From 1963 to 2015 M.U.A.Tennakoon, PhD, D Sc has had a wide career path as : a university teacher(Peradeniya University); a Central Banker (Asst. Controller of Exchange, Economist, Project Analyst, Deputy Director, Additional Director, Director and Assistant Governor); as an Administrator(Addl. Director National Development Trust Fund, Director General Mahaweli Development Authority of Sri Lanka, Director South Asia Partnership –International and Executive Director South Asia Partnership Sri Lanka); as an International Trainer (in 9 member Countries of Centre for Integrated Rural Development in Asia and the Pacific based in Bangladesh ); Researcher, Project Formulator and Project Evaluator in collaboration with international organizations (WB, ADB, UNDP, UNCCD, ADPC, FAO, SIDA, IFAD, JBIC, ESCAP, etc) and as a collaborator with local NGOs.
He has authored 9 books mostly on dry zone development issues. He was the first to talk about “Desertification in Sri Lanka” and “Ellangawa’ or micro-valley-based dry zone development” with nearly four decades of field research experience in the north central dry zone of Sri Lanka.
UN Education Advisor, Specialist in Refugee-Teacher Training, Planning and Development UNHCR. Pakistan had this much to say about Tennakoon
“Dr. M.U.A.Tennakoon A social scientist educated in 3 universities with different academic traditions in Sri Lanka, the US and Australia, is a well known Sri Lankan professional. A long time central banker (32 years) has wide experience in working with banks, national governments and NGOs both nationally and internationally, backed with a strong flair for field studies. He has written several books, chapters in books, research monographs, development project reports, professional papers, evaluation reports and reviews which are well-acknowledged and extensively used in Sri Lanka. He has gained rich cross-cultural experience in working in 9 Asian and Pacific countries which have enabled him to make highly development-oriented professional contributions. He has won a national literary award in 1994 and honoured with a DSc in 2004 for his contributions to development planning in Sri Lanka”