BIO

Harshana Hiripitiya is a Lecturer, researcher, and public policy and development specialist attached to the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka. His work focuses on public administration, public policy, development studies, governance, and international relations. He teaches public policy, development studies, public management, and public administration, while supervising undergraduate research and contributing to curriculum development, mentoring, and faculty-level coordination.

He holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy, specializing in International Development Studies, from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Tokyo, Japan, and is reading for a Master of Arts in International Relations at the University of Colombo. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Public Management (Special) from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. His academic training has shaped his interest in evidence-based policymaking, development governance, institutional reform, public sector performance, and sustainable development.

Before joining academia, Harshana served as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies, contributing to a national-level survey on space technology applications for sustainable development. He also served as a Research Intern at the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration, supporting research on public sector productivity and public service efficiency. He has completed professional qualifications in project management, policy brief writing, knowledge management, training and human talent development, academic writing, and life coaching.

At the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, he serves as Coordinator of the Diploma in Public Management and Internship Management System Coordinator of the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce. He is involved in organizing academic conferences, including the International Conference on Business Management, and serves as a reviewer for national academic conferences and research symposiums.

His research interests include public policy, development economics, governance, public administration, food security, health expenditure, inclusive education, public accountability, sustainable development, and public sector reform. His work examines household food security, healthcare expenditure, inclusive digital education for persons with disabilities, ethical public accountability, and sustainable development policy in Sri Lanka.

His leadership experience includes serving as President of the Sri Lanka Students’ Association in Japan and President of the International Student Council at GRIPS. He has also served as PR Ambassador of GRIPS and Goodwill Ambassador of the Ibaraki International Association in Japan.

Through teaching, research, and policy engagement, Harshana seeks to contribute to public administration education, evidence-based policy practice, and sustainable development in Sri