CEPA - Key Persons
Arusha Cooray served as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Norway, Finland and Iceland. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of New South Wales, Australia, and a MA(Economics) and BA(Economics) from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. She has lectured at the University of New South Wales, University of Sydney, Victoria University, University of Wollongong, University of Tasmania, Macquarie University, the University of Colombo, and held a Professorship in economics at the University of Nottingham Malaysia. Arusha has held visiting positions at the University of Oxford, United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, University of Gottingen, Australian National University, and Macquarie University. She is a fellow of the United Nations UNU-WIDER and Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Australian National University. Arusha has undertaken research on several issues and has published widely in academic journals including the Journal of Macroeconomics, Macroeconomic Dynamics, Oxford Economic Papers, Public Choice among others. She has additionally been a consultant for international, government and private organizations and has contributed to economic debates with newspapers, research institutes, and banks.
Basith has a Bachelor's Degree in Social Science from the University of Colombo. He has completed his Master's in Conflicts and Peace Studies at the Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Colombo. He holds international licenses from the Wageningen University, The Netherlands, on Multi Stakeholder Process and Social Learnings, and on one of the social accountability and good governance tools - the Citizen Report Card, the methodology introduced by the Public Affairs Centre, India. He has over seventeen years of extensive experience in mixed method (qualitative and quantitative) data collection at thinks tanks and research institutes, and at CEPA has taken the lead in implementing projects with social accountability and good governance tools -the Citizen Report Card and Community score cards. He is attached to the the Basic Services and Social Protection research team of CEPA.
Chamathi obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree (specialized in Sociology) from the University of Ruhuna in 2021 and was awarded Prof. R.M. Ranaweera Banda Memorial Gold Medal for obtaining the highest GPA in the Department of Sociology, University of Ruhuna. She has one plus years of academic research experience and she is interested in conducting research in the field of women and gender related studies. She is currently working under labour migration thematic and livelihoods and employment thematic.
Chathurika has completed her Operational Level in Business Accounting at the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA-UK) and is currently studying for Managerial Level Case Study examination. She has 12 years of experience at CEPA and is responsible for the provision of accounts, project costing, liaising with donors and providing other financial information.
Job Titles:
- Director of YUMA Foundation
Job Titles:
- Professor ( Chair ) of Economics at the University of Peradeniya
- Professor of Economics, Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Peradeniya
- Professor, University of Peradeniya
Dileni Gunewardena is Professor (Chair) of Economics at the University of Peradeniya. She holds a doctorate from the American University and a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Peradeniya. Her research is mainly in Development Microeconomics and includes empirical analyses relating to poverty measurement, child nutrition, gender wage inequality and ethnic inequality in Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Dileni has been involved in the design of Policy Frameworks for Poverty Alleviation in Sri Lanka and in analyses for progress towards the Millennium Development Goals in Sri Lanka. Having been a Fulbright Scholar at the University of California-Riverside, and a visiting scholar at University of Warwick, U.K, she is currently an Echidna Global Scholar at the Brookings Institute, Washington, D.C. Areas of Interest: Development Microeconomics, Poverty and Inequality
Job Titles:
- Consultant of the Newly Established Postgraduate Institute of Humanities
Dr. Sisira Pinnawala is a retired University academic. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Peradeniya in 1974 and joined the academic staff of the Department of Sociology as an Assistant Lecturer in 1975. Dr. Pinnawala has a Master's Degree in Human Settlements Development Planning from the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok in and obtained his Ph.D. in Sociology from the Australian National University in Canberra. From August 1993 to July 1994. Dr. Pinnawala was a Senior Fulbright Research Fellow in the Peace Studies Program of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies at Cornell University. He has also served as Director of the Sri Lanka Foundation in Colombo from 2003 to 2005.
Job Titles:
- Team Leader - Livelihood and Employment
Gayathri obtained her PhD from the Wageningen University in the Netherlands, studying how intersectional social identities shape livelihoods in post-war contexts. She has twelve years of research experience, and experience as a trainer/facilitator on qualitative research methods. Her past research and publications include post-war development and rebuilding, livelihoods, gender and intersectional identities, entrepreneurship, with a specific focus on coastal communities. Her methodological orientation is qualitative and includes ethnography. At CEPA, Gayathri leads the Livelihoods and Employment Thematic area.
Georg Frerks has a PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and a Master's in Rural Development Sociology from Wageningen University, the Netherlands. He has been Professor of Conflict Prevention and Conflict Management at the Centre for Conflict Studies, Utrecht University, holds the Chair of International Security Studies at the Netherlands Defense Academy and was the Professor of Disaster Studies at Wageningen University till mid-2014. Trained as a sociologist, he specialises in contemporary conflict and emergencies. With a long-term experience in diplomacy and policy advice, Frerks is interested in the sociological and governance aspects of conflict and disasters. Frerks has a distinguished record in the evaluation and monitoring of development, conflict and disaster programmes and has published widely on the subject of his research. Areas of interest: Contemporary conflict, Emergencies, Conflict and disasters, Policy & Governance
Hasani has achieved her B.Sc. degree in Agricultural Technology and Management, specialized in Applied Economics and Business Management. Recently, she has completed her M.Phil. in Agricultural Economics and the research was based on an assessment of total factor productivity and technical efficiency in food production systems.
She has more than 6 years of experience as a Research Assistant at National Science Foundation, Colombo and an Investigator at Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute, Colombo. Currently, she works at CEPA as a Researcher under the thematic, Sustainability.
Hasanthi Tennakoon has a Bachelor's degree in Development Communication from the University of Philippines and a Master's degree in Environmental Management from the University of Tasmania. She is currently pursuing her postgraduate doctoral degree (PhD) in environmental law and economics with the University of Newcastle, Australia. Hasanthi has extensive experience in corporate sustainability and her areas of focus are environmental and social sustainability. She has undertaken research and impact studies under CEPA's migration and post conflict development thematic and has also worked as a social safeguards consultant for the World Bank.
Heli holds a BSc Special Degree in Agriculture, majoring in Agricultural Economics and Extension from the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka and currently reading for MSc in Agricultural Economics at the University of Peradeniya. She has a Diploma in International Relations from the Bandaranaike Center for International Studies(BCIS). She is currently working under the thematic Livelihood and Employment at CEPA .
Hemanthi is a Fellow Member the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and also a Fellow member of the Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka. She had worked at KPMG Sri lanka in the capacity of Tax Manager and Audit Manger during her stay from 1996 to 2002.While at KPMG She has gained extensive exposure to Taxation and related issues and also Auditing and Accounting relating to Quoted Companies, Limited liability Companies, etc. Further She had served as the Director Finance of Urban Development Authority. Her working experience includes Government Sector Institutions like Outer Circular Highway Project under Road Development Authority, Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital in the capacity of Accountant. Also had worked at Altair as the Finance Manager to Special Authorized Officer, the Institute of Chartered Accountants as the Head of Finance, Chief Financial Officer of CIFL, Finance Manager at Ceylinco Ltd, Overseas experience includes working as the Accountant for A& P Dominion and Export Packers in Toronto Canada and Finance Manager at KGL Investments in Kuwait.
Dr Gunatilake has a Bachelor's degree in Agriculture (Sri Lanka), Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Agriculture (Norway), Masters in Natural Resources Management (Norway), and PhD in Resource Economics (United States). and served as Professor and the Head, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka (1986 - 2004).
The notable training he has undergone includes training on Environmental Economics and Policy Analysis at Harvard University, USA, in 1993, and a programme on Leadership for Sustainable Development, Cambridge University, UK, in 2011.
He joined ADB as an environment specialist and served as natural resource economist, economist, and energy economist in different departments. He was also Director of the Environment and Safeguards Division in the Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department of ADB. He has published more than 50 journal articles; about 25 ADB publications; and five books on energy, natural resources, and environmental economics. His recent publications are on economics of biofuel, hydropower development and economic growth, impact evaluation of energy sector investments, private sector participation in infrastructure provisions, assessing and unbundling demand for water and electricity, energy trade and regional cooperation, and transport sector investments, economic growth and poverty reduction.
Dr. Gunatilake was a former member of the Board of South Asia Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE). He is a Fellow of the Institute of Policy Studies Colombo, Visiting Professor at Kelaniya and Peradeniya Universities, Member of Agricultural Economists Association, and Member of Research and Training Committee in Hector Kobbekaduwa Research and Training Institute.
Job Titles:
- Team Leader - Training and Capacity Building
Indika has a PhD in Sociology from the University of Colombo and an MPhil in Social Anthropology from the University of Sussex, UK. She was a Fulbright Scholar at the Elliot School of International Relations, George Washington University in Washington D.C in 2009, and was also the recipient of the UNESCO Fellowship in 2001 for her studies at the University of Sussex.
Indika has worked with several bilateral organisations and NGOs in areas related to conflict, reconciliation, land rights, land distribution and water tenure. Her strengths are in qualitative research with over 15 years' fieldwork experience. She has also many publications to her credit. She is a visiting academic in the Master's in Peace and Conflict Studies at the Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Colombo. She also has experience in diverse fields of teaching for undergraduate and masters students at the Open University of Sri Lanka. Prior to joining CEPA she worked as Head of Public Relations at the Open University of Sri Lanka.
Areas of interest: Skills development, Post conflict, trauma, recovery and disability, Political violence, Land and Water tenure, Female migrant labour.
Kalara holds a LLB Honours from the University of London and a BA Honours Degree in International Relations from the University of Colombo and is currently reading for her Masters in International Human Rights Law from the Birmingham City University. She is interested in interdisciplinary research and advocating for human rights. She has published on gender, human rights, refugees, surveillance and international law.
Job Titles:
- Senior Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Arts, University of Peradeniya
Job Titles:
- Team Leader - Sustainable Development
Karin has a Master's in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University, USA. She has over 15 years' experience in implementing Development and Environmental Management projects with NGOs and multilateral agencies. Karin has in-depth knowledge and expertise in Sustainable Development, Monitoring and Evaluation, Facilitation and Training. She has carried out many research assignments, consultancies, generated and contributed to many knowledge outputs. Karin is also a Qualitative Researcher. At CEPA, she heads the Sustainable Development Thematic Programme that concentrates on building evidence and generating a dialogue on sustainable systems in order to integrate this knowledge into development policy and practice at local and global levels. Over the past 12 years at CEPA, she has led and managed multiple research projects that cover numerous topics related to the environment and climate change, estate sector, labour, education, infrastructure, and resettlement.
Job Titles:
- Team Leader of Basic Services
Kulasabanathan Romeshun, was the Team Leader of Basic Services and Social Protection thematic and Senior Research Professional at CEPA carried out an overseeing and advisory function on most of CEPA's quantitative research related work. He has worked in the development sector for the past 25 years before joining CEPA and has extensive work experience in government and funding organisations. He has a Master's degree in Financial Economics from the University of Colombo. He joined CEPA in 2010 as a Senior Researcher and has worked on studies related to poverty, education, employment/ livelihood, financial intermediation.
Munas obtained his PhD from Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands. His doctoral research looked at the complexities of diaspora engagement in post-war communities of Sri Lanka. Munas received his Master's Degree in Economics from the University of Colombo and Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture at the University of Peradeniya. Munas's research and publications focus on transnationalism, migration and development, transnationalism and diaspora engagement in post-war recovery, using alternative dispute resolution mechanisms for sustainable peace, reconciliation and social cohesion, poverty and conflict and fisheries sector issues.
Nayana Mawilmada is currently President - John Keells Property Group, the real estate development arm of John Keells Holdings and has been heading this cluster since 2017. He has a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Hampton University USA, and a masters degree in City Planning with emphasis on International Development and Regional Planning from MIT. He also has an MBA from the Harvard Business School. Prior to this, he was the Head of Investments in the Western Region Megapolis Planning Project, Sri Lanka from May 2016 - June 2017. He was also the Director General - of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) Sri Lanka from January 2015 to April 2016.
Among the many prestigious international positions, he has held, his tenures at the Asian Development Bank Manila as Urban Development Specialist from 2001 - 2007, and Strategic Planning Specialist/Team Leader (Independent International Consultant) 2009-2011 are noteworthy. Nayana was involved in developing Sri Lanka's first National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, covering all key sectors in the economy and engaging 500+ stakeholders -among the most comprehensive such efforts in Asia.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Independent HR Consultant
Mr. Irshad Halaldeen works as an independent HR consultant and is also a Director in Co-Energi Pvt Ltd., an energy consulting & engineering firm that promotes energy efficiency and conservation among Sri Lankan and regional
businesses. He has more than 25 years of senior management experience in local public listed and foreign
institutions. He has served as the Vice President HR & Organization Development at Amana Bank PLC, Head of Talent
Management at Al-Rajhi Bank, Saudi Arabia and prior to that as Group HR Director at Hemas Holdings PLC where he
also served in the Group Management Committee among others. His areas of specialization within the field of HR are Strategic Change Management, Talent Management and Organization Development. He obtained his MSc in Industrial Management specializing in Organizational Development from the Norwegian University of Science and
Mr. Patrick Vandenbruaene is a Belgian national with over 30 years of experience in Sri Lanka. He currently heads the Development Partners Secretariat, an office supporting the coordination of over 40 foreign aid missions operating in the country. He previously worked for 12 years in a similar capacity as Development Partners' Senior Coordination Officer, contracted by the World Bank. Prior to that he served for 8 years as Humanitarian Adviser to the UN Resident Coordinator. Further to his UN work in Sri Lanka, he has supported UNDAF preparation process in the Philippines and Rwanda. Other experience includes work for the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs - UNDESA. He acted as Sri Lanka's Post-tsunami UN Emergency Adviser in the Centre for National Operations (CNO), established within the Presidential Secretariat in the aftermath of the disaster. Previous work includes a 5-year period as Coordinator to Save the Children Fund (UK) Relief and Rehabilitation Program and 5 years as Project Director to the Integrated Fisheries Development Center (IFDC) in Negombo. Early experience includes voluntary work in Tunisia, India, Thailand, Kenya and Madagascar. His academic qualifications include an Engineering - Master equivalent degree in Agriculture and Rural Development from the Universite du Travail, Tournai, Belgium and a Tropical Agriculture Undergraduate degree from the Haute Ecole Provinciale du Hainaut - Ath, Belgium.
Job Titles:
- Director
- President
- Attorney - at - Law
Ms Shyamali Ranaraja is an Attorney-at-law and holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Colombo and is presently reading for a PhD at the Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Colombo.
She is a practitioner in Employment and Labour Law, and a Human Resources Management Consultant since April 1998. She is currently a visiting lecturer and examiner at the University of Peradeniya; Department of Human Resources Management, Department of Law, and a visiting lecturer in the Master's Degree in Business Administration. She also carries out consultancies for varying clients, such as the Asia Foundation, International Labour Organisation, World Bank and European Union among others
Ms. Ranaraja is the President, Alliance Française de Kandy, and a member of the Board of Trustees to administer and manage the paintings and artifacts donated the University of Peradeniya by the late Ian Goonetilake, and his wife, Roslin.
Nadhiya Najab, has over seven years of research experience in the areas of post-war resettlement, labour and livelihoods, and employability of vocational training graduates. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, Nadhiya has conducted research and project evaluations in the Northern and Eastern regions as well as elsewhere in Sri Lanka. She has contributed to a number of CEPA publications including publishing a working paper on the political economy of beedi rollers in Sri Lanka. Prior to joining the research team full-time, Nadhiya was a core member of the communication team at CEPA. Nadhiya has a Masters in Development Studies from the University of Colombo, complementing her Bachelor's degree in Economics and Bachelor's degree in Communication with a minor in International Studies from Monash University in Malaysia.
Nadia holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of London and a BA Honours Degree in English (Special) from the University of Colombo. She is currently working under the Social Cohesion thematic.
Nadiya is currently completing her Masters in Climate change & Environmental Management at the University of Colombo. Her research focuses on climate change and adaptation to social-ecological change in fishing communities. She has a Bachelor's degree in Microbiology and Biotechnology from Edinburgh Napier University. Her research has focused on exploring anthropogenic impacts on Sal Forests in Dehradun India, characterising phytoplankton communities in basin estuaries associated with Mangroves in the western coast of Sri Lanka, and a project exploring impacts of COVID-19 lockdowns on coastal fisheries in Sri Lanka. She has over 3 years of experience working in the sustainability and conservation research space. She currently works under the sustainability thematic at CEPA.
Navam Niles is involved in both academia and research. He is a visiting lecturer at the University of London's International Programme, where he lectures on subjects including International Relations, International Political Theory, and Global Environmental Problems and Politics. Meanwhile, his research explores the evolution of global governance, especially in the context of transnational problems such as sustainable development and climate change. At CEPA, his work has mostly focused on sustainable development and approaches to national policy coherence.
Job Titles:
- Professor, Ball State University
Nihal Perera is Professor Chair of the Department of Urban Planning at Ball State University and the founder and Director of CapAsia, an immersive semester programme based on collaboration in Asia for American students. In addition to teaching in the USA, he has taught in Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The two-time Fulbright Scholar awardee: to China (2006-07) and Myanmar (2015-16) was also Senior Research Fellow at the National University of Singapore (2010) and Melting Pot Fellow at KMITL, Bangkok. He has also received three Fulbright-Hays awards and a Graham Foundation award. Dr. Perera, a leading scholar of social space, focuses his research on how people create/negotiate their own spaces (i.e., create lived spaces). His publications include articles on Feminizing the City, competing modernities in Chandigarh, competing visions for Dharavi and books entitled Decolonizing Ceylon, Transforming Asian Cities, and People's Spaces. His recent publication is a special issue of the Bhumi journal on Development.
Prashani holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Agricultural Technology and Management, Majoring in Applied Economics and Business Management at University of Peradeniya in 2022 and currently reading for Masters in Agricultural Economics at the University of Peradeniya. She is currently working under the administration of CEPA.
Job Titles:
- Independent Development Consultant
Priyanthi Fernando, has a Masters Degree in Mass Communications from the University of Leicester and a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Peradeniya. A social development professional with over 30 years of experience both in Sri Lanka and overseas, she has worked in the areas of technology, infrastructure and poverty. She has led a specialist global network, managed the Sri Lankan arm of an international NGO, and worked with a grassroots women's organization. Priyanthi was the Executive Director of the Centre for Poverty Analysis till February 2015 and is now an international consultant on gender, post war, transport, and communication.
Professor Camena Gunaratne is an Attorney-at-Law and holds an LLB from the University of Colombo, LLM from Harvard Law School and a PhD from the University of Waikato, New Zealand. She is currently a Professor at the Department of Legal Studies, Open University of Sri Lanka, with prior experience as the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Head of the Inter-Faculty Environmental Studies Unit and Head of the Department of Legal Studies. She was a Smuts Visiting Scholar in Commonwealth Studies at the University of Cambridge and a Fulbright scholar at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is currently a member of the Incorporated Council of Legal Education and was previously on the Law Commission and the National Committee on Women. She has several years of experience writing and contributing to books, monographs, essays, book chapters and journal articles.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Professor & Chair, Department of Sociology Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, South Asian University
- Professor of Sociology at South Asian University
Professor Sasanka Perera is a professor of Sociology at South Asian University, Delhi, India. He holds a PhD and MA in Anthropology from The University of California, Santa Barbara. He obtained his BA in English Language and Literature, Sociology and Political Science from the University of Colombo.Having been trained as a cultural anthropologist, he served the Department of Sociology at the University of Colombo for a period of 20 years. Since November 2011, he is based at the South Asian University in New Delhi. In his teaching career, he has straddled subject areas that are considered both sociology and anthropology.
His research interests are varied and have evolved over the years. It spans cultural and political analysis, education, language politics, urban space and migration. Broadly speaking, his main interest lies in contemporary social theory with an emphasis on the idea of culture and its politics. He has written extensively and published both locally and internationally in the English and Sinhala languages.
Job Titles:
- Director, Sanasa Bank & Director, Sanasa Higher Education Agency
Rajindra Rohitha has a B.Sc. (Agric.), University of Peradeniya, and a M.Sc (Aquaculture), Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand. He also has a Postgraduate diploma in Regional Industrial Development from NIBM Sri Lanka. Additionally, he has followed some advanced courses in environmental and resource economics, affiliated to international networks.
He is an experienced development practitioner worked as an expatriate in International Organizations and INGOs in several countries such as Zambia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. His areas of interests are Food & Nutrition Security, Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction and Livelihoods. During his career, he has notable innovations; some of them are forest market gardens as a climate smart cropping system, farmers field school in climate change adaptation, threshold level investment methodology in livelihood development and use of analytical hierarchy process in vulnerability analysis. He is also an expert in result based planning process.
He works at CEPA as the Programme Development Specialist
Ravindra Deyshappriya is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka and also a PhD candidate at School of Economics, Finance & Marketing of RMIT University, Australia. He holds a first class degree in Economics from University of Peradeniya, followed by a master degree in Development Economics from Nagoya University, Japan. Before joining with Uva Wellassa University, he worked as the Director (Research) at Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute attached to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka and as a Research Professional at Centre for Poverty Analysis. His research mainly focuses on empirical analyses based on both development microeconomics and macroeconomics principles.
Sanduni Dissanayake is a passionate SDG activist from Sri Lanka and she is currently working in the Research and Development sector. She recently completed her B.Sc (Hons) in Town & Country Planning degree from the University of Moratuwa Sri Lanka. Her studies are focused on Sustainable Development, especially in Eco-sensitive Planning and Development, Social Development and Poverty Reduction. Sanduni was awarded the PyeongChang Youth Peace Challenge: Youth SDGs Partnership Prize in 2021 and the Commonwealth Association of Planners Young Planner Award in 2023. Her guiding principle embodies the commitment to inclusivity, ensuring that no one is left behind in the pursuit of sustainable development.
Job Titles:
- Research Fellow, International Centre for Ethnic Studies
Tanuja Thurairajah is reading for her PhD at the Human Geography Unit/Department of Geography of the University of Zürich in Switzerland. She has a MA in Peace & Conflict Studies from the University of Innsbruck. Her current research looks at post-war engagement and agency of Tamils of Sri Lankan origin living in Switzerland. She is co-creator of an oral-history project, PROJECT Belonging capturing personal stories of the Tamil diaspora in Switzerland and has produced the ‘diaspora' segment of the digital commemoration of 30 years of the anti-Tamil pogrom of 1983, conceptualised and curated by Groundviews. Her research interests include diasporas, migration and conflict. Tanuja has over a decade of experience working in the development and humanitarian sector in Sri Lanka working for organisations such as Practical Action, Law & Society Trust (LST), GIZ - Sri Lanka and as a researcher for the Consultations Task force on Reconciliation Mechanisms (CTF).
Thamindri Aluvihare holds a Bachelor's Degree in International Studies at Monash University while majoring in Economics, Mass Communications and International Relations. She obtained her Master's Degree in International Relations from the University of Colombo with a focus on Political Communications exploring the evolution of (digital) media and its impact on foreign policy formulation and dissemination. Her previous work experience is in civil society in both local and international NGOs and subsequently in public service. Her work with the civil society focused primarily on post-war areas such as engagement of Sri Lankans living overseas and implementation of National Language Policy. As a public servant, she was affiliated to the Office of the State Minister of Finance in her capacity as a Research Officer. While primarily working on Social Cohesion related research, she intends to explore at length, the nexus between digital media transformation and social cohesion.
Tushani Kalugalagedera is a freelance editor/researcher. She has a LLB and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of London, and a B.Sc. in Estate Management from the University of Reading. She received her Masters in Economics from the University of Colombo. Her main areas of interest are in sustainable energy and community based development. Her previous areas of research include microfinance, social welfare and education.
Over the past 20 years, Udan has held leadership positions in Sri Lankan development organisations and was a senior staff member in a research and consultancy organisation in the Netherlands, working in Europe, East and West Africa and Southeast Asia. Also, he has functioned as a freelance consultant in Sri Lanka and abroad. He has had academic and professional training in management, law, labour studies and international development cooperation. He has taught in universities in Sri Lanka and the Netherlands as a visiting academic. Areas of interest: Aid Policy, Development Cooperation, Communication for Social Change/Development, Strategic Planning and Organisational Development
Udaya Guneratne joined CEPA in December 2001. He is responsible for attending to the functions of the front office reception area, coordination of events, assist in filing for the Accounts Division, monitoring costs of logistics in the field, and assisting in office administration
She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Peradeniya 2019, MA in Economics, Postgraduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Peradeniya 2021 and is currently reading for her Mphil. in Economics at the Postgraduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Peradeniya. She has 3 plus years of academic research experience and a keen interest to work in the field of economics. She is attached to the Basic Services and Social Protection thematic.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Assistant Professor of Business Economics at the University of Nottingham
Vengadeshvaran Sarma is an Assistant Professor of Business Economics at the University of Nottingham, Malaysia. He received his PhD from the University of Nottingham in 2015. He is interested in policy-relevant research on topics related to education, migration, displacement, structural transformation, and land reform. His current projects examine the educational inequality and compulsory schooling policies in Sri Lanka; the effect of parental migration on left-behind Sri Lankan families; and the role of land disputes and the process of industrialisation in India, Nepal, and Japan.
Job Titles:
- Consultant, Institute of Policy Studies