The 2nd International Symposium on Social Science and Humanities 2019, organized by the National Centre for Advanced Studies (NCAS) with the Higher Education Ministry,
commenced yesterday under the aegis of the High Commission of India. It will continue today at Water’s Edge. The NCAS promotes research and advanced studies in Humanities and Social Sciences. The symposium keynote address was delivered by John D. Rogers, US Director of the American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies. Speeches were made by Dr. Rohantha Athukorala, a marketing professional with over 18 years experience and Prof. Chandra Kant Sharma, Head of the Institute of Agriculture Sciences, SAGE University, India. The Guest of Honour was Higher Education Ministry Secretary Anura Dissanayake, while the co-chair was Prof. Dilkushi Senarathne, NCAS Senior Research Fellow.
NCAS Director Prof. Lal Mervin Dharmasiri said the event aimed to provide a helping hand to those engaged in higher studies in Social Sciences and Humanities.
The symposium covers the following themes:
1. Arts, Music and History.
2.Language
3.Sustainable Development
4.Mass Media and Entertainment
5.Education, Technology, Health
6.Accounting, Marketing, Management, Human Resource Development
7.Environment Conservation, Urban Development and Good Governance
8.Law, Human Rights, Climate Change
9.Religious Studies, Psychology
10. Sociology
11.Geo-politics, Population Dynamics
“The NCAS has held five national level conferences previously. This year we have received more than 200 research abstracts including several abstracts from foreign countries,” Prof. Dharmasiri added. “We have selected the best 60 abstracts which will be further developed and published in the Sri Lanka Journal of Advanced Social Studies which we are currently working on.”
The conference was open to the state and private sector including private universities.
The NCAS recognizes the need to upgrade teaching and research in Sri Lankan universities. NCAS supports theoretical and applied postgraduate, post-doctoral and other research in Humanities and Social Sciences and promotes advanced thinking and creative originality by motivating academics in
that direction.
Its objectives are
1.To encourage and nurture reflective thinking and innovative ideas, and to support research characterized by creativity and originality, at a national level, especially within the University System, in fields falling within the scope of the Centre.
2.To contribute to the building of national capacity to absorb new knowledge.
3.To provide opportunities for post-graduate studies and training, at levels comparable with those offered in their respective fields by similar centres of learning and research reputed internationally, under the guidance and supervision of academics and other specialists from national and foreign universities and from outside the
University System.
(4) To contribute to the generation of human resources and the development of academic and professional specializations in all fields falling within the scope of the Centre
(5) To cater to the interest of the emerging academic and professional communities.
Prof. Dharmasiri said they had provided financial assistance for university academics to pursue PhDs and MPhils under its grants scheme. “We have sent 500 academics out of which 350 grantees have completed their postgraduate degrees,” he said.
