SLIIT continues to guide undergraduates to get published in High-Ranking international journals
The students of SLIIT Business School have once again published a journal paper with 367 H-index and PLoS ONE publications.. Publishing a paper of such calibre is a remarkable achievement especially if the authors are still in the course of their graduation.
The paper titled ‘Tourism and economic growth: A global study on Granger causality and wavelet coherence’ was a collaboration between SLIIT students Chathuni Wijesekara, Chamath Tittagalla, Ashinsana Jayathilaka, Uvinya Ilukpotha, and Punmadara Jayasinghe while the paper titled ‘More than just investment: Causality analysis between foreign direct investment and economic growth’ was a collaboration between the students Shenali Nupehewa, Sachintha Liyanage, Deshan Polkotuwa, Madhurshi Thiyagarajah, and
Anuja Lokeshwara.
In conversation with the students, they discuss their research journey and publication success.
Could you elaborate on why the specific areas were selected for your research?
Chathuni Wijesekara: We were pondering research topics during a time when the global tourism had come to a halt due to the pandemic.We thought that it would be worthwhile to investigate that particular area. In our background research, we found that many researchers had already assessed the relationship between tourism and economic growth, but limited research was conducted using a panel data cointegration test, Granger causality test, and Wavelet coherence analysis at the global level. In this research, we have uncovered regional data from over 100 countries that date back 18 years.
Shenali Nupehewa: Many theories built by past researchers are based on foreign direct investment and economic growth, however, we identified that not many regional studies were conducted on the topic. Therefore, we decided to examine the relationship between foreign direct investments and economic growth andadd a new dimension to the existing literature.
How did you achieve such a significant achievement before graduating?
Both researches were completed in less than a year. We believe having completed these before the time period in which it was supposed to be completed is a win and as undergraduates, we’re immensely proud of this achievement.
Many people helped us in this journey;one of them is our supervisor, Prof. Ruwan Jayathilaka . Because of his reputation for research and creative thinking, we were eager to appoint him as our supervisor from the beginning. He provided us with the motivation and the support that encouraged us to keep aiming higher.
We would also like to extend our sincere and heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to our respective co-supervisors Ms. Madara Jayasinghe and Ms. Anujan Lokeshwara for mapping this success journey for us.
As we come from different districts and geographic locations, there were obstacles in communication. To finish the research, though, every member of our team put in a lot of effort. The team prioritised the study and made sacrifices in order to make this accomplishment possible. We should also thank our parents for their patience and for empowering us.
How did SLIIT support you throughout your research?
We sincerely appreciate the assistance of professors and non-academic staff in providing us the direction that facilitated our success.
SLIIT equips the students with essential skills while cultivating their intellectual capabilities of research, critique, synthesis, and innovation while offering value addition through practical exposure. I would like to mention Ms. Jeevani Rupasinghe for providing all the necessary online and offline resources. We also would like to convey our gratitude to the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of SLIIT and also the Dean of the Business School Professor Samantha Thelijjagoda.
Can you elaborate on the research process?
Firstly, the problem was identified by reading past literature in the areas in which we were interested. Then once the required data was collected with the guidance of our supervisor, we found a suitable analytical technique to come up with a generalised conclusion.
What are your future plans?
These journal papers will be of great support and guidance towards our career path as well as the academia. Going forward, we hope to further extend our research by incorporating more variables and advanced economic data sets as a value addition to this study. We have currently submitted papers for the remaining objectives and they are currently under review in the respective journals – which we believe would be accepted before our graduation.
Prof. Ruwan Jayathilaka, Associate Professor at SLIIT Business School, shares his views on the importance of H-index rankings and students’ achievement.
In your view how important it is for students to achieve H-Index ranking status?
Quality research publications bring attention to scholars and their institutions.
This in turn may bring in more funding for the institute and also ensure an individual’s progress in their field. A higher H-index reveals the importance, visibility, and real dissemination to a wider audience. Early publications serve as a catalyst for scientific and academic skills development of future scientists to develop research and produce a solid set of research outputs. This possibly warrants positive effects on their employability, which benefits them and the university.
How did you guide the students towards this accomplishment?
Having the guidance of a supervisor with expertise in research methodologies is particularly advantageous in equipping new researchers. It is a continuous process that involves encouraging, mentoring, and being aware that students’ lives extend beyond the BBA.Setting expectations early in the dissertation, being flexible, planning the process, and managing time spent on supervision are parts of that. Second, to communicate well with students and peers and employ the advantage of utilising resources provided by SLIIT. Moreover, providing constructive and prompt critisism is crucial to the growth of a student.
In your view how impactful are the selected topics?
These are the first papers to bring the wavelet coherence technique that offers a more intuitive understanding of the linkages between the considered variables signifying short-term or long-term reactions.
Prof. Samantha Thelijjagoda - Dean of SLIIT Business School shared his thoughts on this matter: “Research is fundamental to our purpose. SLIIT’s continued success in international research rankings is a testament to the sustained commitment of our staff to pursuing excellence in all of our research activities and should be commended. The team’s achievement also demonstrates the high quality of academic work that our students produce. The H-index result achieved by the group of students is just one indicator of how research has come to the fore at SLIIT in recent years, as we deliver increasing impact on the global stage.”