Asoka is professor of German Studies at the Department of Modern Languages in the University of Kelaniya and coordinator of the project “Samkathana” at the Faculty of Humanities. He completed his masters and holds a PhD from the Freie Universität Berlin. His MA thesis was a philological analyses of Kalidasas Sanskrit Plays and Court Poetry (Kāvya) translated into German by Friedrich Rückert. His doctoral dissertation submitted in 1996 deals with India as seen in the German Theater in the times of Goethe, published in German under the title Blutrünstige Braminen am heiligen Strome (1997) in Frankfurt.

He has translated many contemporary German plays to Sinhala and English, some which he directed himself. His current research interests are Gender aspects on Costume in Sri Lanka, development of traditions seen in Buddhist Temple Murals, critical readings of Contemporary Sri Lankan Art and Popular Sinhalese Music. He writes regular reviews on Contemporary Dance and exhibitions. He writes reviews on Contemporary Sri Lankan Dance and Art, and served in the panel of judges of the Gratiaen Prize 2010 and the Shakespeare Drama Competition 2012 and 2015. Asoka is a visiting lecturer at the University of Visual and Performing Arts and consultant at the Academy of Design Colombo.