Prof. Dr. G.A. Somaratne Sri Lanka Chief Moderator (Session 1) Prof. G.A. Somaratne is Rector of Sri Lanka International Buddhist Academy (SIBA) and is Co-Director of Dhammachai Tipitaka Project of the Dhammachai Institute, Thailand. Prior to joining SIBA, he was Professor and Head of the Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies, University of Peradeniya. He has served as Lecturer and Associate Professor in Religion at Miyazaki International College, Japan, and has taught at Northwestern University, USA. He received his BA in Buddhist Philosophy from University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, MA in Religious Studies, and PhD in Buddhism from Northwestern University, USA, and conducted his post-doctoral research at the Oriental Institute while being Senior Research Associate of the Balliol College, University of Oxford. He is associated with numerous academic and Buddhist organizations/bodies. He is Joint-Secretary of Sri Lanka Association of Buddhist Studies, and was Secretary General of World Tipitaka Council, Secretary of the Peradeniya Forum of Buddhist Studies, Board of Director, Buddhist Publications Society, Board of Director, Sri Chandananda Buddhist College, and Nalanda Buddhist College. He is the Editor of the Samyuttanikaya Vol I of the Pali Text Society, London, and has published extensively in numerous academic journals in the area of Buddhist soteriology, Pali textual studies, and early Buddhism.