Professor Sudatta Wishwamitra Ranasinghe:

Scholar, mentor and friend par excellence

The void Professor Sudatta Ranasinghe has left in management education and research in Sri Lanka and the absence of a mentor to many academics and a close friend to many of us will be very difficult to deal with. My association with Sudatta and his wife Chitra (pre-deceased him) spans over three decades. All of us were graduates of USJ or Vidyodaya University as it was known at that time.

Later, while I was pursuing a career in the mercantile sector he pursued his passion for social research which was amply nurtured by the many institutions he later opted to serve such as the Marga Institute.

He was a great mentor to me during the early stages of my academic work and this friendship continued over the years and strengthened when I opted to be an academic in later years.

In November 2011, Professor Ranasinghe embarked on several projects. First was the launch of a book, which contained many of his research publication over several decades, in December 2011 which was well-attended. This book demonstrates his passion to study Sri Lankan management practices from the lens of its broader socio-economic and political environment.

Sudatta belonged to a group of Sri Lankan academics who were passionate about understanding the indigenous management practices adopted by our business leaders instead of preaching management concepts that were born in Western contexts.

In 2002, he was a visiting scholar at the University of Queensland where both of us started interviewing company CEOs to understand the fine-grained processes of innovation. In the following year, with funding support from the PIM we continued this study in Sri Lanka, visiting many well-established firms where we probed into their indigenous and innovative management practices which are reported at length in Sudatta’s publications.

I hope there will many academics who will pursue this much rewarding path. Sudatta’s second project was to work with a colleague on a book of research on human resource management issues in Sri Lanka which was supported by the Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka (IPM).

He was working hard to meet a June 2013 deadline and when I met him a few weeks ago he passionately talked about the launching event. It is unfortunate that he will not see the launch of this book which will facilitate a meaningful dialogue between academics and practitioners on HR strategy while facilitating doctoral research.

Overall, his contribution as a trainer, lecturer, administrator and consultant in public and business administration and management education of Sri Lanka is well known. He made a substantial contribution in the early development of many institutions namely the National Institute of Plantations Management (NIPM), Sri Lanka Foundations Institute (SLFI), Marga Institute and the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM). His middle name Wishwamitra ideally fits with the warmth and uncompromising friendship he extended to his ‘universe’ of friends.

Sudatta has been a caring friend during and after university days and a great mentor to many young faculty members and MBA and MPA students who sought his guidance.

He strongly believed in developing research competence and advancing knowledge as a foundation for an academic career. He often expressed his dismay at seeing some people trying short cuts to success. Farewell my friend! May you attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana!

Associate Professor Jay Weerawardena, University of Queensland, Australia

Premnath Moraes :

A wonderful human being

It’s been 15 years since we spoke, 15 years since we had you with us. It’s been difficult to come to terms with the loss, and the aching void in our midst.

Thaththa, the loss of a father such as you is a heavy burden to bear. You were a quiet source of strength at the most defining moments of my life; you knew without a doubt the paths I should take, and led me there. You always had my back and were someone I could turn to when I needed answers.

My only regret is that I never told you how much I loved you, in your living years. As a father, your love was supreme; no sacrifice was too big, and the selfless quality of the love you demonstrated was and is so rare - to Mum, Pradeep and me. The values and life lessons you instilled in us without making it seem a lesson taught, but learnt, and your indescribable joy and pride in us, make it hard to fight back the tears when remembering you after all these years.

It’s difficult to imagine that you had it all: the impossibly good looks, talent as a writer, journalist, actor, film director, media personality and sportsman. Above all these, you were a wonderful human being, father and grandfather.

I am fiercely proud that although you had it all, and had the world at your feet, it didn’t translate to a huge accumulation of wealth or make you an egoistic individual. Rather, with your integrity and work ethic, you were honest to a fault, and held your head up high - a giant among lesser mortals.

Thank you thaththa for everything, and for making me immensely proud to be your daughter. Till we meet again, and pick up where we left off.

Rehani