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Nisha Arunatilake

Nisha Arunatilake is a Research Fellow and Head of Labour, Employment and Human Resources Development research at the IPS. Since joining the IPS in 1995, her research and publications have covered various dimensions of development, especially in areas of education, health, labour, employment and social protection. As a graduate student, she worked at the Centre for Health Policy at Duke University, where she conducted policy related research work on substance abuse and ageing. She has also participated in several professional training courses, including a course on “Labour Market Policies” conducted by the World Bank Institute (WBI) and on “Assessment of the Poverty Impact of Public Programmes” conducted by International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada . She was recently at the UNESCO International Institute for Education Planning as a Visiting Researcher.

 
 Advisory Work
 Publications
 Reports
 Presentations
 
   

Nisha Arunatilake has collaborated with, and being a consultant to, the World Bank, Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), International Labour Organization (ILO), Save the Children, and the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) in numerous research studies. She has served in national level committees on labour, employment, human resource development, health sector reform, and tobacco and alcohol policy formulation. At present, she is serving in the National Advisory Committee on Manpower Planning of the Ministry of Labour Relations and Manpower Planning.

Nisha Arunatilake holds a BSc in Computer Science and Mathematics with summa cum laude from the University of the South, USA and an MA and PhD in Economics from Duke University, USA.

  
 

Advisory Work

Government of Sri Lanka

  • National Steering Committee on Formulation of the National Human Resource and Employment Policy
    Member of the Committee
    September, 2011 onwards
  • National Data Committee
    Representing IPS
    September, 2011, onwards
  • National Advisory Committee on Manpower Planning
    Member of the Committee
    Ministry of Employment and Labour
    2008 - 2010
  • Working Committee for Developing an Employment Policy for Sri Lanka
    Member of the Committee
    Ministry of Employment and Labour
    April - May 2007
  • Sub-Committee on Employment, Labour, Productivity and Human Resources Development
    Member of the Committee
    Ministry of Policy Development
    April 2002

International Organizations

  • Inter-Country Expert Group Meeting on Globalization, Trade and Health: Tools and Training for National Action
    Member
    WHO/South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO)
    New Delhi, India
    2000

Recent Publications

  • Vodopivec M. and Arunatilake, N., (2011) “Ageing and Labour Market Participation of Oldworkers in Sri Lanka”Journal of Population Ageing. (DOI) 10.1007/s12062-011-9045-5
  • Arunatilake, N., P. Jayawardena, 2011, “Equity in Education and Health Services in Sri Lanka” in “Equity and Well-Being: Measurement and Policy Practice” edited by Hyun Hwa Son., Routledge, Oxon.
  • Arunatilake, N., Priyanka Jayawardena, and Dushni Weerakoon, 2011, "Sri Lanka: Migration, Remittances and Development " in "Migration Remittances and Development in South Asia" edited by Saman Kelegama, Sage publishers, New Delhi.
  • Arunatilake, N. and P. Jayawardena, 2010, “Explaining Labor Market Imbalance in Sri Lanka – Evidence from Jobsnet Data” in “The Challenges of Youth Employment in Sri Lanka” (Eds.) Gunatilake, R., M. Mayer, and M. Vodopivec, The World Bank, Washington, D.C. and The International Labour Organization, Geneva.
  • Arunatilake, N. and P. Jayawardena, 2010, “Labour Market Trends and Outcomes in Sri Lanka” in “The Challenges of Youth Employment in Sri Lanka” (Eds.) Gunatilake, R., M. Mayer, and M. Vodopivec, The World Bank, Washington, D.C. and The International Labour Organization, Geneva.
  • Arunatilake, N. And P. Jayawardena, 2010, “Why People Choose to Participate in the Informal Sector in Sri Lanka”, The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Vol. 53, No.2, p 225-250.
  • Arunatilake, N. and P. Jayawardena, (2010) “Formula Funding and Decentralized Management of Schools Has it Improved Resource Allocation in Schools in Sri Lanka?”, International Journal of Educational Development, Vol.30, No.1, (2010) 44-53.
  • “Sri Lanka” (with S. Jayasuriya, N. Arunatilaka and P. Steele) in Jayasuriya, S., and P. McCawley (eds.), The Asian Tsunami: Aid and Reconstruction after a Disaster, Edward Elgar and Asian Development Bank Institute, 2010.
  • Review: “Labour Markets Regulation and Deregulation in Asia (Experience in Recent Decades)” in Caroline Brassard and Sarthi Acharya (eds.), South Asia Economic Journal, Vol. 9 No. 1, 2008.
  • "The Impact of Population Aging on the Labor Market: The Case of Sri Lanka" (with Milan Vodopivec), IZA Discussion Paper No. 3456, 2008.
  • “Issues Relating to Preventing of Child Labour in Sri Lanka” (with R. de Silva) in Gamini Herath et al. (eds.), Child Labour in South Asia, Ashgate Publishing Limited, Burlington, U.S.A., 2007.
  • “Economic Challenges of Post-Tsunami Reconstruction in Sri Lanka”(with D. Weerakoon, S. Jayasuriya and P. Steele), ADBI Discussion Paper No. 75, 2006.
  • “Education Participation in Sri Lanka – Why All are Not in School”, International Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 45 No. 3, 2006.
  • “The Economics of Tobacco in Sri Lanka” (with M. Opatha), Economics of Tobacco Control, Health, Nutrition and Population Discussion Paper No. 12, World Bank, Washington, D.C, U.S.A., 2003.
  • “An Economic Analysis of Tobacco Demand in Sri Lanka”, Sri Lanka Economic Journal, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2002.
  • “The Effect of Housing on Labour Performance in Estates”, Programme Support Group, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka, 2002.
  • “The Economic Costs of the Sri Lankan Civil War: The Case of Sri Lanka" (with S. Jayasuriya and S. Kelegama), World Development, Vol. 29 No. 9, 2001.
  • “Economic Impacts of Estate Welfare Programmes” in H.E.B. Kamphuis (eds.), Human Perspectives in the Plantation Sector, Programme Support Group, Battaramulla, 2001.
  • “Effectiveness in Improving Estate Labour Performance”, Sri Lanka Economic Journal, Vol. 2, No.1, 2001.
  • “Would a Reduction in Trade Barriers Promote Intra-SAARC Trade? – A Sri Lankan Perspective” (with P. Rajapakse), Journal of Asian Economics, Vol.8 No.1, 1997.

Recent Reports

  • “Will School Level Decision Making Improve Access to Better Education for the Poor in Sri Lanka?” (with P. Jayawardena) prepared for and funded by the Poverty and Economic Policy Research (PEP) Network, 2007.
  • “Population Ageing and the Labour Market: The Case of Sri Lanka” (with M. Vodopivec) prepared for and funded by the World Bank, 2007.
  • “Why People Choose to Participate in the Informal Sector in Sri Lanka” prepared for and funded by the South Asia Network of Economic Research Institutes (SANEI), 2005.
  • “Economic Challenges of Post Tsunami Reconstruction: Sri Lanka Country Study” (with D. Weerakoon, S. Jayasuriya and P. Steele) prepared for and funded by Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), 2007.
  • “Using Jobsnet data for analyzing Skills Mismatch in the Labour Market” (with P. Jayawardena) prepared for the National Action Plan for Youth Employment – Sri Lanka, and funded by World Bank, 2007.
  • “Listening to those who Lost: Survey and Analysis of Rebuilding and Relocation of Tsunami affected Households in Sri Lanka” (with P. Steele, A. Gunawardena, D.Dharmaratna, and I. Siriwardena) prepared for and funded by World Bank, 2005.
  • “Overview of Education and Resource Allocation Process in Sri Lanka” (with R. de Silva) prepared for and funded by the Commonwealth Education Fund – Sri Lanka and Save the Children in Sri Lanka, 2005.
  • “Social Insurance and Social Assistance Post Tsunami” (with P. Steele, G. Tilakaratne and K. Wickramasinghe) prepared for and funded by International Labour Organization (ILO), 2006.

Recent Presentations

  • A Social Protection Floor for South Asia?
    Third Ministerial Meeting of the UNESCO Forum of Ministers in Charge of Social Development from
    South Asia, organized by UNESCO and the Ministry of Social Services,
    Cinnamon Lakeside, Colombo,
    20-22 February, 2011
  • Migration and Remittances: Recent Sri Lanka Experience
    “Technical Workshop on Cross-Border Labour Mobility and Remittances in South Asia”,
    organized by the World Bank,
    Hilton, Colombo,
    13 June, 2011
  • Precarious Work in Sri Lanka
    "Precarious Work in Asia" workshop organized by Chung-Ang University (South Korea) and the University of North Carolina (USA)
    Chung-Ang,
    19-20 July, 2011
  • Macroeconomic Policy for Full and Productive Employment and Decent Work for All – Sri Lanka Case Study
    Employment Policy Knowledge Sharing Workshop on "Pro-employment Macro Economic Frameworks, Sectoral Strategies for Employment Creation and the Informal Economy",
    organized by ILO, Geneva,
    20-23 September, 2011
  • Current and Future Trends on Migration in Sri Lanka – Importance of Data and Research
    Workshop on "Towards a Better Governance of Labour Migration: Global Trends and National Realities",
    organized by ILO, Colombo
    10 September, 2011
  • Poverty and Human Development
    UN poverty day conference on "From Poverty to Sustainability - Putting People at the Centre of Inclusive Development",
    IPS auditorium, organized by IPS, UNDP and the Ministry of Economic Development
    17 October, 2011
  • Distributional Impacts of Tax Changes
    International Conference on Taxation & Development in Sri Lanka –
    ‘Pulling Ourselves Up: Taxation, State-building, and Away from Aid’
    organized by IPS,
    Ceylon Continental Hotel,
    Colombo,
    3 - 4 November, 2011
  • Ageing in Sri Lanka
    “Ageing in Sri Lanka”,
    organized, by the Big Issue Sri Lanka,
    Galadari Hotel, Colombo,
    21 October, 2011
  • Will Formula Based Funding and Decentralized Management Improve School Level Resources?
    ADB Head Quarters, Manila
    27 April, 2010
  • Equity in the Delivery of Education Services in Sri Lanka
    Regional meeting on the Equity in the Delivery of Public Services in Selected Developing Member Countries,
    ADB Head Quarters, Manila
    26 April, 2010.
  • Aging and the Labour Market of Sri Lanka
    South Asia regional conference on
    "Demographic Scenarios, Employment and Social Security Issues of Aged in South Asia" organized by Institute of Economic Growth (Delhi) and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (India)
    Hotel Claridges
    10-11 November, 2009
  • Education Participation in Sri Lanka: Why All are Not in School
    Global Development Network Conference on “Education Research for Developing Countries”
    Prague, Czech Republic
    31 March – 2 April, 2005
    http://www.preal.org/FIE > www.preal.org/FIE
  • Economic Consequences of the War in Sri Lanka
    “Conflict Resolution and Peace Building” conducted by the Centre for Security Analysis
    Chennai, India
    10 – 11 December, 2004
  • The Energy Sector in Sri Lanka: Implications for Regional Cooperation
    “Regional Cooperation in the Energy Sector"
    Dhaka, Bangaldesh
    17-18, March 2001