Vela Velupillai

Vela Velupillai

Economist originally from Sri Lanka
Date of Birth: 25.09.1947
Country: Sri Lanka

Content:
  1. Early Life and Education
  2. Academic Career
  3. Research Interests
  4. Honors and Distinctions

Early Life and Education

Kumara Swamy (Kuma) Velupillai was born on September 25, 1947, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He received his early education at Royal College Colombo. Velupillai earned his bachelor's degree in engineering from Kyoto University, Japan, and his master's degree in economics from Lund University, Sweden.

Academic Career

Velupillai obtained his PhD in economics from King's College, Cambridge University, under the supervision of Nicholas Kaldor and Richard Goodwin. He has held faculty positions at various universities, including the National University of Ireland, Galway, where he was Professor of Economics. Velupillai is currently Professore di Chiara Fama at the University of Trento, Italy. He also serves as a senior visiting professor at the Madras School of Economics, Chennai, India.

Research Interests

Velupillai's research encompasses computational economics, macroeconomic theory, and the history and philosophy of economics. In computational economics, he uses methods from recursion theory and constructive mathematics to formalize economic models. He has also explored the foundations of macroeconomics, focusing on dynamics, growth, and inequality.

Honors and Distinctions

In recognition of his contributions to the field, Velupillai was selected as a 'Distinguished Visiting Fellow' by the University of Technology, Sydney, for the 2011-2012 academic year. He delivered the 2010 Herbert Simon Lectures at National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan. A Festschrift, titled 'Computable, Constructive and Behavioural Economic Dynamics,' edited by Stefano Zambelli, was published by Routledge in honor of Velupillai's work.

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