BA (Hons) in Sociology, Univ. of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka; Master's degree, Univ. of Saskatchewan, Canada; Doctorate, Univ. of Sorbonne, Paris. Former Lecturer, Univ. of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. With the Ceylon Civil Service: positions including Government Agent, Matale and Kandy, Central Province of Sri Lanka; secretary to many ministries of cabinet rank in the respective governments. 1982-86, Director, International Programme, Development of Communication, UNESCO, Paris. 1986-90, Associate Secretary-General, Worldview International Foundation. 1992, Member, Central Provincial Council; since 1994, Member of Parliament; has held Irrigation & Water Mgmt, Education & Higher Education, Finance & Planning, and Industries, Public Admin. & Home Affairs portfolios. 2011-12, Chairman, ESCAP Commission. Currently, Senior Minister for International Monetary Cooperation and Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning. Former: Chairman, Sri Lanka Mass Communication Assoc.; Exec. Cttee Member and Secretary-General, Asian Mass Comm. Information and Research Centre, Singapore; UNDP Consultant for Asia, Dev. Information Network Project; Sri Lanka Delegate to UNESCO Conference on Media, Paris. Author.