Tale of a fanatical academic

Professor Dayananda Somasundara:

( Continuation from 19, October )

Professor Herath NANDANA BANDARA

Professor Somasundara introduced Agricultural Economics as a specialization for B Sc Degree Program since 1976 at Sri Jayewardenepura University. He was the person who introduced Continuous Assessment system (Term Papers) for the first time in the University of Sri Jayewardenepura in 1976. In addition, he had introduced several innovative measures for Economics teaching.

As a true academic he has been involved in teaching, research, supervision and consultation, writing books and articles and social and community works. Among his other attributes are, good teaching with confidence in what he teaches, patience with students, compassion, high dedication to teaching, punctuality, making judicious use of time and maintaining a good rapport with students.

He was appointed as the Professor of Economics, Sabaragamuwa University in 1996 and was promoted to the grade of Senior Professor in 2002. Presently he holds the Chair and the Senior Professor of the Department of Economics and Statistics of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.

Professor Somasundara held almost all administrative posts from Head of the Department to Vice Chancellor. He was appointed as the first Director of the Sabaragamuwa Affiliated University College in 1991 and served in that capacity for four years and two months. When the Sabaramaguma University College was elevated to a National University in 1995, he was appointed as the first Vice Chancellor of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka in November, 1995 and held that post until 2001. He served as the Director of External Degree Programs and Extension Services Unit from 2001 to 2002 and again from 2006 to 2007. He also served as the first Director of the Centre for Indigenous Community Studies at Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka from 2006 to 2007. He was the Chairman and the Chief Organizer of the International Symposium held in 2006 at the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. He has also served in various capacities in the University such as the Chairman of the Board of Management of the Sabaragamuwa Affiliated University College, Chairman of the Senate and Council of the Sabaragamuwa University, Chairman of the Sports Advisory Board, Chairman of various Senate and Council sub-committees etc.

He has been currently serving as the Professor of Economics on sabbatical at the Gombe State University in Nigeria since 2007. His excellence of service has been recognized in that University by appointing him as Head of Department of Economics in January, 2008 and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences from March 2009. He has also been appointed as the Acting Head of the Department of Accounting in June, 2009. Prof Somasundara is also a member of the various committees such as; Research Committee, Appointments and Promotion Committee, Post-Graduate Committee, Accreditation Committee etc. He is also holding the membership of Senate and chairs the Faculty Research Committee, Faculty Promotion Committee and the Faculty Board of the Arts and Social Sciences, Gombe State University.

He was the architect and one of the pioneers of establishing the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. He had introduced various novel programs to the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. Food and Nutrition, Tourism Management, Modern Languages and Surveying Sciences are some of them. He was responsible for affiliating Diyatalawa Military Academy to the Sabaragamuwa University to offer Degrees for Military Academy. He made Tamil for Sinhala medium students and Sinhala for Tamil medium students compulsory as a measure of ethnic harmony. This was a far-sighted step introduced by Prof Somasundara.

Professor Somasundara was awarded the Most Outstanding Citizen Award in the field of Education for the years 1996/1997 by the Lions Clubs International-District 306 A. He was selected as one of the Leading Educators of the World for his outstanding accomplishments in the field of Educational Development and University Teaching in the year 2005 by the International Biographical Centre, England. He was also chosen for an honorary appointment to the Research Board of Advisors of the American Biographical Institute for the years 2006 and 2007. He was also awarded the Sabaragamuwa Sarsavi Abhiramya Award at the Tenth Anniversary in recognition of his service rendered for the establishment of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. He was awarded Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals for his long service to the University system in Sri Lanka.

Professor Somasundara’s engagement in professional associations are evident that he was one of the pioneer members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) University Association formed in 1999, the Vice President of the Sri Lanka Economic Association in 2006/07. and a life member of Sri Lanka Economic Association, Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science and American Studies Association of Sri Lanka. He is actively involved in volunteer organizations and community works and held many executive posts in such organizations. He is currently the Vice President of the Ratnapura Buddhist Association and Senior Consultant to the Ratnapura Child Development and Education Foundation. He has also worked as the Project Manager of the Ratnapura Community Information Project, 2002-2004 sponsored by Asian Development Bank (ADB).

He has served as a Consultant/Economist for various international agencies and local agencies, such as United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Asian Development Bank (ADB), Japanese Toyota Foundation, Human Resource Development Council, Distance Education Modernization Project, Ratnapura Disaster Management Project, Ratnapura Child Development and Education Foundation etc. He has been working as a Consultant to the Sri Lanka Telecommunication Regulatory Commission since 2006.

He has also produced Research Volumes, Research Reports, Research Papers and Seminar Proceedings in addition to several text books published in Economics to his credit. He has contributed several articles in Sinhala and English to refereed and non-refereed Journals, Magazines and Newspapers. He has published more than 10 Books for Secondary Level and about 20 books for University level education.

It is evident that he is not only a conventional academic but also an innovative academic rendering noble service to the nation. From his childhood to this date he has being engaged in a lot of community service. He organized community, sports and development activities and gave the leadership to such activities in his schools and native village and the surroundings. As alumni he holds honorary executive posts and organizes important activities to develop his schools of Kalawana Central College, Karawita Central College, Ratnapura Sivali College and the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Moreover, his service to the nation is apparent in his active participation in religious activities of the Ratnapura Buddhist Society, social services of the Late President Premadasa Centre, All Island Association of Senior Citizens, Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council, Ratnapura District Secretariat, Imbulpe Divisional Secretariat, Sabar-agamuwa University and the surroundings and many other organizations. The welfare and community services rendered to Gombe University and surroundings in Nigeria is one of the examples for his international community services.

It should be highlighted that Professor Somasundara has adorned the highest positions in University education and administration and rendered his services to local and foreign Universities.

His services are highly appreciated in Sri Lanka and abroad as well. His services to the society and community are and still commendable. He made himself dispensable to Sabaragamuwa Province especially where he is involved in a lot of social and community works and the whole world in general.

Today he can be proud of his 40 years of service to the country as an academic, social worker and a writer. We wish him longevity.