About Prof. Lalith
30+
Year Industry
Experience
Prof. Lalith Edirisinghe, PhD
Having obtained my membership in the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK), I pursued my Postgraduate studies in Business Management from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka and passed with a distinction pass in 2010. Later in 2013, I explored the global essence of postgraduate education at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka perusing a Master of Business Administration Degree in International Trade and Logistics in collaboration with the University of Canberra, Australia. I also obtained the certificate of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code from the North West Kent College in the United Kingdom in 2009. In 2016, I obtained my Doctor of Engineering Degree, PhD- major in Transportation planning and Logistics Management offered by Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, China affiliated to World Maritime University in Sweden.
The Journey
I am a Chartered Marketer (2010/12) awarded by Chartered Institute of Marketing and a Chartered Logistician of Institute of Logistics and Transport, UK (CMILT). I serve as an Expert Consultant to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).
In addition to my employment as the Dean of Faculty of Management and Social Sciences, I volunteer in the capacity of Head of CINEC Society Linkage Cell which is a project jointly operated by the Ministry of Higher Education, Sri Lanka; University Grants Commission, and the World Bank Group. During my tenure in above capacity I manged to secure a research grant for a proposal namely, “Development of a mechanism that leads to a psychological paradigm shift in student’s demand and enrolment for various academic disciplines in the tertiary education in Sri Lanka”. In appreciation to my research findings I received 2 vital local and international research awards namely, Best Research in Ports & Shipping 2016 of Sri Lanka Society for Transport & Logistics (SLSTL) and Best Research paper 2019 of World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology (WASET). I compiled two scientific textbooks on Logistics, Transport, Shipping, and International trade introducing two new theories in transportation.
I believe that a strong link with industry is essential to provide benefits of research outcomes to the society. The concepts introduced in my research publications are either being practiced in industry, used as training tools or debated in the industry at present. I volunteer in many industry associations, inter alia Member of Nautical Institute UK (MNI), UK; Member of Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM); and Member of Organisation of Professional Associations of Sri Lanka (OPA). Through these affiliations I have given the leadership to develop a vertical integration between society and the industry to bridge certain gaps. In Sri Lanka there was no formal mechanism at national level to recognize the contribution of Logistics and transport organizations. During my term as the Secretary and Chairman- Awards & Scholarships Subcommittee of Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT International), UK Sri Lanka branch I lead the first ever National Logistics Awards ceremony under the patronage of His Excellency the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. Introducing Logistics in school curriculum in 2017 was one of key milestones in my life and presently working on amalgamating Logistics as an indispensable part of the Ministry of Transport in Sri Lanka and establish a National Day for Logistics in Sri Lanka.