Head of the Department of Economics, Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, and as Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo in a career spanning more than four decades.  Considered to be more than just an academic Professor Lakshman is also known as one of the country’s foremost economists, and serves on the Advisory Council on Economics to the President.  Professor Lakshman is  the President of the Council of the Colombo Plan for Cooperative Economic and Social Development in Asia and the Pacific.