Prof. R. A. Seetha Bandara

Professor R.A. Seetha P. Bandara is a distinguished scholar and economist with extensive expertise in poverty, migration, trade liberalization, and economic modeling. She currently serves as the Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLF) — a premier national institution dedicated to leadership development, civic education, and social transformation — operating under the Ministry of Health and Mass Media.

In addition, she is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, and a member of the National People’s Power (NPP) Economic Council. Her professional journey reflects an exceptional blend of academic rigor, research excellence, and public policy leadership.

Professor Bandara earned her B.A. (Honours) in Economics with First Class from the University of Kelaniya in 1997. She obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Statistics from the University of Sri Jayawardenapura in 2005 and a Master of Social Sciences (MSSc) in Economics from the University of Kelaniya in 2006. She further expanded her academic credentials internationally, earning an M.A. in International Relations from Waseda University, Japan (2008) and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Waikato, New Zealand (2015).

Throughout her distinguished career, Professor Bandara has held several key academic and administrative positions, including Coordinator of the MA/MSSc Economics Program and Deputy Director of Training at the Centre for Distance and Continuing Education (CDCE) at the University of Kelaniya. She has also been an active member of the Curriculum Revision Committee of the Faculty of Social Sciences, contributing to academic innovation and reform.

Her research portfolio is rich and multidisciplinary. Her doctoral research examined the poverty impacts of agricultural trade liberalization in Sri Lanka, while her master’s dissertation focused on foreign direct investment and export-led growth. Over the years, she has produced numerous publications in reputed academic journals and contributed to national and international research forums on poverty dynamics, labor migration, and trade policy.

Professor Bandara has represented Sri Lanka at various international conferences, symposiums, and policy dialogues, where she has shared insights into economic modeling, sustainable development, and global trade. As a supervisor and examiner of PhD and MPhil candidates, she continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of economists and policy professionals in Sri Lanka.

In addition to her academic excellence, Professor Bandara serves on several key national boards and advisory councils, including the National Education Commission, the Consumer Affairs Authority, the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute, and the National Institute of Labour Studies. Professor Bandara’s unwavering dedication to economic research, good governance, and institutional excellence underscores her reputation as a transformative leader. Her work continues to bridge the gap between academia, policymaking, and national development, making her a prominent figure in Sri Lanka’s intellectual and socio-economic landscape.