BA Development Studies (SJP) PG. Dip. Econ. Development (Colombo) MBA (SJP); MA Econ. (Colombo) PhD Econ (QLD), Grad Cert in University Teaching & Learning (CSU)
Yapa Bandara is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in Economics. His previous positions/assignments include: Senior Lecturer in Economics at Charles Sturt University, Sessional Lecturer at Griffith University, and Tutorial Fellow at The University of Queensland. Yapa has also been a senior academic staff at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka and held many academic and administrative responsibilities including: the Director - Staff Development Unit, Senior Lecturer, Student Councillor, Academic Sub-Warden of a student hostel, and the Coordinator of the Bachelor of Commerce (External) Degree Program. He has also worked as an Assistant Research Officer at University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka, Research Investigator at the Agrarian Research & Training Institute of Sri Lanka and also as the Secretary, Sri Lanka Association of Economists.
Yapa has over 30 years of teaching experience, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, in the areas of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Statistics, Business Economics, Forecasting for Business, Managerial Economics for Business Strategy, Macroeconomic Analysis, Business and Economic Environment, Economics for Business, International Economics, Financial Management and Financial Institutions and Markets.
His current research interests are in the field of Applied Economics, with particular interest in Efficiency and Productivity analysis, Policy reforms, Foreign Investments, growth and Development, Immigration, Regional Migration and Regional Economies. He is skillful in Econometric Modeling and his recent work has involved modeling for Panel Data.
He is also the author of a number of journal articles, book chapters, and a co-author of an edited book. His research papers have been published in well reputed Journals such as Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Journal of Asian Economics, Journal of Economic Issues, Australian Journal of Regional Studies and Economic Analysis and Policy.
He has secured grant funding individually and collaboratively from local and foreign organizations and possesses skills in organizing international conferences/workshops.
Produced a CD/DVD Rom on "Report Writing in Economics" with Eddie Oczkowski for undergraduate students in Bachelor of Business program at Charles Sturt University.
Yapa's current research interests are in the following areas:
Examiner of more than 10 Higher Degree Research Theses from Australian and foreign universities
Member of Thesis Examination Committee of Charles Sturt University