The 16th International Research Conference under the theme of “Achieving Resilience through Digitalization, Sustainability and Sectoral Transformation” was conducted on 07th & 08th of September 2023 at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Ratmalana. The conference mainly consisted of a main session and plenary sessions from each faculty.
All three departments of the Faculty of Management, Social Sciences and Humanities (FMSH) conducted parallel technical sessions. The two (02) technical sessions connected by the Department of Social Sciences were held on 08th of September 2023, under the theme of “Research in Social Sciences towards Achieving Resilience through Digitalization, Sustainability and Sectoral Transformation”.
The first technical session on Social Sciences was chaired by Professor Nihal Perera, Emeritus Professor of Urban Planning at Ball State University in USA and it featured with five (05) research presentations.
PKGIL Ranasinghe initiated the scholarly discussion with a Case study on “Female Visionary Leaders for Development: A Sociological Reading on Importance vs Reality of Gender, Development and State University Education in Sri Lanka”. The presentation highlighted the reality of including female scholars of state universities of the country as visionary leaders, in the country’s development process. Secondly, “Analyzing the Economic Impact of Brain Drain and Migration in Sri Lanka” was presented by MACA Wijerathne, and discussed the socio-economic impact of skilled professional migration to the Nation. The third presented, CA Chrishanthan emphasized how social organizations can improve their operations, decision-making, and overall effectiveness by utilizing technological advancements under the study “How Technological Development and Digital Transformation are Applied in Social Organizations in Transforming Themselves to Gain Efficiency and Leadership Competency”. Dr. Darshana Kumara, presented “Hyperousiology of Nāgārjunian Philosophy: A Hermeneutical Reading” highlighting that Nāgārjunian’s philosophy is an attempt at establishing a “superessentiality”. In the final presentation under the first technical session, K Anuradha presented findings of a qualitative study titled “Exploring the Role of Anonymous Social Media Posts in Empowering Women Affected by Deception and Infidelity”. The presentation highlighted that women who have experienced domestic violence, deception, infidelity, or other negative effects on their mental health can find strength in sharing their experiences anonymously on social media.
Professor Piyadasa Hewage, Emeritus Professor in Geography at the University of Ruhuna, currently serving in the Department of Social Sciences-FMSH-KDU as Senior Professor in Geography chaired the second technical session in the afternoon. It consisted of five (05) presentations. VM Fernando commenced the knowledge sharing under the research on “The Importance of Social Work as a Practising Profession to Enhance Gender Mainstreaming in Sustainable Development in Sri Lanka”. This study highlighted the necessity for gender mainstreaming within the Grand Challenges for Social Work initiatives and assesses the existing policies in Sri Lanka. The second presented SS Rodrigo discussed the findings of a literature survey on “Facebook Intrusion: Predictors and Effects” revealing that excessive Facebook use, characterized by fear of missing out, along with factors like narcissism, self-esteem, and depression, is linked to addictive symptoms and emotional attachment, influencing both negative and positive aspects of mental well-being. “Landslide for Education; A Case Study from the Mitigated Landslide at Kahagalla, Haputhale” was presented by C. Senavirathna emphasizing the educational potential of the Kahagalla landslide mitigated site in the field of geography, geology, civil engineering, and disaster management. MHR Sandeepanie delved into “Towards the Conceptualization and the Operationalization of the Construct of Occupational Stress” revealing the methodology of developing a complete measuring instrument of occupational stress.
The best oral presentation of the track – Social Sciences was awarded to Mr P Jayatilake, L Liyanage, and PW Gunathunga for the research presentation on “Effectiveness of Progressive Muscle Relaxation in Managing Adjustment Disorder among Apparel Sector Employees in Sri Lanka” which was the final presentation of the second technical session.
Both sessions were enriched with insightful comments by both Chair persons towards all the researchers and constructive discussions partaken by the presenters through the question and answering sessions. The technical sessions of Social Sciences were successfully concluded with valuable insights by encouraging all the participants for knowledge creation and dissemination through research works.