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Dr. Achinthya Koswatta

Ph.D (Swinburne University of Technology) Melbourne, Australia. Visiting Ph.D. Fellow (United Nations University-WIDER), Helsinki, Finland. Masters in Economics-M.Econ. (University of Colombo), Sri Lanka. B.A. Hons Economics (University of Perdeniya), Sri Lanka.

Senior Lecturer (Gr. II)

Department of Social Studies
  • Colombo Regional Center, 1st Floor (Building No 14), Department of Social Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Office: +94 (0) 112881300, Ext: 2408
  • hmkos@ou.ac.lk

My journey in economics began with a Bachelor’s degree, followed by a Master’s and then a Ph.D., all driven by my passion for understanding how economies work. Now, as a Senior Lecturer, I teach economics and analyze economic trends. I leverage large and complex datasets such as bilateral trade data, administrative datasets, and patent data. By employing advanced econometric techniques, I extract insights from these complex data structures. Ultimately, my goal is to use these insights to inform evidence-based policy decisions that drive sustainable economic development.

Academic Expertise:

I’ve shared my knowledge through various conference presentations, authored journal articles and monographs, and played a significant role in shaping the curriculum at the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL). Within their Economics modules alone, I’ve authored over 30 sessions covering a wide range of topics, from the philosophical foundations of economics to international economics, urban economics, and principles of econometrics.

Applied Econometrics, International Development Economics, Economic Impacts of Climate Change, Tourism Economics

International Development Economics, Climate Change, Environmental Economics

Programme Coordination:
Environmental Economics and Management, Centre for Environmental Studies & Sustainable Development, OUSL

Course Coordination:
DSP9502 Environmental Economics and Management

DSP9314 Development Project Planning

DSU4334 International Economics

DSU4333 Development Economics

Research Grants:

  1. Team Research Grant, 2024-2025 – Team Leader
    Gamani Corea Foundation, 55 Horton Place, Colombo 07, Sri Lanka.
    To lead a research team focusing on export competitiveness of Sri Lanka, funded by the foundation’s research grant.
  2. Team Research Grant, 2019-2020 – Team Member
    Intellectual Property Office (IP Australia), Australian Government, 47 Bowes Street, Woden ACT 2606, Australia.
    Participated as a research team member on a project focusing on intellectual property and innovation.

Selected Journal Articles/ Monographs/ Project Reports/ Working Papers:  

  1. Koswatta, Achinthya, (2022), Can domestic institutions affect exports and innovation? Mediation effects of institutional quality on manufacturing sector exports and innovation in developing countries, No wp-2022-83, WIDER Working Paper Series, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER), https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2022-83.
  2. Kollmann,T., Koswatta, A., Palangkaraya, A. and Webster,B. 2020. The Impact of Design Rights on Australian Firms. IP Australia Economic Research Paper 09.
  3. Koswatta, A., Kollmann, T., Palangkaraya, A. and Webster,B. 2020. Valuing Designs: The Economic Impact of Design Rights in Australia. IP Australia Valuing Designs Report No 01.
  4. Koswatta, A., Lasanthi, M., Vitharana, Y., Perera, S., & Morais, N. (2025). Evaluating the dynamic interactions of remittances, FDI, and trade balance on Sri Lanka’s GDP: Evidence from co-integration analysis. Colombo Economic Journal, 3(1), 43–63.
  5. Guruge, M., Koswatta, A., Silva, S. 2020. Key Determinants of Customer Loyalty and Satisfaction of the Middle East Inbound Tourist to Sri Lanka. Journal of Tourism Economics and Applied Research. Vol.4.
  6. Koswatta, A. 2019. Economy of India: Lessons and Priorities. The Catalyst- Journal of Management, Baddi University, India. Vol.4, Issue I.
  7. Guruge, M., Koswatta, A. and Silva, S. 2019. Fiscal Policy and the Economic Growth: A Comparison Between Sri Lanka and India. Sri Lankan Journal of Business Economics. Vol.8, Issue I.

SSRN Pre-Prints

  1. Koswatta, Achinthya, Governance and Export-Led Innovation: A Cross-Country Analysis of Manufacturing Sectors in Developing Economies (February 01, 2025). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5147236 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5147236
  2. Koswatta, Achinthya, The importance of different institutions in promoting exports from developing countries (December 01, 2024). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5132979 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5132979

Ongoing Research:

  1. Climate Change and Socioeconomic Vulnerability in the Anthropocene: A Multi-Region Econometric Analysis of Developing Economies – Empirical investigation of climate-related economic risks across multiple developing regions, integrating panel econometrics and policy evaluation. Expected completion: March 2026.
  2. Handbook on Tourism Economics – Contributing author. Ongoing book publication on economic impacts of tourism, sustainable tourism policy, and trade linkages. Expected completion September 2025.
  3. Post-Crisis Structural Transformation in Sri Lanka: Sectoral Shifts, Remittance Dynamics, and Productivity Recovery – Analysis of Sri Lanka’s post-crisis economic restructuring, focusing on sectoral realignments, labor migration effects, and productivity growth patterns. Expected completion: November 2026.
  4. Designing Wellness Tourism for Satisfaction: Empirical Insights from Sri Lanka on Quality, Value, and Digital Innovation – Empirical study examining the relationships between service quality, perceived value, digital innovation, and tourist satisfaction in Sri Lanka’s wellness tourism sector. Expected completion: November 2026.
  5. Determinants of International Tourism Demand in Sri Lanka: An Econometric Analysis of High-Spending Source Markets – Quantitative analysis of demand drivers for high-value tourism segments, with policy implications for market diversification. Expected completion: November 2025.
  6. Assessing the Influence of Circular Economy Practices on the Performance of Innovative Tourism Products: Evidence from Sri Lanka – Investigation into how circular economy strategies enhance innovation, sustainability, and market performance in tourism products. Expected completion: November 2025.

 

Selected Conference Presentations (Presented/ Accepted):  

  1. Asia-Pacific Conference on Economics & Finance (APEF 2025), Singapore, December 2025 (Upcoming)
  2. 38th Asian Association of Open Universities Annual Conference 2025, Beijing, China (Upcoming)
  3. Sri Lanka Economic Research Conference (SLERC) 2025 (Upcoming)
  4. International Tourism Research Conference – 2025, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka (Upcoming)
  5. 7th SANEM Annual Economists’ Conference (SAEC), Dhaka, Bangladesh. January 2024.
  6. Asia Pacific Innovation Conference, Zhenjiang, China, December 2021.
  7. United Nations University, World Institute of Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER) Seminar Series, Helsinki, Finland, June 2022.
  8. 7th East Asian Economic Association (EAEA) International Convention, Sunway University, Malaysia, August 2022.
  9. Asia-Pacific Conference on Economics & Finance (APEF 2024), Singapore Atrium, Singapore, December 2024.
  10. Workshop on Analytical Modelling Approaches to Understanding Democracy, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, August 2022.
  11. Asia Pacific Innovation Conference, Incheon, South Korea, October 2022.

Professional Credentials and Certifications

  1. International Merchandise Trade Statistics (IMTS) – United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) & WTO in cooperation with UNCTAD.
  2. Manage Successful Impact Evaluation Surveys – The World Bank’s Development Impact (DIME) Department, The World Bank Group, IBRD-IDA.
  3. Reproducible Research Fundamentals – The World Bank’s Development Impact (DIME) Department, The World Bank Group, IBRD-IDA.
  4. Operations of the Central Bank and the Monetary Law Act – Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
  5. BSafe – United Nations Department of Safety & Security.
  6. Manage Successful Field Research, DIME Analytics – The World Bank’s Development Impact (DIME) Department, The World Bank Group, IBRD-IDA.

Alumni and Professional Associations

  1. Alumni and Industry Mentoring Club (since 2024), Swinburne University of Technology, John Street, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, Australia.
  2. Life Member (since 2022), Alumni Association, World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), United Nations University, Katajanokanlaituri 6 B, Helsinki, Finland.
  1. DVC Research Writing Award, 2022
    Swinburne University of Technology, John Street, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, Australia.
    Awarded for outstanding academic writing as part of doctoral research.
  2. Visiting Ph.D. Fellowship, Spring 2022
    United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), Katajanokanlaituri 6 B, 00160 Helsinki, Finland.
    Awarded for advanced research on institutional economics and global development.
  3. Doctoral Research Scholarship, 2019
    AHEAD Project (Accelerating Higher Education Expansion and Development), funded by the World Bank Group, Sri Lanka.
  4. Doctoral Research Waiver Scholarship, 2019
    Swinburne University of Technology, John Street, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, Australia.
    Full tuition waiver granted to conduct the Ph.D. research.
  5. Nominated for the Iain Wallace Research Medal, 2023
    Nominated by the Ph.D. external examiner for the prestigious Iain Wallace Research Medal, recognizing exceptional postgraduate research contributions.
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