4th International Conference of Sri Lanka Forum of University Economists (SLFUE) – Sri Lanka Economics Research Conference 2015

About the Conference

The Department of Business Economics, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, served as the Secretariat of the Sri Lanka Forum of University Economists (SLFUE) for 2015.

Established in 2012, SLFUE is a network of departments and units of economics within Sri Lanka’s state university system. The forum conducts quarterly meetings at different universities, while its Secretariat organises an annual conference. It also publishes the Sri Lanka Journal of Economic Research (SLJER), featuring research presented and discussed through the forum.

The 2015 conference was held on 20 and 21 November at Hotel Janaki, Colombo 05, under the timely theme, “Inclusive Growth towards Economic Transformation.”

Inauguration Ceremony

The two-day conference commenced with an inauguration ceremony graced by Prof. P. S. M. Gunaratne, Vice Chairman of the University Grants Commission; Prof. Sampath Amaratunge, Vice Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and Guest of Honour; Dr. Saman Kelegama, Executive Director of the Institute of Policy Studies and keynote speaker; and Dr. U. Anura Kumara, Dean of the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce.

Economic Forum

The inauguration ceremony was followed by an Economic Forum featuring senior representatives from the government, international organisations, national institutions, and the private sector.

Dr. Harsha de Silva, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, represented the government. The panel also included a Senior Economist from the World Bank, the Resident Representative of the International Monetary Fund, an Assistant Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, a former Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, and a Senior Economist from the Centre for Poverty Analysis.

The forum was moderated by Prof. Sampath Amaratunge, Vice Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. It concluded with a question-and-answer session during which the audience raised timely and critical questions for the panellists.

Plenary and Technical Sessions

The second day began with a plenary session conducted by Mr. Tadateru Hayashi, Senior Country Economist of the Asian Development Bank. The plenary was followed by paper presentation sessions featuring authors from different universities and countries.

The presentations were organised under eight thematic areas:

• Contemporary Studies
• Labour Mobility
• Agro-Business Management
• Agricultural Efficiency
• Entrepreneurship and the Knowledge Economy
• Development and Sustainability Studies
• International Trade and Finance
• Monetary Policy Analysis

Conclusion

The conference concluded on the evening of 21 November 2015, receiving positive feedback from its participants and contributing to academic and policy-oriented dialogue on inclusive growth and Sri Lanka’s economic transformation.