The Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) held the second biennial memorial oration commemorating the life and achievements of Prof. Uditha Liyanage, Sri Lanka’s most renowned marketing guru. The event was jointly organized by PIM, PIMA, CIM-Sri Lanka and SLIM. The Oration Guidance Committee was headed by Dr Kelum Gamage Director PIM, and the Orations Operations Committee was headed by Denzil Perera President PIMA, along with members of other committees.
Prof. Liyanage was a revolutionary marketer whose credentials saw him in prestigious leadership positions such as the Director of PIM, the Chairman of PIM’s Board of Management, Chairman of the CIM and President of SLIM. He was the first-ever Sri Lankan Honorary Fellow of the Asia Marketing Federation.
A well-respected academic, Prof. Liyanage was a senior faculty member of PIM for over two decades and an Adjunct Professor of Management at the University of Canberra in Australia. To add to his academic achievements, he counted over fifteen years of experience in senior marketing management positions in the boards of some of Sri Lanka’s most reputed companies such as Commercial Bank, Chemanex, Ceylon Cold Stores, and DIMO.
The Memorial Oration, organised by Prof Uditha Liyanage Memorial Oration Committee was the second of such events after his sudden demise in 2015, and was held as a hybrid event – physical and online on Zoom – due to the prevailing pandemic. The online event was highly sought-after and very well attended to by professionals, students, and a wide range of business leaders.
The event commenced with Ms. Chathuri Liyanage, the only daughter of Prof. Uditha Liyanage, garlanding his portrait at their residence in the presence of Mrs. Shriyani Liyanage (beloved wife of late prof Liyanage).
The orator of the event Dr Hans Wijesuriya was introduced by Mr. Eardly Perera, one of the well-respected pioneers in the marketing education of Sri Lanka.
The memorial oration was delivered by Dr. Hans Wijesuriya, CEO Telecommunications at Axiata Group, who himself, was a close associate of Prof. Uditha Liyanage. Dr. Wijesuriya’s Oration was on Inclusion – Value Creation Nexus, the principle that a more inclusive market provides more opportunities not just for business, but for the upliftment of many lives, providing sustainability, and positively impacting the overall economy of emerging markets.
Speaking further on technology and its role in inclusion, Dr. Wijesuriya said that “Technology is a great social leveller” as it is inherently inclusive and not exclusive. He further went on to state that technology provides hope and more opportunities for growth especially in developing countries. Dr. Wijesuriya also touched on how bridging the digital divide provides opportunities for all individuals in a country such as Sri Lanka to avail themselves to use services that would have in the past been exclusive to the very wealthy.
Dr. Wijesuriya concluded his oration with a message of hope to create value through inclusion with the goal of creating a better world. Mr Dehan Senevirathna ended the event with his vote of thanks. The occasion was also graced by Prof Ajantha Dharmasiri – former chair of the Oration Guidance Committee.