Education
- PhD. in Economics, Kobe University, Japan.
- Master of Philosophy in Economics, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
- Master of Economics, Kobe University, Japan.
- PGD. in Socio-economic Security for the Poor, Institute of Social Studies, the Netherlands
- Bachelor of Arts in Economics, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
Courses
- Quantitative Research Methods
- Political Economy of Development
- Microeconomics
- Environmental and Resource Economics
Teaching Experience
- Professor in Economics, Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka (2019 up to date).
- Senior Lecturer in Economics, Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka (2011-2019).
- Lecturer in Economics, Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka (2006 -2017).
- Assistant Lecture in Economics, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka (2003).
Biography
Thusita Kumara is a Professor in Economics at Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka and he earned his PhD. in Economics from Kobe University, Japan and received a Master of Economics from the same University. He also has earned a Master of Philosophy in Economics and Bachelor of Arts in Economics from University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. He has been trained by Oxford University: United Kingdom, IHD: India, SANDEE: Nepal, ISS: the Netherlands and several other local institutions. His research interests are mainly on poverty and inequality while he has published nationally and internationally on Poverty and Inequality, Tourism and Environmental Economics. He has held several academic administrative positions such as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Forum of University Economics, Head of the Department of Public Administration, Chairman of the Research Committee, Director of Academic Research and Publication Unit and Director of Centre for Open and Distance Learning of the Uva Wellassa University, Sri Lanka prior to joining Habib University. He had also severed as an Assistant Lecturer in Economics at University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and Research Officer at the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, in the Ministry of Finance, Sri Lanka.
During his research career, he has been engaged in several research projects i.e., “Economic and Political Empowerment of the Poor” funded by South Asia Centre for Policy Studies (SACEPS), Bangladesh, “Economic Growth, Employment and Poverty Reduction in Selected Asian Countries: Sri Lankan Country Study” commissioned by ILO/UNDP, “Microfinance for Poverty Alleviation in Sri Lanka: Current Status and Future Options” funded by Micro Impacts of Macroeconomic and Adjustment Policies (MIMAP) programme of the IDRC, Canada, and “Innovative Marketing Strategies for Agriculture Sector of Sri Lanka, Ministry of Agriculture and the World Bank. His present major research projects are “Food Consumption Pattern Changes in Sri Lanka: Food Security and Sustainability”, Uva Wellassa University Research Grants, and “Conservation of Threatened Tree Species of Udakiruwa Tropical Rainforest, Sri Lanka, Through Community Empowerment and Stewardship”, Franklinia Foundation, Switzerland.
Publications
Refereed Journal Articles.
- Futagami, Mami and Kumara, Thusitha (2022), Sustainable Tourism Certification and Ecolabels: A Systematic Review of Literature, Journal of the Faculty of Foreign Studies, 2022 (5), Meijo University, Japan. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kiKEB-gAAAAJ&hl=en
- W.G.R.L. Samaraweera, R.A.P.I.S. Dharmadasa, P.H.T. Kumara, A.S.G.S. Bandara (2022) Are young rural women abandoning agriculture in Sri Lanka? Sri Lanka Statistical Review, Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka, Vol 1(1). http://www.statistics.gov.lk/Publication/SSR/DCSSSRVol1Issue1Article5
- Futagami, Mami and Kumara, Thusitha (2021), National Sustainable Tourism Certification Scheme of Sri Lanka: Current Status, Issues and Lessons, Journal of the Faculty of Foreign Studies, 2021 (4), Meijo University, Japan. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kiKEB-gAAAAJ&hl=en
- Bandara, S., Kumara, T., Dharmadasa, S. and Samaraweera, R. (2021) Changes in Food Consumption Patterns in Sri Lanka: Food Security and Sustainability: A Review of Literature. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 9, 213-237. https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2021.910016
- Samaraweera, W.G.R.L., Dharmadasa, R.A.P.I.S., Weerahewa, J., Kumara, P.H.T. and Fernando, P.M.M. (2019). Land Access, Livelihood Diversification and Migration of Rural Youth in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Journal of Economic Research, 7(1), pp.47–74. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/sljer.v7i1.40
- P.M.M. Fernando, P.H.T. Kumara, R.A.P.I.S. Dharmadasa, and W.G.R.L. Samaraweera, (2019), Multidimensional Poverty among the Estate Population of Badulla District in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Journal of Population Studies 20 (2), Sri Lanka Population Association, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kiKEB-gAAAAJ&hl=en - Kumara, P.H.T. (2019). Expanding the Production Possibility Frontier of Sri Lanka: A Historical Economic Perspective on Technological Progress. Sri Lanka Journal of Economic Research, 6(2), pp.83–90. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/sljer.v6i2.36.
- Thusitha Kumara and Ananda Kumara (2018), Sustainable Regional Development through the Promotion of Tourism Industry in Uva Province, Sri Lanka, Journal of the Faculty of Foreign Studies, 2018 (2), Meijo University, Japan. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kiKEB-gAAAAJ&hl=en
- Kumara, T. (2018). A Book Review, Ha-Joon Chang, Economics: The User’s Guide. Sri Lanka Journal of Economic Research, 6(1), pp.147–151. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/sljer.v6i1.30.
- Kumara, P.H.T. and Gunewardena, D.N.B. (2017). Disability and poverty in Sri Lanka: a household level analysis. Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences, 40(1), pp.53–69. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/sljss.v40i1.7501.
- • Thusitha Kumara (2006), A Review Article on “World Development Report 2004: A Better Investment Climate for Everyone”, South Asia Economic Journal, Vol. 07, No 01, https://doi.org/10.1177/139156140500700108
Books/Book Chapters
- Danthanarayana C.P., Kumara P.H.T., Wijesundara W.G.S.R., and Sutha J. (2020), The Effect of Knowledge Sharing Practices on Employees’ Knowledge and Capabilities in the Hotel Industry in Sri Lanka. In: Coşkun İ., Othman N., Aslam M., Lew A. (eds) Travel and Tourism: Sustainability, Economics, and Management Issues. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7068-6_11.
- Kumara T. (2015), Decomposing Spatial Inequality in Sri Lanka: A Quantile Regression Approach. In: Heshmati A., Maasoumi E., Wan G. (eds) Poverty Reduction Policies and Practices in Developing Asia. Economic Studies in Inequality, Social Exclusion and Well-Being. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-420-7_9
- Kumara P.H.T. and Gunewardena D (2012), “Spatial Inequality in Sri Lanka”, in Kelegama, S. and D. Gunewardena (Eds.) Economic and Social Development Under a Market Economy Regime in Sri Lanka, Vijitha Yapa Publishers, Colombo, Sri Lanka, ISBN: 978-955-665-150-8. https://www.ips.lk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Economic-Social-Development-Vol.I.pdf
- Tilakeratne G., Galappatige A., and Kumara T. (2005), “Annotated Bibliography of Microfinance in Sri Lanka”, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka, ISBN 955-8708-33-X. https://www.ips.lk/annotated-bibliography-of-microfinance-in-sri-lanka-1980-2005/
- Tilakeratne G., Wickremasighe U. and Kumara P.H.T. (2005), Microfinance for Poverty Alleviation in Sri Lanka: A Household Level Analysis of Outreach and Impact on Poverty, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka, ISBN 955-8708-33-X.
