1st SLFJBE Economic Summit 2019
The 1st SLFJBE Economic Summit 2019, themed “Strengthening the External Sector to Achieve 7% Economic Growth,” was held on 15 August 2019 at the Centre for Banking Studies of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Rajagiriya. The summit was hosted by the Department of Business Economics, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, on behalf of the Sri Lanka Forum of Junior Business Economists (SLFJBE).
The summit was conceptualised and implemented as a student initiative under the subject Project Management. It provided students with practical exposure to project planning, coordination, stakeholder management, budgeting, communication, and the organisation of a large-scale inter-university event.
The inauguration ceremony was held with the participation of a distinguished gathering. Senior Professor Sampath Amaratunge, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, attended as the Chief Guest, while Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, delivered the keynote address. Dr. U. Anura Kumara, Dean of the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, attended as the Guest of Honour.
The gathering also included Dr. Dinesha Siriwardhane, Advisory Board Member of the SLFJBE and Head of the Department of Business Economics, University of Sri Jayewardenepura; Senior Professor H. D. Karunarathne, Advisory Board Member of the SLFJBE; Mr. Ramesh Rajasuriya, Head of the Department of Business Economics, University of Colombo; several deans, heads of departments, academics from participating universities, and more than 140 delegates.
Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy delivered the keynote speech on the theme “Economic Outlook of Sri Lanka: Opportunities and Challenges.” The first volume of the SLFJBE magazine, “BIZCONTIER,” was also launched by the Department of Business Economics, University of Colombo, during the inauguration ceremony.
The inter-university competitions commenced following the inauguration ceremony, with the participation of delegates representing 14 teams from 10 local universities, together with two delegates representing foreign universities. The competitions included an Economic Debate, Panel Discussion, Critical Writing Competition, Quiz Competition, and Budding Economist Competition.
The third phase of the summit was dedicated to the Industry Forum themed “Strategic Partnerships: A Way Forward to Win Global Markets.” The forum brought together prominent business leaders, including Mr. Dian Gomes, former Chairman of Hela Clothing; Dr. Harsha Subasinghe, President and Chief Executive Officer of CodeGen International; and Dr. Ravi Liyanage, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Kingdom of Raigam.
The policymaking sector was represented by Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Senior Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, and Mr. M. K. S. K. Maldeni, Acting Additional Director General and Director of Export Services at the Sri Lanka Export Development Board. The forum was moderated by Dr. Janak Kumarasinghe, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Business Economics, University of Sri Jayewardenepura.
The discussion focused on the importance of building strategic partnerships to compete successfully in global markets. Industry leaders shared their experiences in developing partnerships and reflected on their respective business journeys, while policymakers discussed measures introduced by the government to support international market expansion.
The awards ceremony marked the conclusion of the 1st SLFJBE Economic Summit 2019. The overall championship was won by the team representing the Faculty of Business, University of Moratuwa. The winners and first runners-up were awarded scholarships worth Rs. 100,000 by the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka.