Deshamanya Prof. W D Lakshman

Former Governor (2019-2021)

Deshamanya Prof. W D Lakshman was the fifteenth Governor, assuming duties in  December 2019 and vacating his position in  September 2021.

Professor W. D. Lakshman received his secondary education at Vidyaloka College in Galle and undergraduate education (1960-64) at the University of Ceylon in Peradeniya. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Economics with Second Class Upper Division honours. His doctoral studies were at the University of Oxford and obtained his D.Phil. in 1973. Currently he is Professor Emeritus, University of Colombo.

Professor Lakshman commenced his university teaching career in his alma mater, University of Ceylon in Peradeniya and joined the University of Colombo in 1981 to take up the position of the Department’s Founder Chair of Economics. He held this position for over 25 years before retirement as a Senior Professor in 2007.

In the University of Colombo Professor Lakshman held the positions of Head, Department of Economics, Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies (1992-94) and Vice Chancellor (1994-99).

As Professor Emeritus, he was honoured by the University of Colombo with an honorary Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.). He was also awarded Deshamanya national honours in 2005.

Prof. Lakshman has been a prolific researcher. He has authored numerous research papers on a wide range of topics including Political economy, Economic Development of South Asia, Japanese Investments in South Asia and Socio Economic Impact of Structural Adjustment Policies in Sri Lanka. A textbook in Economics written by Prof. Lakshman in Sinhala Medium has been used extensively by generations of Sri Lankan students. Two books edited by him, one titled Dilemmas of Development: Fifty Years of Economic Change in Sri Lanka published by Sri Lanka Association of Economists in 1997 and the other titled Sri Lanka’s Development since Independence: Socio-Economic Perspectives and Analyses published by Nova Science Publishers (New York) in 2000 have been widely consulted.

At different times in his academic career, Professor Lakshman has served as a visiting professor in several foreign academic institutions in the Netherlands, Japan Yugoslavia and India.

Professor Lakshman has also served as a Member, Presidential Commission on Finance and Banking, 1990, the Senior Economic Advisor to Ministry of Finance and Planning (2008-09), Member, National Economic Council (2008-10),Chairman, Presidential Commission on Taxation (2009-10).Chairman, Institute of Policy Studies (2010-15),Vice Chancellor, Sanasa University Institute, Kegalle (2014-19) and the Chairman, Committee of Experts appointed by the President to examine the Sri Lanka - Singapore Free Trade Agreement in 2018.