What attracted me most at that time was the collection of journals he, as a college student, was having in different subjects: Free World from the US Embassy; Commonwealth Today from the British High Commission; Nawa Yugaya from the Lake House; Rasawahini from the Times Group etc. I had the habit of leafing through those magazines and enjoying the titles and photographs. He did not mind our bothering him. He, in fact, encouraged us to write to the respective Missions for complimentary copies. When I entered the Vidyodaya University (now, the University of Sri Jayawardenapura) to do my undergraduate studies in management in late 1960s, Professor Tilakaratna had just returned to the island having completed his doctorate at the prestigious Queen’s University in Canada. He took all our courses in economics: micro, macro, welfare economics, international finance, international trade, public finance, development economics etc. Hence, we could safely say that our whole undergraduate knowledge of economics was imparted to us by him. He had referred to all the latest text-books, meticulously prepared his notes and updated them continuously. I still recall that the students were eagerly waiting for his lectures. This was because of the comprehensiveness of the lectures and the unique method of delivery. He used to explain the technical terms again and again as and when they emerged in his lectures, until their meaning was permanently implanted in our minds. We were all benefited by his up to date treatment of the subject.
When I went to the UK for my post-graduate studies in mid 1970s, it was only in the case of subjects he had covered that I did not have the so called knowledge gap. Professor Tilakaratna was not only an academic, but also a policy advisor, manager and administrator. In early 1970s, he functioned as an advisor to the Ministry of Plantations Industry and was appointed as Chairman of the newly established Coconut Marketing Board. Unlike other academics who thought that they knew all, he had the modesty and humility to learn from industry. A big magnate in coconut industry recently related to me how he once visited a coconut factory and insisted on learning a to z of everything there. My frequent visits to him either at the Coconut Marketing Board or at his residence were intellectual and academic journeys through all aspects of and issues relating to the coconut industry. We always returned home being much wiser than before. The university authorities too recognized his academic excellence and erudition fairly early. He was elevated, by double promotion, to the post of Professor of Economics and Head of Department at such a young age as 34. Immediately after that, he re-organized the Department of Economics, introduced a Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Social Statistics and strengthened the Department with new staff. I was one of the students who completed this Diploma in its first batch.