Senior Prof. Nalin Abeysekera, former Dean of Open University Sri Lanka and Chartered Marketer, has passed away. Read the full tribute to his extraordinary life and legacy.
The academic and professional world mourns the death of one of Sri Lanka’s most respected marketing scholars — a man who turned classrooms into launch pads and textbooks into tools for national growth.
Sri Lanka has lost one of its brightest academic minds. Senior Professor Nalin Abeysekera, a distinguished marketing scholar, former Dean of the Faculty of Management Studies at the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL), and an esteemed alumnus of Ananda College Colombo, has passed away. His death leaves a deep void in the fields of marketing education, strategic management, and academic research across South Asia.
Professor Abeysekera spent more than two decades shaping the minds of students, mentoring researchers, and contributing knowledge to a country eager to find its place in a competitive global economy. His journey — from the corridors of Ananda College to the lecture halls of Dubai, Oman, and Qatar — tells the story of a man who believed that education was not a privilege but a force for transformation.
A Life Built on Learning
Born and schooled at the prestigious Ananda College in Colombo — one of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated Buddhist educational institutions — Nalin Abeysekera showed early promise in academics and leadership. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Marketing (Special) from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, followed by an MBA from the University of Colombo, where he graduated with exceptional distinction.
His performance in the MBA program was nothing short of extraordinary. He received three gold medals — in Strategic Management, Marketing Management, and his Dissertation — a rare achievement that foreshadowed the remarkable academic career that followed.
“He completed his PhD in 2013 in Leadership and Marketing, adding another milestone to a career already decorated with accolades and peer recognition.”
He later completed his PhD in Leadership and Marketing in 2013, cementing his status as one of Sri Lanka’s foremost academic authorities in business management. His credentials included a Chartered Marketer designation from the UK’s Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), membership in the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIMM), and qualifications in accounting and management.
The Professor Who Went Global
Professor Abeysekera’s influence did not stop at Sri Lanka’s borders. He carried the nation’s intellectual capital to the Gulf region, delivering lectures in Dubai, Oman, and Qatar. He also served as a visiting lecturer for MBA programs at multiple national and international universities based in Sri Lanka, building bridges between local academia and global business education.
His international recognition grew steadily. In 2012, the Philippine Association of Institutions for Research nominated him as a finalist for the Best Asian Researcher Award — a distinction that placed him among the most impactful scholars across an entire continent.
As coordinator of the MBA program at OUSL and as a senior supervisor for PhD candidates in Management and Marketing, Professor Abeysekera shaped the research careers of dozens of students who now lead institutions, businesses, and academic departments of their own.
A Scholar Who Wrote for the Nation
What set Professor Abeysekera apart from many academics was his commitment to making knowledge accessible. He contributed regularly to leading magazines and national newspapers in Sri Lanka, writing on Economics, Education, and Tourism in a way that ordinary readers could understand and apply. He appeared frequently on television programs to lead discussions on Education, Children’s Issues, and Entrepreneurship — bringing the university into the living room.
His research portfolio was equally impressive. With more than 28 published journal articles and conference papers, he explored topics ranging from transformational leadership in banking, customer relationship marketing, social media’s impact on brand equity, and the intersection of marketing with Buddhist philosophy. One particularly striking paper examined the relationship between marketing principles and the Buddhist Eightfold Path — a uniquely Sri Lankan perspective on business ethics that drew international attention.
Books That Outlive Their Author
Professor Abeysekera authored or co-authored five books that continue to serve students and professionals. He wrote Transformational Leadership: A Journey to Better Customer Relationship (Lambert Publications, Germany, 2011), She Is Mine: How to Win the Hearts of Chinese Tourists (2014), and Tourism in Sri Lanka: The Way Forward (2015) — both timely contributions to a country heavily reliant on its tourism sector. His Sinhala-language work, Sri Lanka Arthikayata Deesheeya Preweshayak (A Localized Approach for the Sri Lankan Economy), showed his dedication to connecting global economic theory with local realities. He also published Kuda Wiyaparayata Kalamanakaranaya (Marketing for Small Business), a practical guide designed to help Sri Lanka’s small business owners compete more effectively.
The Ananda College Connection
Throughout his distinguished career, Professor Abeysekera remained deeply connected to his roots at Ananda College. He served as an Executive Committee member of the Ananda College Old Boys’ Association — giving back to the institution that first lit his academic spark. In doing so, he became a role model for generations of Ananda boys who dreamed of careers beyond the island’s shores.
A Legacy That Cannot Be Measured by a Curriculum Vitae
Academic achievements, however impressive, only tell part of a person’s story. Those who knew Professor Abeysekera speak of a teacher who made students feel seen, a researcher who answered emails from young scholars halfway across the world, and a public intellectual who never forgot that the purpose of education is to serve society.
He served on PhD colloquiums, Media and IT panels, and Tourism committees. He moderated debates, reviewed international journals, and took the time to write in both English and Sinhala — understanding that knowledge locked behind one language serves only half the people who need it.
Senior Professor Nalin Abeysekera leaves behind a body of work that will continue to teach, inspire, and challenge long after his passing. Sri Lanka has lost a scholar. The Open University has lost a leader. Marketing education across South Asia has lost one of its most dedicated champions.