Thusitha Sugathapala is a Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering of the University of Moratuwa (UoM); and a Chartered Engineer. He obtained a BSc Engineering Degree from UoM and PhD from the University of Cambridge. He served as the Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UoM from 2005 to 2008; Director – Undergraduate Studies; Chairman – Academic Committee and Chairman – Curriculum & Evaluation Committee of the Faculty of Engineering from 2008 to 2011, the Director-General of Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority from 2011 to 2015, and the founding Director of Enterprise – the Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and University-Business Linkages of UoM from 2016 to 2019. He has also worked as a consultant for several national & international programmes under multilateral development agencies such as World Bank, ADB, UNDP, UNEP, USAID, Clean Air Asia and senior consultant at SLYCAN Trust. His key research areas of interest cover Renewable Energy (RE), Energy Efficiency (EE), Air Quality and Waste Management, Sustainable Transport, Climate Change and Sustainable Development.
Thusitha Sugathapala has been involved with Curriculum Development, Quality Assurance and Accreditation of several BSc Engineering and BTech UG degree programmes offered in national universities, such as curriculum development and 01st major curriculum revision of BSc Engineering Degree Programmes offered under semester system, IMechE Accreditation, UGC Quality Assurance Subject Review, IESL Accreditation, Accreditation systems of Washington Accord and Sidney Accord. He is also involved with development of all other levels of formal as well as informal and non-formal educational programmes, from early childhood to professional.
Thusitha Sugathapala’s contributions to other sectors at the national level include, among others, the development of National Policy & Strategy on Sustainable Development of Sri Lanka; National Policy on Sustainable Consumption & Production (SCP); National Energy Policy & Strategies of Sri Lanka; Sri Lanka Vehicle Emission Testing programme; Feed-in tariff for non-conventional RE sources; Vehicular exhaust emission standards; Stationary sources emission standards; SCP Education Plan for Sri Lanka together with SCP course module & Resource Pack for university education; Clean Air Action Plans; NDCs for Transport, Energy & Waste sectors; Regulations for EE of appliances; EE Building Code; Sri Lanka Standards Specification on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainably Produced Fuel Wood.
Thusitha Sugathapala
Transport Consultant