Council

The Japanese Graduates’ Alumni Association (JAGAAS), founded some 20 years back, marks a remarkable history of its presence through an array of cultural and educational performances facilitating cooperative and cordial interactions between Japan and Sri Lanka.

 Our membership comprises the MONBUSHO Scholars who have returned to Sri Lanka after completing their studies in Japan and other scholars and graduates who have obtained graduation and postgraduate degrees from Universities of Japan. Thus, it represents an academically rich and culturally versatile community that seeking to prolong their educational and cultural bonds. Accordingly, the activities of JAGAAS ensures, in a broader sense, strengthening the spirit of fellowship through extended interactions and tightening cultural and educational ties between the two countries.

JAGAAS continued to perform a series of activities, with the blessings and generous assistance of the Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka, during the previous year. In addition to the major events those organized by the JAGAAS in the form of education fair, Bon Odori, agricultural seminar etc., the sixty years’ anniversary of Sri Lanka-Japan diplomatic relations was honorably solemnized in 2012. This newsletter witnesses those events with the visuals. We hope that this newsletter will pleasantly remind the milestones we successfully passed during the last year to its members and other stakeholders.

At this point, we sincerely note our gratitude to the staff of the Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka and the JAGAAS office bearers for their kind cooperation and assistance that we have received in preparing and publishing the newsletter.

Finally, we kindly acknowledge that this newsletter does not claim any perfection in terms of editing and coverage. Accordingly, we are prepared to admit humbly any mistake that we have made here.

Office Bearers and Committee members…

President: Professor H. D. Karunaratne (Professor of Business Economics, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka)
Vice-President: Professor Mangala de Zoyza(Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna)
General Secretary: Dr. (Ms) R.M.UdayanganiRatnayake(Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine& Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka)
Assistant Secretary: Dr. K.A.S.P.Kaluarachchi(Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Management& Finance, University of Colombo)
Treasurer: Mr. Ananda Peramune (ConsultantArchitect)
Co-Editors: Dr. N. N. J. Navaratne(Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Management& Finance, University of Colombo)
Co-Editors: Dr.KumidinieDissanayake(Faculty of Management& Finance, University of Colombo)

Committee Members…

  • Mr. Merrick Gooneratne (Executive Director, Tos Lanka (Pvt)Ltd)
  • Mr. Chandra Fernando (Attorney at Law)
  • Dr. S.M.Punchibanda (Senior Advisor -JAICA Sri Lanka)
  • Professor H.D. Karunaratne (Faculty of Management& Finance, University of Colombo)
  • Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne (Advisor, Ministry of Social Empowerment &Welfare, Government f Sri Lanka)
  • Professor A. M. Tamara P. Athauda (Faculty of Agriculture, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka)
  • Professor SunandaMaddumabandara (Vice Chancellor, University of Sri Jayawardenapura, Sri Lanka)
  • Professor Patrick Rathnayake (Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka)
  • Professor SamithaManawadu (University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka)
  • Professor SampathAmarathunga (Vice Chancellor, University of Sri Jayawardenapura, Sri Lanka)
  • Dr.ShiranthaHeenkenda (Faculty of Humanities, University of SriJayawardenapura, Sri Lanka)
  • Dr. SM SamanDassanayake (Faculty of Management & Finance, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka)
  • Dr. Denzil Lokuliyana (Consultant Engineer)