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The Department of Business Economics was introduced as a specialization degree with the objective of providing undergraduates with theory and applications of Business Management and Economics. BBA in Business Administration ( Business Economics) is a four-year special degree that prepares the students to develop their skills which will enable them to meet the challenges in the fields of Business Management and Economics and to contribute to social and national development. The Department comprises many intellectuals who are frequently on their stand to help and brighten your future. They specialized in various disciplines in Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Technology. The Department has established a network with industry and institutes such as the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Colombo Stock Exchange, private and public sector organizations to absorb the graduates produced by the department.

Head of the Department

Message from the Head of the Department

Professor M.A. Yasantha D Madurapperuma

It is great pleasure to welcome the best scholars of GCE (A/L) Examination in the Commerce stream to the Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Colombo. We are the Department of Business Economics who assist you from the beginning of your university life. Business Economics was introduced as an area of specialization in the Business Administration Degree Programme due to the unprecedented demand. Bachelor of Business Administration is a four-year fully-fledged degree programme offered by the Faculty of Management and Finance and students are having the opportunity to select Department of Business Economics in the third year for specialization of Business Economics which is currently one of the pioneering degree programmes of this nature in the university system in Sri Lanka.

The prime objective of the degree programme is to equip students with theory and application of Business Management and Economics. This facilitates the students to develop their skills which will enable them to meet the challenges in the fields of Business Management and Economics and to contribute to social and national development. The Department comprises many intellectuals who are frequently on their stand to help and brighten your future. They specialized in various disciplines in Economics, Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Technology.

The Department has established a network with industry and institutes such as the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Colombo Stock Exchange, private and public sector organizations to absorb the graduates produced by the department. Further it is in the process of improving the industry links to facilitate the graduates to have better opportunities in prospering their career. We continuously organize many activities to improve your soft skills that the prospective employers are always looking for. We wish you to be productive for years ahead of your university life.

Former Heads of the Department

Associate Professor H.M. Nihal Hennayake (2023)

Dr. A.M.C.P. Atapattu (2020 – 2022)

Mr. M. Ramesh Rajasuriya (2016 – 2019)

Mr. W.A.S.P. Weerathunga (2012- 2015)

Chair Professor. H.D. Karunaratne (2010 – 2012, 2015 – 2016)

Senior Professor. H.N. Prabhath Jayasinghe (2007-2010)

Department Staff

Academic Staff

Senior Professor H.D. Karunaratne

[PhD & MA (Econ) Nagoya JP, MA (Econ) (Col), BA (Econ) (SJP), Invited Professor, Hosei University, Japan]

Chair Professor

Senior Professor HN Prabhath Jayasinghe

[PhD (NUS) (Singapore), MPhil (Sydney), MA (Col), BA (Col), SEDA]

Professor

Mr. W.A.S.P. Weerathunga

[MA in Economics (Col), MSc in Applied Statistics (Col), BSc in Mathematics (Col), CTHE (Col)]

Senior Lecturer

Associate Professor HM Nihal Hennayake

[PhD (Japan), MA (Japan), MCom (Kelaniya), MA (Col), BA (Col), CTHE (Col)]

Associate Professor

Professor M.A. Yasantha D Madurapperuma

[PhD (Republic of Korea), MSc in MIT (Kelaniya), BCom (Col), CTHE (Col)]

Professor

Dr. W.A. Sajitha Dishanka

[PhD (Tokyo), MBA (Col), B.Com (Col), CTHE (Col)]

Senior Lecturer

Dr. A.M.C.P. Atapattu

[PhD (Kelaniya), MBA (Col), BCom (Col), CTHE (Col)]

Senior Lecturer

Dr. K Ravinthirakumaran

[PhD (Griffith) (Australia), M.So.Sc (NUS) (Singapore), M.Econ (UOC), BA (Econ) (Jaffna), CTHE (Col)]

Senior Lecturer

Mr. M Ramesh Rajasuriya

[M.Sc in Industrial Mathematics (SJP), B.Sc in Mathematics (Col), CTHE (Kelaniya)]

Senior Lecturer

Mr. Rajishtha Y.H. De Alwis Seneviratne

[MPhil (Col), BBA in Business Economics (Col), ACMA, CGMA, CTHE (Col), SEDA (UK)]

Senior Lecturer

Dr. H.M.S. Amanda N. Herath

[Phd (Yonsei GSIS, Republic of Korea), Master of Global Economy & Strategy (Yonsei GSIS, Republic of Korea), BBA in Business Economics (Colombo), CTHE (Peradeniya)]

Senior Lecturer

Ms. Nipuni K Abeysiriwardena

[MBA (PIM – SJP), BBA in Business Economics (Col), CTHE (Col), SEDA (UK)]

Lecturer

Mr. Pasan M. Wijayawardhana

[M.Phil. in Business Economics (USJ), PGD in Economic Policy (BALPP-SL) (Reading), BSc in Business Economics (USJ), ACMA (CMA-SL), DABF/IABF (IBSL-SL), AAT (SL)

Lecturer

Ms. Himali Abeysinghe

[BBA (Hons) Business Economics ,Col]

Temporary Assistant Lecturer

Non Academic Staff

Ms. W. M. P. A. D. Wickramasinghe

Courses

Courses for Internal Undergraduates

NEW: Common Courses of the BBA Honours (in Business Economics) Degree Programmes in Semester I, II and III

Credits and Courses Offered in Semesters I, II, and, III of the BBA Degree Programmes
Course Code	Course Title	Credits	Course Status	Semester Offered
BEC 1300	Business Mathematics	3	Core	I
ACT 1301	Financial Accounting	3	Core	I
MOS 1302	Management Process and Practice	3	Core	I
MOS 1200	Business Communication and Academic Writing	2	Core	I
BEC 1201	Information and Communication Technology (ICT)	2	Core	I
BEC 1202	Microeconomics	2	Core	I
	Total Credits in Semester I			15
BEC 1303	Business Statistics	3	Core	II
BEC 1304	Macroeconomics	3	Core	II
ACT 1305	Management Accounting	3	Core	II
HRM 1306	Organizational Behavior	3	Core	II
FIN 1203	Fundamentals of Finance	2	Core	II
MOS 1204	Legal Environment	2	Core	II
AAU 1000	Second Language¹	NC	Optional	II
	Total Credits in Semester II			16
INB 2307	Elements of International Business	3	Core	III
FIN 2308	Financial Management	3	Core	III
HRM 2309	Human Resource Management	3	Core	III
MKT 2310	Marketing Management	3	Core	III
MKT 2311	Operations Management	3	Core	III
AAU 2100	Community Development Project	1	Core	III
	Total Credits in Semester III			16
Notes: NC = No Credits

NEW: Specialisations Courses of the BBA Honours in Business Economics Degree Programmes in Semester IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII

Credits and Courses offered for the BBA Honours in Business Economics
Course Code	Course Title	Credits	Course Status	Semester Offered
BEC 2312	Quantitative Techniques for Decisions	3	Core	IV
BEC 2205	Management Information Systems	2	Core	IV
BEC 2315	Advanced Economics Theory	3	Specialization Core	IV
BEC 2316	International Trade Theory and Practice	3	Specialization Core	IV
BEC 2207	Advanced Statistics	2	Specialization Core	IV
BEC 2208	Auditing and Taxation	2	Specialization Core	IV
	Total credits in Semester IV			15
BEC 3313	Research Methods	3	Core	V
BEC 3317	Econometrics	3	Specialization Core	V
BEC 3318	International Finance	3	Specialization Core	V
BEC 3319	Managerial Economics	3	Specialization Core	V
BEC 3209	Labour Economics	2	Specialization Core	V
BEC 3210	Behavioral Economics	2	Specialization Optional	V
BEC 3211	Economics of Organizations	2	Specialization Optional	V
BEC 3212	Economics of Tourism	2	Specialization Optional	V
	Total credits required in Semester V			16
BEC 3314	Strategic Management	3	Core	VI
BEC 3206	Entrepreneurship and Venture Creation	2	Core	VI
BEC 3320	Project Management	3	Specialization Core	VI
BEC 3213	Data Analytics	2	Specialization Core	VI
BEC 3214	Development Economics	2	Specialization Core	VI
BEC 3215	Seminar on Applied Research**	2	Specialization Core	VI
BEC 3216	Seminar on Research**	2	Specialization Core	VI
BEC 3217	Financial Econometrics	2	Specialization Optional	VI
BEC 3218	Qualitative Data Analysis	2	Specialization Optional	VI
BEC 3219	Statistical Software for quantitative Data analysis	2	Specialization Optional	VI
	Total credits required in Semester VI			16
Course Code	Course Title	Credits	Course Status	Semester Offered
BEC 4800	Dissertation*	8	Specialization Core	VII
BEC 4600	Applied Research*	6	Specialization Core	VII
BEC 4321	Industrial Economics	3	Specialization Core	VII
BEC 4322	Financial Economics	3	Specialization Core	VII
BEC 4220	Economics of Entrepreneurship and SMEs	2	Specialization Optional	VII
BEC 4221	Environmental Economics	2	Specialization Optional	VII
BEC 4222	Microfinance	2	Specialization Optional	VII
BEC 4223	Public Sector Economics	2	Specialization Optional	VII
	Total credits required in Semester VII			16
BEC 4400	Industrial Training	4	Specialization Core	VIII
BEC 4323	Global Economic Trends	3	Specialization Core	VIII
BEC 4324	Sri Lankan Economy	3	Specialization Core	VIII
	Total credits in Semester VIII			10
Notes: * Students shall select either BEC 4800 – Dissertation or BEC 4600 – Applied Research. ** Students who opt for the Dissertation option shall select BEC 3216 – Seminar on Research and students who opt for Applied Research shall select BEC 3215 – Seminar on Applied Research.

OLD: Specialisations Courses of the BBA Honours in Business Economics Degree Programmes in Semester V, VI, VII, and VIII

Course Code	Course Title	Credits	Course Status	Semester Offered
BEC-3312	Research Methods	3	Core	v
BEC-3228	Management Information Systems	2	Core	V
BEC-3313	Econometrics	3	Specialisation core	V
BEC-3229	Managerial Economics	2	Specialisation core	V
BEC-3314	International Trade	3	Specialisation core	V
BEC-3230	Auditing and Taxation	2	Specialisation optional	V
BEC-3231	Environmental Economics	2	Specialisation optional	V
BEC-3232	Business Ethics and Corporate Governance	2	Specialisation optional	V
BEC-3315	Strategic Management	3	Core	VI
BEC-3207	Enterprise Based Project	2	Core	VI
BEC-3316	International Finance	3	Specialisation core	VI
BEC-3317	Industrial Economics	3	Specialisation core	VI
BEC-3208	Seminar on Applied Research	2	Specialisation core*	VI
BEC-3209	Seminar on Research	2	Specialisation core*	VI
BEC-3233	Economics of Tourism	2	Specialisation optional	VI
BEC-3234	Financial Econometrics	2	Specialisation optional	VI
BEC-3235	Labour Law	2	Specialisation optional	VI
BEC-3236	Microfinance	2	Specialisation optional	VI
BEC-3237	Project Evaluation	2	Specialisation optional	VI
BEC-3238	e-Business	2	Specialisation optional	VI
BEC-3239	Financial Reporting and Analysis	2	Specialisation optional	VI
BEC-3240	Supply Chain Management	2	Specialisation optional	VI
BEC-4241	Development Economics	2	Specialisation core	VII
BEC-4242	Contemporary Issues in Business Economics	2	Specialisation core	VII
BEC-4800	Dissertation	8	Specialisation core**	VII
BEC-4600	Applied Research Project	6	Specialisation core**	VII
BEC-4243	Economics of Organisations	2	Specialisation optional	VII
BEC-4244	Economics of SMEs	2	Specialisation optional	VII
BEC-4245	Financial Economics	2	Specialisation optional	VII
BEC-4246	Game Theory for Business Strategy	2	Specialisation optional	VII
BEC-4247	Labor Economics	2	Specialisation optional	VII
BEC-4248	Risk Management and Insurance	2	Specialisation optional	VII
BEC-4249	Business Valuations	2	Specialisation optional	VII
BEC-4801	Industrial Training	8	Specialisation core	VIII

Courses for External Undergraduates

External: Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Economics and Statistics Degree Program (BBA BES)

Courses Offered in Semesters I, II, III, IV, V and VI

Course Code	Course Title	Credits
	Semester I
BBES 111	Business Mathematics	3
BBES 112	Microeconomics	3
BBES 113	Business Statistics	3
BBES 114	Management Process and Practice	2
BBES 115	Information Technology for Business	2
BBES 116	Functional English	2
	Total Credits in Semester I	15

	Semester II
BBES 121	Distribution Theory	3
BBES 122	Macroeconomics	3
BBES 123	Basic Finance	2
BBES 124	Advanced Business Mathematics	2
BBES 125	Accounting for Business	3
BBES 126	Organizational Behavior	2
	Total Credits in Semester II	15

	Semester III
BBES 231	Inferential Statistics	3
BBES 232	Data Science & Visualization	3
BBES 233	Financial Management	3
BBES 234	Human Resources Management	3
BBES 235	Advanced Economics Theory	3
	Total Credits in Semester III	15

	Semester IV
BBES 241	Econometrics	3
BBES 242	International Economics	3
BBES 243	Decision Sciences	3
BBES 244	Marketing Management	3
BBES 245	Business Law	3
	Total Credits in Semester IV	15


	Semester V
BBES 351	Non-Parametric Statistical Methods	2
BBES 352	Big Data Analysis	3
BBES 353	Banking and International Finance	3
BBES 354	Operational Management	3
BBES 355	Business Research Methods	2
BBES 356	Managerial Economics	2
	Total Credit in semester V	15
	Semester VI
BBES 361	Statistical Quality Control	2
BBES 362	Independent Study	2
BBES 363	Sri Lankan and Global Economic Trends	3
BBES 364	Development Economics	3
BBES 365	Logistics Management	2
BBES 366	Strategic Management	3
	Total Credits in Semester VI	15

Note: All courses are compulsory

Department Activities

Economic Dialogue Phase 01:

Domestic Debt Restructuring and the future of the Sri Lankan Economy

The newly established Research Hub of Business Economics Students’ Association organised their first event under the topic “Domestic Debt Restructuring and future of the Sri Lankan Economy” on 29^th August 2023 at East Wing 3.2 conference hall.

Professor Sirimal Abeyratne was the keynote speaker and he delivered an insightful lecture on the said topic. It was indeed a great honour to have his presence and contribution to the event.

The event was also graced with the presence of Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo, Senior Prof. (chair) H.D. Karunaratne, the Dean of the Faculty of Management and Finance Prof. M.P.P. Dharmadasa and the Head of the Department of Business Economics Prof. Nihal Hennayake among other distinguished guests.

The main objectives of this event were to increase awareness regarding the current economic situation of the country and provide insights into the potential repercussions and recommendations. The event was successfully concluded with the active participation of a student count exceeding 70, along with the participation of the academic staff as well.

Towards a Resurgent Economy

The annual event organized by the Business Economics Students’ Association of the Faculty of Management and Finance of the University of Colombo was held on the 25th of November, 2022. The theme for the year was ‘Driving towards a Resurgent Economy’. The Chief Guest for this forum was the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, honourable Dr Nandalal Weerasinghe; where he delivered a keynote speech in line with the theme, followed by a question and answer session during which a variety of questions was directed to our keynote speaker by lecturers as well as students and was highly informative to the entire audience.

With the participation of attendees from diverse fields, the occasion was also graced by the presence of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo, Senior Prof. (chair) H.D. Karunaratne, the Dean of the Faculty of Management and Finance Prof. M.P.P. Dharmadasa and the Head of the Department of Business Economics Prof. Nihal Hennayake among other distinguished guests.

During this initiative, the winners of the Econolympia 2022 Quiz Competition were awarded certificates handed over by our keynote speaker Dr Nandalal Weerasinghe along with the presence of our honoured guests, and the event was successfully concluded, achieving our aim of broadening the knowledge of our undergraduates and to provide perspective to bring back the economy to a prosperous state.

Econolympia 2022

Econolympia was a quiz competition organized by the Business Economics Students’ Association as a part of the event “Driving towards a Resurgent Economy” to enhance economics and general knowledge, skills among the second-year undergraduates at the university of Colombo faculty of management and finance. This competition was an excellent platform for the students to apply their existing knowledge of economics daily and develop their competitive skills.

This was held under two phases; the first phase was on the 16th of November, 2022, at the university faculty premises. 84 students from 21 teams participated in this competition by forming four-member groups. The second phase was held on the 18th of November, 2022, with the participation of four teams.

The Econolympia 2022 quiz competition successfully concluded both phases by selecting the top 3 best-performing teams, where team Step Up grabbed the champion title.

Guest Lecture – ‘Project Management in times of Crisis’

A Guest Lecture on ‘Project Management in times of Crisis’ was organized in line with the subject ‘Project Evaluation’ for the third year undergraduates in the Department of Business Economics. This session was conducted by Mr. Prashan Costa, Head of Marketing in CEAT Kelani (Pvt) Ltd. It was held on 02nd of November 2022 in hybrid mode. It was a successful session as the students were able to capture the essentials of project management and the practical insights.

Inbound Training for Third year undergraduates

The Department of Business Economics and Department of Human Resources Management together with the Career Guidance Unit of University of Colombo organized an inbound training on the 29th October 2022 for the third year undergraduate students of the Department of Business Economics and Department of Human Resources Management with the aim of developing and promoting teamwork, leadership and enhancing their interrelationships.

The program’s second half was entertainment items presented by undergraduates to demonstrate their diverse talents. The DJ session added more colour to the event. It was enjoyed by everyone and concluded successfully.

Economic Outlook 2020

Economic Outlook’20 is a program organized by the Business Economics Students Association (BESA) for the third consecutive time. Economic Outlook’20 consists of two parts which is a competition and a business forum. The competition affiliated to the Economic Outlook’20 is an inter-university contest on business economics, it’s practical application and on improving the affluence of the students’ knowledge and industry-based skills. The business forum was organized to discuss a rather compelling topic in Sri Lanka’s economic environment:

“Key pillars of reforming the economy and business for a progressive Sri Lanka”

Bizcontier – Magazine Launch

Bizcontier, practically elaborated business-based legend of Economics, is the first ever magazine launched by the Srilanka Forum of Junior Business Economists with the intention of uplifting the awareness of the need of Business Economics for the global, local and daily corporate world.

This piece of literary work consisted of many branches touching different aspects of the application of Business Economics. The professionals, policymakers, customers, businessmen, tourists and mainly, the university students are benefited by the content. It also brought about suggestions for the changes that should be taken place in different industrial, governmental and social sections so as to bring about positive change in the economy.

The Economic Outlook ‘18

The Economic Outlook’18, which was organized by the Business Economics Students’ Association was successfully held on November 21, 2018 at the Prof Jayarathna Auditorium of the Faculty of Management and Finance. This event was structured to provide refreshing experience to undergraduates to enhance their knowledge on all aspects of economy and development of Sri Lanka. This event was attended by Dr Indrajith Coomaraswamy (Governor of Central Bank Sri Lanka), Mr Dharmadasa Rangalle (Senior Tax Commissioner at the Department of Inland Revenue), Mr Johnathan Abeywickrema (Director of Lanka Investing Network) and Mr Dulith Herath (Founder of Kapruka) to address the gathering.

With over 200 undergraduates participating from both public and private universities, The Economic Outlook’18 created a platform for undergraduates not only to broaden their knowledge in the field of economics, but also to develop interaction between different universities in a similar areas of interest. It was helpful to broaden the students’ organizing capacities of events in this nature.

Quiz Econ

The Business Economics Students’ Association organized a Quiz Competition ‘Quiz Econ’, for first and second year undergraduates in parallel with ‘The Economic Outlook’18’ forum. The aim of the quiz was to enhance the knowledge on business economics of the undergraduates and create a competitive atmosphere in the faculty. This event was attended by the Dean, Faculty of Management and Finance, Head of the department and senior academic staff members of the Department of Business Economics. The winners were awarded at the “The Economic Outlook’18’ by the Central Bank Governor, Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy.

Economic Outlook 2013

‘The Economic Outlook-2013’ was the first-ever forum organized by the Business Economics Students Association of Faculty of Management and finance with the view of developing knowledge and skills among the undergraduates particularly on the field of economics. This forum contained a number of vital discussions by distinguished personalities on the perspective in the current economic affairs in Sri Lanka as well as at the global level and to enhance the know-how of entrepreneurship of undergraduates specialize in economics in both local universities and private universities.

Student Activities

Colombo Business Economic Summit -2024

Summit Registration

Colombo Business Economic Summit Day :26th March 2024

What is the Business Economics Students’ Association (BESA)?

We are the official student body representing the undergraduates of the Department of Business Economics in the Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Colombo.

Our main goal is to facilitate the progress of our undergraduates in the development of their skills, talents and knowledge while strengthening the networks, communication, and cooperation internally and externally.

All undergraduates reading for the degree specializing in Business Economics in the Faculty of Management and Finance at the University of Colombo become distinguished members of the association.

What is ‘Colombo Business Economic Summit -2024?’

Colombo Business Economic Summit is the promising inaugural project of the Business Economics Students’ Association (BESA) of the Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Colombo, which is scheduled to be held on the 26^th of March 2024 at the University of Colombo premises.

Colombo Business Economics Summit is an address by BESA for the prevailing need of surging the interest of undergraduates to contribute to the drive of the economy by enriching them with academic knowledge, providing a platform to share learning, and to hub the expertise of Business, Management, and Economics on one stage leading off a productive discussion over the issues to be addressed for a sustainable future. Furthermore, the summit will host the discussion by providing one stage for renowned experts in the fields of Business, Management, and Economics over contemporary issues.

Moreover, Colombo Business Economic Summit 2024 invites undergraduates across the island to participate in three Economics related competitions which constitute a part of the summit programme:

Policy Pitching Contest
Quiz Competition
‘Emerging Young Economist (EYE)’ Contest

Undergraduates can register for any one of the above competitions.

Policy Pitching Contest

About

The Policy Pitching Contest is an Inter-University contest to be conducted as a part of the Colombo Business Economic Summit -2024 organized by the Department of Business Economics, Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Colombo. This provides a platform for undergraduate students to present and discuss policy suggestions for a burning economic problem in our country that can help to encourage critical thinking, research, and effective communication skills. Further, it provides a platform for students to analyze economic issues, formulate practical policies, and present their ideas persuasively.

Competitors participating in ‘Policy Pitching Contest’ should prepare policy paper, ensuring address a specific Economic problem (within the Sri Lankan context) with clarity, innovation, and feasibility. The proposal should provide a clear problem statement. Craft ideas concisely yet convincingly, highlighting how the policy can make a significant and scalable impact. Highlight the viability of the proposal, detail achievable ways to put it into action, and predict the anticipated outcomes. Please check the Template and Guidelines for policy paper preparation here (.docx).

The prepared policy paper must be forwarded to office@dbe.cmb.ac.lk on or before 11.59 PM of 15^th February 2024 (Note; Subject of the email should be kept as Policy Paper Submission: Colombo Business Economic Summit -2024). Your submitted paper will be evaluated by a panel of faculty members and candidates selected for the final round will be notified through an email. Those selected candidates have to pitch the policy idea through 10 minutes power-point presentation at the final round of ‘Policy Pitching Contest’ which will be happening on the summit day.

The winner will be awarded at the evening awarding ceremony to be happened on the summit day and all the participants will receive participation certificate on the same day.

General guidelines

Policy pitching Contest is open for all undergraduates of any state, private, or foreign universities.
Undergraduates should apply as individuals (Author 1 must be the undergraduate candidate. If there are supervisors you could mention maximum two supervisors as author 2 and author 3).
This contest is conducted as rounds.
At the 1^st round appliers have to send a policy paper which is given answer to a burning economic problem in Sri Lanka by introducing economic policy. After a selection process, candidates got selected for final round will be informed through email. Further, the selected contestants have to prepare a PowerPoint presentation (10 minutes) and present it on the summit day (final Contest day). Five (05) minutes time will be allocated for Q & A session for each presenter. All guidelines of the presentation submission will be notified later.
At the 2^nd round (Final Round on the summit day), judge panel members will select the best three policy papers from 10 minute oral power-point presentations done by final round candidates to pitch their policy ideas.
The decision of the judge panel members will be the final and will not be subjected to any change.

Template and Guidelines for Policy Papers

Please check the Template and Guidelines for policy paper preparation here (.pdf).

Timeline

Opening for article submission –15^th January 2023
Closing for article submission – 29^th February 2024
Notification of selected papers – 10^th February 2024
PowerPoint presentation submission- 20^th March 2024
Summit day – 26^th March 2024

Registration Details

Undergraduates students (Registered in any state, Private and foreign) – Free of charge

Contact details

Lecturer In-charge- Business Economics Students’ Association (BESA)

Mr.Pasan Wijayawardhana – 071-7229255

Policy Pitching Contest Coordinator:

Ms.Dilushika – 071-3546623

Quiz Competition

About

The quiz competition is an inter-university competition which aims at indulging and enhancing the knowledge of undergraduates related to their know-how in economics-related general and academic knowledge. The quiz competition which consists of 3 rounds will follow up with competitive short questions tested within the areas of Business Economics, Management, and General Economics knowledge.

Registration Details and Team Composition

Open for current undergraduates of all the state universities and the private universities in Sri Lanka
Team should be consisting of 4 members.

Rewards for the Participants and Winners of the Quiz Competition

All participants will receive a valuable certificate which is certified by the University of Colombo.
Cash prizes for winners are as follows;
- First place – Rs. 25,000
- Second place- Rs.20,000
- Third place- Rs. 15,000

Round Information

The quiz competition consists of three rounds.

First Round

Date – To be decided

Time – 10 a.m. onwards

Venue – Hall no: 401 West-wing Building, Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Colombo.

Rules and Regulations for the first round

All registered teams have to answer 30 MCQs which will be displayed on the digital screen.
Answers should be marked in the answer sheet which will be given to each team.
Teams will get 30 seconds for each question and within that 30 seconds they can discuss the answer with their team members and mark the answer.
Using mobile phones and other devices are prohibited within the quiz.
All members of the team should participate in the competition.
Subject areas that will be tested – Business Economics and Management
10 teams who will score the highest marks will be selected for the second round.

Second Round

Date – 26^th of March 2024 (on the day of the Summit)

Time – Will inform to selected candidates

Venue – Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Colombo.

Rules and Regulations for the second round

The selected 10 teams will be given 10 questions each for which they have to provide short answers.
Answers should be written in the answer sheet which will be given to each team.
Teams will get 30 minutes to answer all 10 questions and they can discuss the answers with the team members and write the answers within the time limit.
Using mobile phones and other devices are prohibited within the quiz.
All team members should participate in the competition.
Subject area that will be tested – Business Economics
Five (05) teams who will score the highest marks will be selected for the final round.

Third (Final) Round

Date – 26^th of March 2024 (on the day of the Summit)

Time – Will inform to selected candidates

Venue – Computer lab, Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Colombo.

Rules and Regulations for the third round

Final round will be conducted through the online platform “Kahoot”.
The use of mobile phones is prohibited throughout Kahoot.
All team members of the top 5 teams should participate in the competition and only one member of each team can give the answers through Kahoot.
Subject areas that will be tested – Business Economics and Management
At the end of Kahoot 2nd runner-up, 1st runner-up and the winner will be displayed on the digital screen.

Timeline:

Opening date for registrations of the quiz competition – 15^th of January 2024

Closing date for registrations of the quiz competition – 29^th February 2024

Contact details

Lecturer In-charge- Business Economics Students’ Association (BESA)

Mr.Pasan Wijayawardhana- – 071-7229255

Quiz Competition Coordinator:

Ms.Trishani – 077-9739554

‘Emerging Young Economist (EYE)’ Contest

What is ‘Emerging Young Economist (EYE)’ Contest?

The ‘Emerging Young Economist (EYE)’ Contest evaluates the knowledge of potential business economists of the country. This is a contest of Economic Interpretation of Visual slides and a live open interview with a panel of distinguished economist/scholars from University of Colombo, where the participants’ subject knowledge of ‘Economics and Management’ stream, thinking skills and oral skills are tested through an oral examination. This contest will be happening on the day of Colombo Business Economic Summit-2024.

Structure of the Contest

In this contest, participants will receive a visual slide (a picture) and economically interpret it in front of the audience including the judge panel within 3-4 minutes. Participant will receive 2 minutes for preparation after the visual side is displayed. Participants have to analyze the containing underlying economic messages and articulate insights within that allocated preparation time. Panel members will ask questions after the oral presentation from the participant based on the presentation. Participation in this competition is individual-based.

The participant with maximum score is declared the ‘Emerging Young Economist’ of Colombo Business Economic Summit-2024. Winner, first and second runners-up will be rewarded at the awarding ceremony and all the participants will receive participation certificate.

The decisions made by the panel members during the competition will be considered final and are not subject to change.

Note: If number of registrations exceeds the expected participant count, an initial round will be conducted (on the same summit day) to shortlist the participants for final round. Nature of that initial round will be communicated

Evaluation Criteria:

Clear, in-depth, and nuanced understanding of the Economics and Management implications within the visual slides.
Application of both theoretical and practical Economics knowledge.
Sound communication (oral) skills.
Adaptability for on-the-spot responses.

Registration Details:

– The competition is open to undergraduate students from any state, private, or foreign university.

– Registration is free of charge for all eligible participants.

(Tentative)

Date – 26th of March 2024 (The Summit Day)

Time – 9.00 AM onwards

Venue – Hall no: 401 west-wing Building, Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Colombo.

Contest/Competition Registration

Deadline: on or before 29th February 2024

Summit Registration

Registration Fee

For undergraduate students (Registered in any State and Private Universities In Sri Lanka) – Free of charge

Summit Registration Link : https://forms.gle/tWrGyzdn2wn4AFuV9

Contact Details

Contact details

Lecturer In-charge- Business Economics Students’ Association (BESA)

Mr.Pasan Wijayawardhana- – 071-7229255

President- Business Economics Students’ Association (BESA)
Mr.Miyuru Bhashitha – 077-8919706

Secretary- Business Economics Students’ Association (BESA)
Ms.Himasha Hapugala – 077-9366579

Organized by

Business Economics Students’ Association (BESA)

Department of Business Economics,

Faculty of Management and Finance

University of Colombo.

Email: office@dbe.cmb.ac.lk

News and Gallery

Colombo Business Economic Summit 2024

Colombo Business Economic Summit 2024 organized by the Business Economics Students’ Association (BESA) of the Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Colombo, was successfully concluded on 26th of March 2024 at the Faculty of Graduate Studies Auditorium, University of Colombo.

Colombo Business Economic Summit 2024 is an initiative by BESA to address the prevailing need of surging interest of undergraduates to contribute to the drive of the economy by enriching them with academic knowledge, providing a platform to share learning, and to hub the expertise of Economics, Business, and Management on one stage leading off a productive discussion over the issues to be addressed for a sustainable economy in future.

The summit commenced with an Inaugural Session from 9.00 AM – 10.30 AM, themed “Way Forward: Economic Strategy for the Target 2048 in Sri Lanka.”, with the presence of Senior Prof. (Chair) H.D.Karunaratne, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo as the chief guest and Dr. W.A.Wiyewardene, the former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka as the keynote speaker.

This was followed by a Panel Discussion scheduled from 3.00 PM – 6.30 PM, themed as “Labour Migration – Development Nexus: Challenges and Way Forward for Sri Lankan Economy” with the presence of 4 esteemed panelists along with Senior Prof. (Chair) H.D.Karunaratne, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo acting as the moderator of the discussion. The panel included Emeritus Prof. Indralal De Silva (Emeritus professor of demography at the Faculty of Arts, University of Colombo), Mr. R.P.A. Wimalaweera (Secretary to the Ministry of Labor and Foreign Employment), Dr. Bilesha Weerarathne (The Head of Migration and Urbanization Policy Research at Institute of Policy Studies, Sri Lanka, and Mr. Nishantha Warnasooriya ( A National Project Coordinator for the Project on “Sri Lanka National Labour Migration Policy” at the International labor Organization, Sri Lanka).

Moreover, Colombo Business Economic Summit 2024 invited undergraduates across the island to participate in three Economics related competitions which constituted a part of the summit programme: Policy Pitching Contest, Quiz Competition and ‘Emerging Young Economist (EYE)’ Contest. Undergraduates from both state and private universities participated in these competitions and were present at the summit day.

Summit Registration

Business Economics Students’ Association

Executive Committee 23/24

Welcome the esteemed members of the executive committee of BESA led by President Dunil Somanayake. The board was appointed by an election process with the participation of the students of the department on the 10th of August 2023. These great leaders and their invaluable contributions will steer our association toward new heights.

Editorial Committee

Introducing the Editorial Committee at BESA: Say hello to the wordsmiths and content creators of BESA! Under the guidance of Tharindya Thudugala, our Editorial Committee is a team of six talented individuals who craft compelling narratives, articles, and publications that reflect the heart of the Economics Department. Their words inspire, inform, and engage our community, making BESA’s voice resonate with clarity and impact

PR and Digital Media Committee

Introducing the PR & Digital Media Committee of BESA: Led by the talented Ishini Wickramasinghe and powered by a team of 6 enthusiastic members, they’re your go-to source for all things PR-tastic. From crafting captivating social media campaigns to orchestrating unforgettable events, they keep us connected, informed, and inspired. They’re here to make waves, one post at a time – one that’s as colorful as their creativity!

Logistics Team

Introducing the Logistics Committee at BESA: Meet the driving force behind seamless event execution and resource management at BESA! Led by the dynamic Nipun Malshan, our Logistics Committee comprises five dedicated members who work tirelessly to ensure every event, seminar, and workshop runs like clockwork. From coordinating venues to managing supplies, they’re the unsung heroes of BESA’s smooth operations.

Establishment of Research Hub

Research Hub the newly established subsidiary of the prestigious Business Economics Students’ Association (BESA), dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation and advancing research and development within the academic sphere.

The official establishment of the Research Hub took place on 29^th August 2023, graced with the presence of Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo, Senior Prof. (chair) H.D. Karunaratne, the Dean of the Faculty of Management and Finance Prof. M.P.P. Dharmadasa and the Head of the Department of Business Economics Prof. Nihal Hennayake, as a part of the very first economic dialogue organized by BESA.

With Trishani and Miyuru being at the helm of this endeavor as the visionary leaders, our mission is to empower university scholars, and students by providing resources, mentorship, and collaborative opportunities. With a passion for cutting-edge knowledge and a commitment to excellence, we strive to propel the frontiers of research into new and exciting realms.

Join us on this exciting journey of discovery and exploration!

Field Visit to Neluwa Medagama Tea Factory

A field visit to the Neluwa Medagama Tea Factory was organized by the third year students of Department of Business Economics under the guidance of the senior lecturer of University of Colombo; Mr. Yasantha Daminda. Here are some snaps of the day.

Department Of Economics – Day Out

Business Economics Department Day Out organized by final year students of the Business Economics Student Association was held on 20th February 2019 at saffron Beach Hotel, Wadduwa.

News and Events

Econolympia’ 22

“Economics is everywhere and understanding it will help you make better decisions and lead a happier life “ _Tyler Cowen_

Behold as the Students’ Association of the Department of Business Economics of University of Colombo brings to you “Econolympia”, the most awaited quiz competition of the year

Exclusively for Second Year Undergraduates

Register yourselves via the following link

bit.ly/econolympia2022

The opportunity is yours to grab

Upcoming Event

Driving towards a Resurgent Economy

The Business Economics Students’ Association is organizing an event under the theme ‘Driving towards a Resurgent Economy’, which will focus on vital discussion on reviving from the economic crisis. This event will be held on Friday, 25th November 2022, at 9.00 am in Prof. Jayarathne Conference Hall of the FMF, with the presence of the honorable Governor of Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Mr. Nandalal Weerasinghe as the keynote speaker. He will deliver a keynote related to the theme, followed by a Q and A session open for the participants.

Contact us

Inquiries

Fill form to contact the department

Department of Business Economics

Message from the Head of the Department

Former Heads of the Department

Academic Staff

Non Academic Staff

Courses for Internal Undergraduates

NEW: Common Courses of the BBA Honours (in Business Economics) Degree Programmes in Semester I, II and III

NEW: Specialisations Courses of the BBA Honours in Business Economics Degree Programmes in Semester IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII

OLD: Specialisations Courses of the BBA Honours in Business Economics Degree Programmes in Semester V, VI, VII, and VIII

Courses for External Undergraduates

External: Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Economics and Statistics Degree Program (BBA BES)

Economic Dialogue Phase 01:

Towards a Resurgent Economy

Econolympia 2022

Guest Lecture – ‘Project Management in times of Crisis’

Inbound Training for Third year undergraduates

Economic Outlook 2020

Bizcontier – Magazine Launch

The Economic Outlook ‘18

Quiz Econ

Economic Outlook 2013

Colombo Business Economic Summit -2024

Colombo Business Economic Summit Day :26th March 2024

What is the Business Economics Students’ Association (BESA)?

What is the Business Economics Students’ Association (BESA)?

What is ‘Colombo Business Economic Summit -2024?’