Education

PM Harini Amarasuriya delivers OSGA annual lecture at Oxford

Published

4 months ago

May 21, 2026

Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Harini Amarasuriya, delivered the 2026 Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA) Annual Lecture at St Antony’s College, University of Oxford, titled “The Politics of Development: Sri Lanka and Beyond.”

Addressing students, academics, and researchers, PM Amarasuriya reflected on the intersections of development, governance, and politics in Sri Lanka while situating them within broader global realities. She emphasized that development must be understood not only through policies and statistics but also through the lived experiences of people, particularly in nations recovering from economic crises and institutional challenges.

The Prime Minister highlighted women’s political participation in Sri Lanka, noting the growing involvement of women in grassroots movements and leadership spaces, while acknowledging the challenges of transforming entrenched social and political structures. She also stressed the importance of recognizing both paid and unpaid care work, noting that women’s contributions to families, communities, and the economy often remain invisible in traditional systems.

On economic recovery and social policy, PM Amarasuriya underscored that sustainable development must balance economic progress with dignity, fairness, and social well‑being. She further reflected on the relationship between governments, international development agencies, and local institutions, urging that priorities remain grounded in local realities and accountable to the people they serve.

Drawing from her experiences as a social anthropologist, activist, academic, and political leader, she discussed the challenges of translating activism into long‑term policy reforms, noting that meaningful transformation requires patience, negotiation, and sustained public engagement.

The lecture concluded with an interactive Q&A session covering governance, institutional independence, political reform, and economic recovery.

Education

Hashini Arachchi Wins 16 Gold Medals At University Of Colombo Convocation

Published

3 days ago

September 10, 2026

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Dr. Hasini Rangika Epa Arachchi achieved extraordinary recognition at the University of Colombo General Convocation by receiving 16 gold medals for her exceptional academic performance in the Faculty of Medicine. Serving as the Valedictorian for her MBBS batch, Dr. Hasini obtained First Class Honours across all five academic streams, including the Final MBBS examination.

Her historic achievement culminated in her securing the first place island wide on the common merit list of MBBS graduates for medical internship appointments, alongside receiving the prestigious Professor Tilak Hettiarachchy Award for Academic Excellence.

Throughout her undergraduate career, Dr. Hasini consistently demonstrated academic mastery, regularly earning Dean’s List Awards and securing the Mitsubishi UFJ Foundation Scholarship. Beyond her clinical and academic coursework, she has actively contributed to medical scholarship through published research on mental health among pregnant women and diagnostic markers for scrub typhus.

She has presented her findings at major scientific forums, including the Sri Lanka Medical Association Annual Scientific Sessions, and continues active research in dengue and interstitial lung disease.

Her unprecedented sweep of 16 gold medals out of the 32 awarded for the entire MBBS program stands as a powerful testament to her dedication, discipline, and scholarly rigor.

Education

Peradeniya tops SL universities in global rankings

Published

3 weeks ago

August 19, 2026

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The University of Peradeniya has been ranked the top university in Sri Lanka in the latest 2026 rankings released by the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR).

The rankings assess universities based on indicators including educational outcomes, graduate employability, faculty quality, research, and overall performance.

The University of Peradeniya was ranked 1,695th among 21,291 universities worldwide.

The university administration said the ranking represents significant recognition of its international-level performance in education and research.

Education

Sri Lanka’s Omar Hazari wins global public speaking championship

Published

2 months ago

July 23, 2026

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Sri Lanka’s Omar Hazari has won the English-Speaking Union International Public Speaking Competition (IPSC) 2026, earning the country its second consecutive title at the prestigious global contest.

The 19-year-old, representing Royal College, Colombo, won the final held in London with a speech inspired by his own experience of childhood bullying. He spoke about overcoming a severe stutter with the support of others and later launching an anti-bullying campaign at his school that has reached more than 3,000 students.

The IPSC brings together national champions from 45 countries and regions and is regarded as the world’s largest public speaking competition, involving more than 100,000 students each year. Sri Lanka also won the 2025 title through Sashane Dassanayake.