety knowledge, improving engineering practice, and strengthening the resilience of the built environment in Sri Lanka and the wider region.
To conduct advanced fire safety engineering research in Sri Lanka, and to disseminate knowledge and guidance in fire safety of buildings.
Conduct high-quality research on the fire safety of buildings
Evaluate the fire performance of building materials and products
Create knowledge and expertise related to the fire safety of buildings
Disseminate the knowledge by introducing fire safety engineering-related course/s to undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs, and to the industry
Centre conceptualized during Faculty of Engineering establishment, identifying Structural Fire Safety Engineering as critical field for Sri Lanka.
Inaugural doctoral supervision commenced on fire performance of lightweight concrete panels with international and local university collaboration.
LKR 169.98 million research grant awarded under ADB-funded Competitive Research Grant Scheme for laboratory establishment and equipment.
Centre for Fire Safety Engineering formally established at University of Sri Jayewardenepura with approval for comprehensive research facility.