Industrial promotion of Sri Lanka – The Next goal and Required policy actions | JICA Chair Programme 2025/26 Lecture IV
The fourth session of the JICA Chair Programme 2025/2026 was held on 12th February 2026 at the Jayaratne Hall, Faculty of Management and Finance. The session commenced with the Welcome Address delivered by Professor Indika Mahesh Karunathilake, Vice Chancellor of the University. Mr Kenji Kuronuma, Chief Representative of JICA Sri Lanka, addressed the gathering and reaffirmed JICA’s continued commitment to supporting higher education and knowledge exchange initiatives.
The highlight of the session was the lecture delivered by Emeritus Professor Kenichi Ohno of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Japan, on the theme “Industrial promotion of Sri Lanka – the next goal and required policy actions.” In his lecture, Professor Ohno offered a comprehensive analysis of Sri Lanka’s industrial development trajectory, identifying key policy challenges and outlining strategic pathways for sustainable economic transformation. Drawing on his extensive international experience in development policy, he emphasised the need for sound policy strategies and strong leadership for achieving national development goals. The session was moderated by Professor Priyanga Dunusinghe of the Department of Economics, Faculty of Arts. Mr Noguchi Takuma, Senior Representative, JICA; Ms Yoneda Hiroka, Representative, JICA; Mr Thiyagarajah Paramendiren, Senior Specialist, JICA and Dr Iroja Caldera, Director of the International Office, also attended the session.
