Business Psychology Association of Sri Lanka adds a new chapter to the country’s Public and Private corporate community
The Business Psychology Association in Sri Lanka was launched at an extravagant gala event that took place at Hilton Residencies on the 9th of August 2018. The ceremony was a great success, where the country’s top policy makers, corporate leaders, senior officials of the government and corporate sector, business psychology professionals and academics shared this moment. This inauguration marked a unique point in the history of the field of Psychology, among the local corporate community. The main vision and goal of Business Psychology Association of Sri Lanka (BPASL) is to champion Business Psychology in the country, through recognizing, promoting new ideas and contributions within the field. In addition, expanding the role of Business psychology in the work place, by engaging and providing solutions to issues and challenges in Organizations.
Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Hon.Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine and Dr. Helen Poole, Deputy Dean of faculty of Health and Society, University of Northampton was the chief guest and the guest of honor respectively.
Dr. Hasuli Perera, the proposed president of BPASL addressed the gathering, welcoming dignitaries and distinguished invitees to the event. She stated that the Business Psychology Association of Sri Lanka is launched to promote the practice of effective utilization of evidence-based psychology in the business and organizational setting. The BPASL she said was the first step towards providing Sri Lanka’s business community with a platform to promote professional excellence and community of practice in Business Psychology with the purpose of enhancing business performance and quality of working life. She encouraged the audience gathered to spread the word about the association and to forward their support to build a community of business professionals who share a keen interest in and respect for psychology at work.
Dr. Helen Poole, Deputy Dean of faculty of Health and Society, University of Northampton was the Keynote speaker for the evening. She congratulated the individuals involved with the initiative and appreciated the efforts of Colombo institute of research and psychology to establish different disciplines of psychology. She further stated that, the University of Northampton as a change maker university will extend its full support to BPASL.
Dr. Darshan Perera, Director of Colombo Institute of Research and Psychology explained the reasons behind CIRP facilitating the initiation of BPASL and the importance of applying psychological concepts in the corporate sector. He emphasized, that as the founder of BPASL (www. BPAS.org) , he would like to see BPASL becoming a professional body that not only looks after the interest of the members, but also a body that contributes to the society in an effective manner to make a positive impact. He added that though the association is facilitated by CIRP, it should develop as an independent professional body with no special allegiance to CIRP. Where an overwhelming knowledge was shared on why psychology is required to the current environment and how its knowledge can be used to build a better corporate public environment while adding and enhancing values of the respective individuals.
Apart from highly inspiring and deeply enlightening speeches, the ambience of the occasion was further shaped by the cultural performances, which provided exotic entertainment to the audience, highlighting the rich and vibrant culture of Sri Lanka.
The evening progressed with the official launch of BPASL’s website (www.BPAS. org) , commissioned by Dr. Rajitha Senaratne .He addressed the gathering and emphasized upon the necessity for psychological services to be introduced and established, given how important mental well-being is, not just for the betterment of the society but also for the productivity and performance of working individuals, who are the driving force behind our country’s economic growth. “Being a fast-developing country, establishing the field of psychology is no longer optional, it is a must.” He said.
Miss. Shanika Khan a Postgraduate Alumni of CIRP in Business Psychology, delivered an enlightening speech on the topic. She spoke on the progress and the journey that Psychology as a field has taken through the years in the country, reaching significant heights in the recent past. She presented her perspective on the versatile nature of psychology and how a business psychologist can be a useful part of any department in the organization ranging from business development, sales, marketing, training development and so on. She concluded her speech expressing her hope for the field’s future, “My long term hope for our discipline is to see the significance we provide translating into policy changes”. She says
Mr.Niranjan Madawala, representing the Alumni of University of Herriot- Watt Business Psychology graduates in Sri Lanka addressed the gathering, highlighting the crucial need for the expansion of the field of Business Psychology, to bridge the gap currently existing between Psychology and the corporate sector.
The event was an immense success with the participation of a number of leading figures from the Public and Private corporate community of Sri Lanka. As guests for the evening, Mrs.Indira Malwatte, Chairman of the Export Development Board, Mr.Harin Malwatte, former CEO of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Sumudu Thanthirigoda,CEO of Keells Foods, Mr.Pradeep Edwards, CEO of Lanka Hospitals Diagnostics (Pvt) Limited, Mr.Nalin Jayasundara,Director of Atiken Spensce, Dr. Rohantha Athukorala, Country Director, Turner Investments L.P and Board Director Hemas Leisure and Aviation , Dr. Chithramali De Silva, Director of National Institute of Mental Health, Mr. Srimal Fernando, CEO of Astron Pharmaceutical and Mr.Lal Keerthi Gunewardana, Chairman of the Lucky Lanka Group of companies represented the group of outstanding personalities with key achievements and contributions to the Private and Public sector in Sri Lanka.
The ceremony concluded, with the vote of thanks by Dr. Lasantha Wijesekara, the Proposed Secretary of BPASL (www.BPAS. org) . In his speech, Dr. Lasantha conveyed his heartfelt gratitude towards the distinguished guests, invitees and the official BPASL (www.BPAS.org) team, for their immense support and effort, in making this event a success.