Addressing development challenges through research: the research environment of the universities and the supporting role of the libraries enabling a positive national contribution.

It is the task of a Development Economist to analyse the development challenges of Sri Lanka, however I am glad that I was accorded this opportunity to pay my attention to the challenges Sri Lanka faces in reaching the higher global standards of development. I will discuss the development challenges of Sri Lanka, and how research can address these issues briefly. Then I will pay attention to the innovation capacity of Sri Lanka and the issues encountered by our researchers. Finally I will discuss the changing working environment of the researchers and how the university libraries can ease their burden through a shift in the service paradigm