Professor Kumara is a development economist who has had a long history of academic and research experiences both in Sri Lanka and abroad. Since 2006, he has been a professor at Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka and is now a Full Professor in the Department of Public Administration. He was also employed to serve as a Research Officer at Kobe University, Japan, where he contributed to the academic research from 2011 to 2015.

Professor Kumara graduated from the University of Peradeniya, majoring in Economics and MPhil, and acquired a Master of Economics and a PhD in Development Economics from Kobe University, Japan. He also holds a Postgraduate Diploma from the Hague, Netherlands.

The common topics of Professor Kumara's research include the change in consumption patterns, multidimensional poverty, spatial inequality and the socio-economic consequences of climate change in Sri Lanka. He has published almost 40 academic books, and he is working in the field of academic leadership by participating in the senate of the university and the Academic Research and Publication Unit. His contribution has also been especially on poverty reduction strategies and the diversification of rural livelihood.