Guest Lecture on How Economic Development Creates Poverty ?

The Department of Geography with collaboration of Sri Lanka Association of Geographers (SLAG) organized a guest lecture on “How Economic Development Creates Poverty ? “, on 12th July 2016, from 2.00 p.m. onwards at M. B. Ariyapala Auditorium, Faculty of Arts. The lecture was delivered by Prof. Lakshman Yapa, Pennsylvania State University , USA.

Lakshman Yapa is a professor of geography at Pennsylvania State University, USA. He has taught there since 1977. His first degree is from Sri Lanka (University of Ceylon) and his PhD is in economic geography from Syracuse University in New York. His teaching and research interests are in poverty, globalization,community development, and post-modern discourse theory. He has served as a consultant to the World Bank, US Agency for International Development, the United Nations Development Program, and the government of Sri Lanka, The Netherlands, The Philippines, Indonesia, and several other countries. From 2000 to 2010 he directed a community based service-learning course in the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, titled, “Rethinking Urban Poverty: The Philadelphia Field Project” for which he won several national awards for excellence in education.

After many years of research, teaching, and consulting Prof Yapa claims that poverty cannot be eradicated through economic development; in fact he says, development perpetuates poverty. He will explain this argument and show how the university can play a very important role in finding feasible solutions to the problems of the poor.

 

Forum : “Are we prepared for Natural Disasters ?

The Department of Geography organized a Forum on “Are We Prepared for Natural Disasters ?” on 14th June 2016, at the M. B. Ariyapala Auditorium, Faculty of Arts, from 1.00 pm to 4.30 pm, in collaboration with the Land Division of the Ministry of Environment.

The theme of this Forum was “Are the professionals ready to face the challenges that emerge from the Disasters in Sri Lanka”. The main objective of this forum was to find an answer for the question raised by the general public. What is the role and the solutions University Academics, Professionals, and Planners can propose for such phenomenon ?

Presenters:

Presenter Theme
Mr. R.M.S. Bandara, Head, Landslide Research and Risk Management Division, National Building Research Organization Landslides; where we are? and where to go?
Mr. S. Premalal, Director, Research Training and Development, Meteorology Department Climate change and extreme events
Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation Colombo catchment; today and tomorrow

was followed by a Panel Discussion.

Participatory Institutions:

  • University of Colombo

  • Environment Ministry

  • National Building Research Organization

  • Meteorology Department

  • Urban Development Authority

  • Land Use Policy Planning Department

  • Disaster Management Center