W. D. Lakshman
Deshamanya Weligamage Don Lakshman (commonly known as W. D. Lakshman) is a Sri Lankan economist, academic and author.[1] He was the vice chancellor of University of Colombo from 1994 to 1999. In recognition of his contribution to the field of education, the Sri Lankan government honoured him with Deshamanya title in 2005. Having rendered a yeoman service to the university system in Sri Lanka over a period of 43 years, he retired in 2007.[2]
Professor W. D. Lakshman was born in Mihiripanne, Galle, as the third of four children of the business family of Mr. and Mrs. Porolis de Silva. He had his education at Vidyaloka College, Galle, and was the Head Prefect at school. Then he joined the University of Ceylon in 1960 and served as an assistant lecturer of the same university from 1964-1968. Later he completed his doctorate at the University of Oxford. In 1982, he was appointed Professor of Economics at the Colombo University.
After his retirement Professor Lakshman was appointed an advisor to the Ministry of Finance in 2008 and as the chairman of the Institute of Policy studies(IPS) in 2010 . In 2009, he was appointed the chairman of the Presidential Commission on Taxation in Sri Lanka.[1]