Page 7 - RASAS 2025

Message from the Dean

It gives me immense pleasure to present the proceedings of this year's Ruhuna Arts Students’ Annual

Sessions, a platform that has consistently showcased the intellectual vitality and research prowess of
our undergraduate community. As Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University

of Ruhuna, I am particularly proud of how this conference has evolved into a cornerstone event that

bridges academic inquiry with real-world challenges.

This year's theme, "Let's Promote Policy-Oriented Environmental Conservation," could not be more
timely or urgent. Sri Lanka, like many nations in the Global South, stands at a critical juncture where

environmental sustainability is not merely an ecological imperative but a matter of socio-economic
survival. The Southern Province, which we call home, faces unique environmental pressures—from

coastal erosion and marine ecosystem degradation to watershed management and biodiversity loss.

These challenges demand innovative, evidence-based policy solutions grounded in rigorous research.

What distinguishes this conference is its interdisciplinary character. Our faculty brings together
diverse disciplines—Sociology, Public Policy and Political Science, Economics, Statistics,

Geography, History and Archaeology, English, English Language Teaching, and Sinhala, Pali and
Buddhist Studies. This intellectual diversity is not coincidental but essential. Environmental

conservation cannot be addressed through a single lens. It requires sociologists to understand

community behavior and social movements, economists to analyze resource allocation and market
mechanisms, geographers to map environmental vulnerabilities, historians to contextualize current

crises within longer temporal patterns, and policy scholars to design implementable frameworks. Our
Buddhist studies colleagues remind us of ancient wisdom regarding humanity's relationship with

nature—concepts like ahimsa and interconnectedness that predate modern sustainability discourse.

The research papers presented in these proceedings represent more than academic exercises. They

embody the potential of our students to become the policy entrepreneurs, environmental advocates,
and thoughtful citizens that Sri Lanka desperately needs. Each dissertation reflects months of

fieldwork, data collection, analysis, and critical thinking. More importantly, these works demonstrate
that policy-oriented research need not be divorced from ground realities. Whether examining waste

management practices in urban municipalities, analyzing the socio-economic impacts of

iv