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Dr Asela K. Kulatunga

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Dr Asela K. Kulatunga

Lecturer in Industrial Systems (E&R)

Location: Harrison 110

Telephone: 01392 723684

Extension: (Streatham) 3684

I am a Lecturer in Industrial Systems (E&R) at the University of Exeter. I received my BSc in 2000 from University of Peradeniya Sri Lanka and my PhD in 2013, from the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia. My research focuses on sustainability aspects of Industrial Engineering and Supply Chain Management. I prefer to work in transdisciplinary complex problems pertaining to supply chains and industrial problems which requires systems thinking. I adapt systematic review, modelling & simulation, data analytics, and novel innovations to provide optimal & near optimal solutions to complex engineering & management problems.

Prior to joining with University of Exeter, I served as a Fulbright Advance Research and Teaching Scholar at Institute of Sustainable Manufacturing, the University of Kentucky USA in 2023. I have also served as a gLink Erasmus Mundus Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Bremen, Germany in 2015/2016. I was a Professor in Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering between 2020 to 2023 and a Senior Lecturer from 2013 to 2020 at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. During my tenure at the University of Peradeniya, I held various academic leadership positions including the Head of the Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering department, coordinator of postgraduate programmes in Engineering Management and Manufacturing Engineering, Director of Engineering Workshops and Convener of Ethics Review Committee of Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

I am a Charted Member of Chartered Institute of Logistics Transport (CILT) and a Senior Member of IISE (USA) too. Currently I serve as a Governing Board Member of Body of Knowledge of Industrial & Systems Engineering of IISE - USA and held the membership of Committee of Industrial Engineering Academic Department Heads (CIEADH) of IISE from 2020 to 2023. I serve as a Scientific Committee member of Global Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing  (GCSM) from (2019 to present) and  Conference on Production Systems and Logistics (CPSL) from 2023 to present. I have served in various foreign funded projects (UNIDO, UNEP, UNDP, US AID, IGES Japan, AgResearch New Zealand) in Sri Lanka and served as a industrial consultant in Manufacturing, Agri Food sectors in Sri Lanka, China and Australia.

Furthermore, I served in number of national committees as an expert at the  Ministry of Environment - 3rd National Communication of Climate Change, Led the Industrial Sector Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation Development Arm (TIDA) of Sri Lanka formed by the National Science Foundation to develop a national roadmap for R&D and Technology Transfer (2022 - 2023), and an Expert Panel Member of developing Green Labelling Scheme (version2.0) for the Green Building Council of Sri Lanka (2020-2022).  I also served as the chair the International Conference on Production and Operations Management Society of USA, (POMS 2018), which was held from 14th to 16th of December 2018, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

My areas of expertise include:

• Digitalization of Industrial Systems through Digital Twining towards Industry 5.0
• Modelling & Simulation of Supply Chains, Manufacturing Systems
• Product, Process & Systems level interventions in Sustainable Manufacturing
• Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment, Life Cycle Management
• Systems Thinking towards Circular Economy

Positions Opening

I am open to supervise potential PhD, MPhil, or MRes candidates (local and foreign) on above topics. The potential funding opportunities are available at the University Funding Database or any potential candidates can apply with their own funding sources. Limited opportunities of fully funded PhD positions available for highly motivated & results oriented candidates.  

I also welcome Visiting scholars & Exchange students who are willing to pursue collaborative research in line with my areas of expertise.

Contact Details

Those who are interested can contact me via a.k.kulatunga@exeter.ac.uk