The convocation of the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies, Colombo, (BCIS) for 2023, held at the BMICH on November 10, provided many a thought-provoking ‘take-away’ for the International Relations (IR) student and analyst. The principal dignitaries at the momentous event did considerable justice to current developments in the IR field and thereby rendered the convocation […]

* Lankan universities have been running with no more than 60 percent of the cadre of teachers approved for them and now perhaps less. * Upper secondary schools are run with no teachers for mathematics, physics and information technology. * University teachers are emigrating in droves, driven away into uncertain lives in other countries. *In […]

Monday 13rd November, 2023 Anyone’s death diminishes us. However, with apologies to Donne, we are diminished beyond measure when the veterans of the fourth estate depart. On Saturday (11), former editor of The Island Gamini Weerakoon crossed the Great Divide. His funeral took place yesterday. Our readers may recall the pivotal role he played in […]

By Uditha Devapriya One of Sri Lanka’s most distinguished yet underrated economists, S. B. D. de Silva died five years ago, on June 15. His magnum opus, The Political Economy of Underdevelopment, remains as underrated and under-read – one could say unread – as he. First published by Routledge in 1982, The Political Economy of […]

There was a pall of silence over who accompanied our President to the Big Apple for the Big Meeting of the United Nations. Hence our curiosity was roused, minds scratched around for news. Cassandra WhatsApped a good friend of hers now living in California and asked her whether she knew who accompanied our Prez. We […]

Piyumi Ranadewa is a Research Assistant working on migration and urbanisation policy research at IPS. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Agriculture, specialising in Agriculture Economics and Business (First Class) from Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, graduating with Dean’s Honours. She also holds a Master

Dr Mary Srikanthi Handy was the daughter of the famous Dr George Rajanayagam Handy who was the pioneer cardiologist of Sri Lanka and the founder president of the Sri Lanka Heart Association. She was born in 1935 and is the eldest child and only daughter of Dr. George and Mrs. Kanmanie Handy. Even as a […]

by Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka The sum and substance of Rajan Philips’ counter-critique of my critique is that I seem uninterested in reform, especially political reform, and most especially the abolition of the executive presidency or the same thing deferred, i.e., ensuring that this upcoming election is the last presidential election we shall have. (Political Reforms: […]

By Dr Laksiri Fernando President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe is undoubtedly a capable person compared to many other former Presidents in the country. Chandrika Kumaratunga could have been better, but the circumstances of the war prevented her achieving many of the socio-economic targets. In terms of modernizing the country, J. R. Jayewardene played a […]

Prof. Priyanga Dunusinghe, a senior lecturer of economics and the Head of the Department of IT at the University of Colombo, has stated that despite Sri Lanka s recent economic stability, this is not likely to reflect towards the country s economic growth.

By HIMAL KOTELAWALA ECONOMYNEXT – If Sri Lanka allows elections to distract from the path of recovery, stabilization and growth, the country will be hit by a fresh crisis far worse than any before, former central bank governor Indrajit Coomaraswamy said. Speaking at a forum organized by Cal, a Colombo-based investment banking group, Coomaraswamy said […]

An appreciation: It is with profound sadness that this tribute is being written to the remarkable life and accomplishments of Douglas Pemasiri, who passed away at age 88 in Miami, Florida, in the United States on June 12th this year. He was a diplomatic officer who dedicated his life to promoting trade and commerce, representing […]