Research Publications

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://rda.sliit.lk/handle/123456789/4194

This main community comprises five sub-communities, each representing the academic contribution made by SLIIT-affiliated personnel.

Browse

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 37

Open Access
Life expectancy economic growth and resilience in resource constrained economies in the context of COVID-19 and the sustainable development goals
(Springer Nature, 2025-11-12) Samadhini, D; Lakshan, P; Nirmani, P; Dulmin, L; Jayathilaka, R
This study contributes to the sustainable development discourse by examining the interplay between health (life expectancy) and economic growth (EG), which is central to Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). By investigating the dynamic relationship between Life Expectancy (LE) and EG, measured by LE rates and Per Capita Gross Domestic Product (PGDP), in 51 low and lower-middle-income countries from 1990 to 2023, with a particular focus on the disruptive impact of COVID-19. Employing Wavelet Coherence analysis, Granger Causality, and Johansen Cointegration tests, this study reveals critical relationships and identifies both short and long-term equilibrium linkages within health and economic systems. By explicitly situating the findings within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the study highlights how improvements in population health (SDG 3) and economic resilience (SDG 8) can be mutually reinforcing. It further provides evidence to guide policy interventions and sustainable development strategies. Further results indicate that, while the pandemic weakened short-term causalities, long-term cointegration remains intact, underscoring the need for integrated strategies that simultaneously strengthen health systems and promote inclusive EG. These insights provide critical guidelines for policymakers in resource-constrained contexts seeking to progress toward the SDGs and enhance resilience against future economic shocks. The findings provide insight into how health-system strengthening, and sustainable economic policies can jointly advance progress toward the SDGs.
Open Access
Factors influencing migration intention of undergraduates in Sri Lanka: ‘About more than employment
(Elsevier Ltd, 2026-01-26) Marawila, R; Weerarathna, R; Rathnayake, N; Guruge, R; Wehella, B; Udugahapattuwa, T; Weligodapola, M
The objective of this study is to examine the factors influencing Sri Lankan undergraduates' intention to migrate. Persistent economic, social, and political challenges have driven many youngsters and professionals to leave their Country of Origin (COO). The economic collapse triggered by COVID-19 further intensified this trend, leading to a sharp increase in outward migration. Recently, a growing number of Sri Lankan undergraduates and skilled professionals have expressed a strong desire to relocate abroad, often immediately after completing secondary education. For this study, a sample of 385 undergraduates from state and non-state universities across Sri Lanka was analysed. Given the national concerns of brain drain and shortages of trained and skilled workers, the study specifically focused on understanding undergraduates' aspirations to migrate. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied to identify and test the variables influencing migration intentions within the Sri Lankan context. The findings provide a holistic picture of the drivers of undergraduate migration. These carry important implications not only for students but also for policymakers and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), by informing policies and strategies that could encourage young people to realise their potential within Sri Lanka rather than abroad.
Open Access
Restoring life expectancy in low‑income countries: the combined impact of COVID‑19, health expenditure, GDP, and child mortality
(PubMed, 2025-03-06) Karunarathne, M; Buddhika, P; Priyamantha, A; Mayogya, P; Jayathilaka, R; Dayapathirana, N
Background: Life expectancy is a vital indicator of a country's health and progress. Low-income countries face uncertainty regarding the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by health expenditure levels, concerns over rising child mortality rates, and decreasing per capita income. These factors challenge life expectancy and demand urgent attention. This study aims to identify patterns, challenges, and opportunities to improve life expectancy in these countries through better health policies and resource allocation.
Open Access
Restoring life expectancy in low-income countries: the combined impact of COVID-19, health expenditure, GDP, and child mortality
(BioMed Central Ltd, 2025-03-06) Karunarathne, M.; Buddhika, P; Priyamantha, A; Mayogya, P; Jayathilaka, R; Dayapathirana, N
Background: Life expectancy is a vital indicator of a country’s health and progress. Low-income countries face uncertainty regarding the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by health expenditure levels, concerns over rising child mortality rates, and decreasing per capita income. These factors challenge life expectancy and demand urgent attention. This study aims to identify patterns, challenges, and opportunities to improve life expectancy in these countries through better health policies and resource allocation. Methods: The research investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, health expenditure, per capita income, and child mortality rates on life expectancy in low-income countries. By examining 22 years of data from 20 countries, using a comprehensive dataset from the Our World in Data database, this study employs panel regression and time series analysis to explore how these factors influence life expectancy. Results: The findings indicate a significant negative effect of COVID-19 on life expectancy, while health expenditure and per capita income show a positive impact. Conversely, child mortality rates exert a negative effect on life expectancy in low-income countries. Conclusion: This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge by analysing how COVID-19, health expenditure, per capita income, and child mortality collectively affect life expectancy in low-income countries. The insights gained may inform policymakers and health consultants about the need for targeted interventions, prioritising healthcare investment and child health. By addressing these critical areas, it may be possible to improve life expectancy and overall health outcomes, thus contributing to global health equity. © The Author(s) 2025.
Open Access
Institutional Best Practices Amidst and Beyond the COVID-19: The Case of Higher Educational Institutes in Sri Lanka
(SLIIT Business School, 2023-12-24) Rathnayake, N; Weerasinghe, A; Weerasinghe, N; Kumarasinghe, J
COVID-19 is a blessing for the higher education industry in developing nations since it has accelerated the digitization of higher education. Education is essential to transforming people into human capital. The COVID-19 restrictions on physically entering educational institutions gave boost to the biggest educational disaster in the world. The objective of this study is to investigate the best practices employed by the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Sri Lanka to enhance university academic role both amid and beyond the pandemic. The technique of nonprobability purposive sampling was employed, and the results were then analyzed thematically. Best practices in academic research and knowledge dissemination fields, and teaching have been recognized by the study from the viewpoint of the HEIs. Beyond the pandemic, virtual laboratories, concurrent delivery, and hybrid deliveries are still in use, while academic research and knowledge dissemination are being digitalized and exposed to a global audience. The shift from traditional classrooms to the distance learning environment in developing nations has accelerated the process of meeting the sustainable development objective of high-quality education by 2030. As a result, policymakers in these nations can emphasize digitally enabling the higher education sector.
Open Access
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Qualitative Study of Mothers’ Perspectives
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2023-11-01) Liyanage, H; Fernando, T
The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching global consequences, causing substantial changes in all aspects of daily life. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are highly sensitive to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study explores the impact of COVID-19 on children with ASD by focusing on qualitative data obtained from their mothers. The study aimed to determine the impacts of COVID-19 on children with ASD, the challenges mothers of children with ASD faced during COVID-19, and the coping mechanisms they have used. A purposive sample of 6 mothers of children with ASD who fulfil the requirements of the inclusion criteria were recruited. Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted to obtain in-depth information. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Four major themes emerged: Pandemic’s influence on the social development of kids with ASD, ASD children’s psychological response to the pandemic, Motherhood struggles during the pandemic, and Adaptive responses to the challenges of COVID-19. The study findings indicate both positive and negative impacts of COVID-19 on children with ASD, particularly affecting their social skills. Motherhood struggles and adaptive responses during the pandemic are also discussed. Further research is necessary to identify interventions aimed at mitigating the effects of COVID-19 on children with ASD.
Embargo
An Exploratory Study on Work Stress and Job Satisfaction during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Hotel Sector Employees of Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2022-09-15) Bradie-Miles, E.M.A; Donmanige, I.C
COVID-19 has affected employees worldwide, especially in the hotel industry, with restricted travel, limited incoming flights, and guests, which presents challenges for hotels and employees. Therefore, it is essential to investigate how COVID-19 has affected hotel employees' job satisfaction and work stress. This study aimed to determine whether the stress at work generated by COVID-19 directly affects the job satisfaction of hotel employees in Sri Lanka. The researcher recruited hotel employees in Sri Lanka through purposive sampling following a selective criterion; 18 years or older, locally employed, with two or more years of industry experience. The researcher, part of a larger mixed-method project, presented the qualitative findings in this article, using a qualitative research design with semi-structured interviews to collect employee responses (N = 7) before subjecting the responses to content analysis. Ultimately, the main findings indicated that work stress generated by COVID-19 partially impacted the job satisfaction of Sri Lankan hotel employees. Other factors reported included COVID-related financial issues and procedural changes that significantly affected employees. Several solutions presented in the findings to improve job satisfaction and work stress during COVID- 19 included effective financial management by hotels, and extra support, for example, counselling and improved workplace communication. Overall, the satisfaction of Sri Lanka’s hotel workers' jobs has been affected by work stress and partially by COVID-19. Therefore, future research should explore the influences of COVID-19 on job satisfaction and work stress among Sri Lankan hotel employees and throughout the world.
Embargo
Factors Affecting Corona Deaths in Sri Lanka: Time Series Modeling Approach
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2022-09-15) Wathsala, W.A.D.R; Peiris, T. S. G.
Whole world has been affected by COVID-19 Pandemic which kills people on a large scale. Identifying, controlling and taking preventive actions for the factors that cause such deaths is crucial. This work intends to investigate the factors affecting COVID-19 deaths reported in Sri Lanka, during the period of 2020 to 2021 by using Vector Auto Regressive model. The empirical results of the model indicated the factors that significantly affected COVID-19 deaths short term as well as long term. Short term, factors such as increase in reported new cases in the previous day, positive number of test results, additional hours per day spent at residence compared to the median value of duration stayed at residence from 3rd January to 6th February 2020(difference between the actual hours and median hours spent at residence has been considered), number of new visitors to outdoor places and a decrease in previous day’s deaths. In a long term forecast, variables such as reproduction rate, new vaccination doses, stringency index, additional time spent at residence, new users of public transport, new users of retail and recreation and new visitors to outdoor spaces significantly influence on the mortality. The Granger Causality test confirmed the past values of new cases and positive number of tests have a predictive ability in determining the present values of deaths. On the other hand, the Variance Decomposition method indicated that the variation in deaths in short term is due to deaths itself.
Open Access
COVID-19 symptom identification using Deep Learning and hardware emulated systems
(Elsevier, 2023-06-28) Liyanarachchi, R; Wijekoon, J; Premathilaka, M; Vidhanaarachchi, S
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted regular global activities in every possible way. This pandemic, caused by the transmission of the infectious Coronavirus, is characterized by main symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, and loss of smell. A current key focus of the scientific community is to develop automated methods that can effectively identify COVID-19 patients and are also adaptable for foreseen future virus outbreaks. To classify COVID-19 suspects, it is required to use contactless automatic measurements of more than one symptom. This study explores the effectiveness of using Deep Learning combined with a hardware-emulated system to identify COVID-19 patients in Sri Lanka based on two main symptoms: cough and shortness of breath. To achieve this, a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based on Transfer Learning was employed to analyze and compare the features of a COVID-19 cough with other types of coughs. Real-time video footage was captured using a FLIR C2 thermal camera and a web camera and subsequently processed using OpenCV image processing algorithms. The objective was to detect the nasal cavities in the video frames and measure the breath cycles per minute, thereby identifying instances of shortness of breath. The proposed method was first tested on crowd-sourced datasets (Coswara, Coughvid, ESC-50, and a dataset from Kaggle) obtained online. It was then applied and verified using a dataset obtained from local hospitals in Sri Lanka. The accuracy of the developed methodologies in diagnosing cough resemblance and recognizing shortness of breath was found to be 94% and 95%, respectively.
Open Access
Strategies Used by the Sri Lankan Construction Industry to Overcome the Challenges Posed by the Covid-19
(SLIIT, Faculty of Engineering, 2023-03-02) Fernando, P; Gunarathna, N
The global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the world's political, social, economic, religious, and financial structures into disarray. COVID-19 has a broad range of effects on numerous industries, including construction. Sri Lanka as a developing country is also affected by the pandemic and many sectors of the Sri Lankan economy such as construction, education, tourism, imports and exports, agriculture, and health etc are experiencing negative consequences of the pandemic, Construction industry as one of the key sectors of the economy was also severely affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic in various ways. Construction companies and government institutes are taking action to face these challenges. This study describes how COVID-19 impacts the local construction industry throughout the construction process. Furthermore, the impact was evaluated with regard to several aspects namely, financial, human resources, supply chain and logistics, legal, and completion and handover of the project. The strategies which are used by the construction industry participants to face the challenges of the pandemic are also discussed. A mixed research approach was used in the study and questionnaires which comprised of both qualitative and quantitative questions were used as a data collection tool. This research revealed new knowledge about the construction industry in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study's most important finding was that the spread of the virus influenced the entire construction process. The pandemic had a major impact on the construction stage as well as the human resources aspect of the industry.

Research Publications

Browse

Filters

Advanced Search

Filter by

Settings

Sort By

Results per page

Search Results