IPS auditorium named after late Dr. Saman Kelegama

Wednesday, 27 September 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS) on 25 September named its state-of-the-art auditorium the Dr. Saman Kelegama Auditorium, dedicating it to its late Executive Director in memory of his vision, leadership and guidance to IPS, especially in establishing the institute’s head office at Independence Square.

The ceremony was attended by Dr. Kelegama’s wife, Eranthika Sirimavo Kelegama, and his two children, Chandana and Jayathri, as special guests as well as IPS staff.

Dr. Kelegama joined IPS as a Research Fellow in 1990 and was appointed its Executive Director in 1995, a role he held for over two decades until his sudden death in June 2017. One of his key initiatives was to try and obtain land and funding to construct a permanent head office for IPS. He worked tirelessly towards this end and succeeded in obtaining a gift of land from the Sri Lankan Government and funding from the Royal Netherlands Government. In 2010, the IPS shifted to its custom-built head office, housing not only its high-tech, 100-seat auditorium but also library resources and conference rooms that have allowed the institute to expand its research activities and hold countless seminars, conferences, stakeholder meetings, workshops and training programs.

A world-renowned economist and academic, Dr. Kelegama devoted his life to making IPS a center of research excellence and a leading regional think tank. The auditorium is dedicated to honouring his memory and continuing legacy at the institute.