9th Annual Sujata Jayawardena Memorial Oration

Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and Planning and Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Development Dr. P.B. Jayasundara will deliver the ninth Annual Sujata Jayawardena Memorial Oration, organised by the Alumni Association of the University of Colombo. It will be held on the 10 October at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute at 6p.m. on the topic ‘Challenges in Formulating the National Budget for 2013’.  

The Sujata Jayawardena Memorial Oration is a key annual event in the Calendar of the Alumni Association and many eminent speakers from many fields have delivered interesting and thought provoking presentations since its commencement in 2004, when the Inaugural Oration was delivered by Prof.

Chandra Wickramasinghe, world renowned Astronomer and Space Biologist and leading expert on interstellar material, on the topic, ‘Are We Alone in the Universe’? The subsequent orations were delivered by prominent international civil servant and diplomat Jayantha Dhanapala, and former US Ambassador in Sri Lanka Robert O’Blake.

Some of the recent topics were ‘Human Rights: International Challenges for Sri Lanka’ presented by Minister of Plantation Industries and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe in 2011,

‘The Development Plan for the City of Colombo’ presented by Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2010, ‘Education: Where do we go from here’? presented by Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga in 2009,

‘Universities, Doctors and Society’ presented by Vidya Jothi Prof. Arjuna Aluwihare, Emeritus Professor of Surgery, University of Peradeniya in 2008 and ‘Traditional Global Wisdom on Environmental Protection’ by International Jurist, former Vice President of the International Court of Justice and former Judge of the Supreme Court Judge C.G. Weeramantry in 2007.

This oration is held annually by the Alumni Association of the University of Colombo in memory of an illustrious Past President of the Alumni Association, the late Sujata Jayawardena.

Those interested in attending this year’s oration are requested to reserve their seats early, by calling 2585616/0777 281750 or e-mail to [email protected], as only a limited number of seats available.