2nd Management Undergraduates’ Research Session (MURS) 2020
View(s):The vision of Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka is “To be an internationally acclaimed centre of excellence in higher learning and research”.
We always work towards accomplishing this dream and the Management Undergraduates’ Research Session (MURS) is one such initiatives made by the Faculty of Management Studies in 2019 with the aim of assimilating the academia to a research culture by encouraging undergraduates to conduct research in the field of Management Studies. Continuing its excellence, the Faculty successfully conducted the 2nd MURS on 27th November 2020 incorporation with 5th Interdisciplinary Conference of Management Researchers (ICMR). Understanding the timely need of research excellence, the Faculty organized the above conference as a total virtual experience capturing the theme of “Fostering Global Citizenship towards New Normal”.
Emerald Publishing was the official educational partner and this was the first-ever undergraduate research session sponsored by Emerald Publishing in Sri Lanka. MURS 2019 was initially organized as a platform for the undergraduates of Faculty of Management Studies and widening its scope MURS 2020 was opened for both national and international undergraduate researchers.
The inauguration ceremony was live broadcast via Zoom platform and the Chief Guest of the session was Prof. Udaya Rathnayaka, the Vice-Chancellor of Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. Mr. Nandana A.Wickramage, former Group Director of CBL Group and Business Consultant and Ms. Sangeeta Menon, Publishing Relationship Manager of Emerald Publishing enlightened the ceremony with their keynote speeches. More than 130 abstracts were received and after a thorough reviewing process, 91 abstracts were selected for presentation representing various universities in the South Asian region.
These 91 abstracts were presented in seven virtual sessions such as; Banking & Insurance, Financial Management, General Management, Human Resource Management, Marketing Management, Eco-Business Management and Tourism & Hospitality Management. We were honoured to have dignified academic personnel from state universities of Sri Lanka, Malaysia and India along with the industry experts as the panel members in each session track. The selected abstracts from different disciplines are expected to be published as a book chapter in post session proceeding.
MURS 2020 was successfully concluded with fruitful guidance of Prof. Athula C Gnanapala, the Dean of Faculty of Management Studies and the exclusive leadership of Dr. TUI Peiris, the Session Chair, Dr. L.A.C. Sajeewanie, the Session Secretary and the team effort by the Management family.
We hope the session was successful in bringing together the business and academic community onto one platform so as to discuss and expose way for a stronger network and an overall enriching experience.
This annual forum organized by the Faculty of Management Studies will ensure to lay the foundation for Sabaragamuwa to be a Research University in the foreseeable future.