An international conference on ‘Developmentalism Vs. Wellbeing of South Asian Societies’ was organized by the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, jointly with the Maharashtra Bhugolawidya Association India, Solapur University - India, Pangea Geographical Association, and Sri Lanka Association of Geographers (SLAG).
The conference was held on the 23rd and 24th of February 2023.
The conference provided a platform for the researchers to submit their research work under 08 sub-themes. The conference was hosted by a team of local and international academics from India, Bangladesh, and many other Asian countries, encouraging mutual understanding while ensuring links within the academic sphere.
The inauguration ceremony of the conference was held on the 23rd of February with the participation of his excellency Mr. Gopal Baglay, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Snr. Prof. Nilanthi De Silva, Vice Chancellor - University of Keaniya and Dr. Mrunalini Fadnavis, Vice Chancellor - Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Solapur University, India. The keynote speaker was Mr. Abdur Rahim Siddiqui - Representative and Country Director at UN World Food Programme (WFP) Sri Lanka. Mr. Nihal Ranasingha - Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Senior Professor Chandana P. Udawatte - Vice Chairman of the University Grants Commission the guest invitees of the conference. Emeritus Professor N. K. Dangalle and Dr. Praveen G. Saptarshi were the resource persons of the conference while Prof. Lal Mervin Dharmasiri was the conference chair.
Memorandums of Understanding regarding academics, students and field research were exchanged between the university of Kelaniya and the Solapur University of India. Moreover, post-conference excursions were arranged for the presenters from foreign countries, covering the city of Colombo and places related to the Ramayana legend in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka with the objective of uplifting the tourism sector and the economy of Sri Lanka.