A guest lecture titled “Recent Economic Developments” was successfully organized by the undergraduates of the Information Systems degree programme with the collaboration of Entrepreneurial Support, Industrial Training, and Career Guidance Unit (eICU) of the Faculty of Computing, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University on 23^rd April, 2025. The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Yashodha Senadheera, Deputy Director, Economic Research Department, Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

The session commenced with a warm welcome extended to the guest speaker and distinguished invitees, including the Dean of the Faculty of Computing, Dr. Pradeep Kalansooriya, along with members of the academic staff, and a gathering of Information Systems undergraduates. The event aimed to deepen students’ understanding of contemporary economic challenges and the evolving national policy landscape through direct interaction with a leading expert in the field.

During the lecture, Dr. Senadheera provided a comprehensive overview of Sri Lanka’s recent economic crisis, elaborating on its root causes including structural fiscal imbalances, external shocks, and delayed policy interventions. She detailed the series of corrective measures undertaken by the Government and the Central Bank to restore macroeconomic stability. These included tax reforms, the restructuring of public debt, and the adoption of a cost-reflective pricing mechanism for public utilities.

A significant highlight of the lecture was the discussion on the positive outcomes resulting from these policy interventions. Dr. Senadheera noted that Sri Lanka recorded a real GDP growth rate of 5.0% in 2024, with inflation under control and foreign exchange reserves showing marked improvement. She also stressed the importance of newly enacted legislation the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Act (2023), Public Financial Management Act (2024), and Public Debt Management Act (2024) in promoting institutional accountability and long-term fiscal discipline.

The session concluded with a dynamic interactive segment, where students actively engaged with the speaker, posing insightful questions that reflected their keen interest in economic policymaking and its impact on the nation’s financial and digital landscape.

This initiative, entirely organized by the undergraduates of the Information Systems programme, was highly commended by the Faculty for its academic merit and relevance. It demonstrated the students’ strong commitment to intellectual growth and their proactive approach in fostering academic discourse on critical national issues.