The 25th Excellency Celebration of the Department of Marketing Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura was held on the 23rd of February 2022 to look back proudly at the many milestones in its rich and eventful history.
Many distinguished guests attended the ceremony held in the Senate Board room of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura physically as well as online to witness this important moment and share the joy of the anniversary. They included officials of the university, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Senior Prof. Sudantha Liyanage, Dean of the Faculty of Management studies and commerce, Prof. P.D.Nimal, academic staff members of the department, from other departments and also from other universities, students, and alumni.
The ceremony commenced with the press conference, with the head table led by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Senior Prof. Sudantha Liyanage, Prof. P.G.S. Amila Jayarathne, department head, department of marketing Management, Mr. Lalith Sumanasiri, president of Marketing Alumni Association, Mr. Chamika Darmarathne, the President of the Marketing Management Association along with Ms. Mitchell Silva, Secretary of the Marketing Management Association. Several media representing written media, TV and broadcasting channels, and digital media channels were present in the press conference.
With the conclusion of the press conference the celebration commenced by honoring the university reciting the university Anthem and thereby traditionally lighting the oil lamp. The ceremony began with a video that reviewed the history and development of the department over the past 25 years. Emphasizing on the remarkable history of the department and its contribution to the university and the faculty, the Vice-Chancellor, Senior Prof. Sudantha Liyanage, and the Dean of the Faculty of Management studies and commerce, Prof. P.D.Nimal, addressed the gathering respectively.
Then, the participants witnessed the inaugural launch of the “Sparkle in Marketing” Magazine which was a testimony of the 25 years of legacy of the Team as well as a unique platform to add value for the readers, the Asian Journal of Marketing Management which disseminates new knowledge by publishing scholarly papers that comprehensively investigate contemporary and critical real-world scenarios in marketing along with the Local Marketing Flavor 1.0 – Sri Lankan Case Study Book which is an accumulation of Sri Lanka based cases developed by the academic staff of the Department.
In celebration of the department’s achievements, and to lay a solid foundation for the next 25 years a panel discussion was held with the participation of the panelists, Mr. Mangala Perera the CEO of Scan Products Division of C.W. Mackie, Mr. Denzel Perera the Chairman on Lanka Salusala Ltd, Mr. Imesh Abeywickrama the founder of Reflect Interiors Pvt Ltd as the panelists representing the corporate sector and Prof. (Mrs.) P.G.S.A. Jayarathne a Professor in Marketing attached to the Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Prof. K.P.L. Chandralal a senior academic member of the Department of the Marketing Management of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. and Prof. Banadara Wanninayaka, Professor in Marketing attached to the Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya representing the scholars.
The anniversary slogan “Savor the Flavor of Research and practice in Marketing” means that the department is on the threshold of a new era, a time to take stock of past achievements and look ahead to new goals and dreams with a strong Academia-Industry Collaborations in favor of the Sri Lankan Marketers for a better tomorrow.
