Professor Dr. K.D. Paranavitana is currently employed at the Department of Humanities of the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka in Mihintale. He published an extensive amount of books and articles on the Dutch presence in Sri Lanka. His Ph. D. thesis (1994) is titled ‘The archives of the Dutch East India Company administration in Ceylon 1640 – 1796’. He is also engaged in consultancy and scriptwriting for documentary films on World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka. He has gained experience in leadership in academic and administrative matters and experience in administration of academic and other institutions, research groups and professional societies on a. o. archives, and conservation and preservation of cultural and heritage sites. He has worked a total of 26 years in higher management positions at the National Archives of Sri Lanka. In the course of his professional career Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Kingdom of the Netherlands appointed him as a Knight of the order of Oranje-Nassau in 2002. In addition to this he received several special academic and professional awards.
