Thilini Bandara is currently pursuing her PhD at The University of Western Australia as part of Dr. Tom Barratt’s wider DECRA Project on “Work Fragmentation & the Gig Economy” funded by the Australian Research Council and UWA. Her study involves exploring the experience of international students in Australia who work within the gig economy, examining their work-life-study nexus and how their employment shapes their understanding of/approach to labour agency. Through this study, she aims to bring new theoretical insights and contribute to reshaping the future landscape of gig work for international students in Australia.

She holds an MBA from the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka in 2021 and a BSc.  degree in Agricultural Technology & Management, with a specialization in Applied Economics & Business Management (first class honours) from the University of Peradeniya, where she has won a gold medal and a university prize for the best performance from her faculty for the year 2019.

Building on her academic career, Thilini has served as a researcher and lecturer in Sri Lanka since 2019. Her research expertise lies in the areas of Student and Labor Migration, Industry/ Employment Relations, Entrepreneurship, SME, and Public Policy and have conducted a series of research with the collaboration of organizations such as the ILO, IOM, and World Bank.