The academic exchange program between Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University, JAPAN and Department of Public Administration, USJ, Sri Lanka:
Pre-MoU workshop
A pre-MoU workshop was conducted by the Department of Public Administration, University of Sri Jayewardenepura in collaboration with the Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University in Japan on 19th and 20th January, 2015. The Department of Public Administration headed by Dr. M H A Sisira Kumara organized this event for which the Vice Chancellor of the University, the Dean of the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce (FMSC), all heads of department and professors of the FMSC, students enrolled in B.Sc. Public Management (Special) Degree program, and postgraduate students were invited. A seven-member Japanese delegation including academics from Tohoku University and Executives from EY-Shin Nihon participated in the event. The Japanese delegation was led by Professor Toshifumi Takada from Tohoku University.
After the introductory remarks by Dr. M H A Sisira Kumara, Head, Department of Public Administration, Professor Sampath Amaratunge, The Vice Chancellor of the USJ and Dr. U Anura Kumara, the Dean of the FMSC, the workshop was addressed by several resource persons invited for each technical session as follows:
| Resource Person | Theme |
| Mr. Samantha Kumarasinghe, Chairman, Nature’s Secrets | Industrial environment in Sri Lanka |
| Mrs. Renuka Weerakone, Executive Director (Investment Promotion), BOI-Sri Lanka | Investing in Sri Lanka |
| Mr. Ananda Sahabandu, Assistant Commissioner, Labor Department, Sri Lanka | Sri Lankan Labor Law |
| Professor Toshifumi Takada, Tohoku University and Mr. Kobayashi, EY-Shin-Nihon, Japan | Accounting system and design in Japan |
| Mrs. Chethana Wickramasinghe, Department of Public Administration, USJP | Image of Japan |
| Dr. W.A. Wijewardene, President, BMS and Former deputy governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka | Sri Lankan society and business environment |
After the sessions at USJ, the Department of Public Administration arranged an industrial visit to a tea factory in Deniyaya to educate the delegation about Sri Lankan tea culture and manufacturing process. Having concluded the pre-MoU workshop, now, the Department of Public Administration is preparing its background to sign the MoU of academic collaboration with Tohoku University in Japan.
