Dr. Namali Suraweera

Dr. Namali Suraweera is an Academic Developer at the Centre for Academic Development, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and a Principal Fellow of Advance HE (UK) for higher education teaching and learning. She brings over 18 years of experience in higher education leadership and academic development, having previously served as a Senior Lecturer and Head of Department at the University of Kelaniya in Sri Lanka. Namali is the 2025 recipient of the prestigious James M. Cretsos Award for Leadership from the Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T), where she currently chairs the International Paper Contest supporting emerging researchers from developing countries. She is also an active member of Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA) SIG-Research group, and she further serves on the IT-019 Standards Committee for New Zealand and Australia. Her contributions have earned her multiple recognitions, including Senate and Vice-Chancellor’s Awards from the University of Kelaniya, the Asia Library Leaders Promising Professional Award, international fellowships, scholarships such as the 12th APNG Camp Fellowship, IFLA grants, and a PhD scholarship. With over 50 academic publications and extensive speaking experience across South Asia and Oceania, Dr. Suraweera continues to make an impact through research, mentorship, and global academic service.