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PM delivers lecture at the University of Oxford
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya attended the 2026 OSGA Annual Lecture held at the University of Oxford on May 19, where she delivered a lecture titled “The Politics of Development: Sri Lanka and Beyond.”
The lecture was held at the St Antony’s College, University of Oxford, and organized by the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA), the department’s flagship annual event that brings together leading academics, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss contemporary global challenges.
Addressing an audience comprising students, academics, and researchers from across the University, the Prime Minister reflected on the intersections of development, governance, and politics in Sri Lanka while discussing the broader realities faced by countries attempting to achieve meaningful social and economic reform.
During her lecture, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasized that development cannot be understood only through policies, statistics, and economic models, but must also be viewed through the everyday experiences of people. She highlighted that governance often requires balancing ideals with practical realities, particularly in countries recovering from economic crises, institutional challenges, and long-standing inequalities.
The Prime Minister also spoke extensively on women’s political participation and representation in Sri Lanka, noting the growing involvement of women in grassroots political movements and leadership spaces. She reflected on the efforts taken to create greater political opportunities for women and the continuing challenges faced in transforming deeply rooted social and political structures.
Speaking on economic recovery and social policy, Dr. Amarasuriya highlighted the importance of recognizing both paid and unpaid care work, stressing that the contribution of women to families, communities, and the economy has often remained invisible in traditional economic systems. She noted that sustainable development must ensure economic progress while also protecting dignity, fairness, and social well-being.
The Prime Minister further reflected on the relationship between governments, international development agencies, and local institutions, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that development priorities remain grounded in local realities and accountable to the people they are intended to serve.
Drawing from her experiences as a social anthropologist, activist, academic, and political leader, Dr. Amarasuriya also discussed the challenges of translating activism and public movements into long-term policy reforms and institutional change. She noted that meaningful transformation requires patience, negotiation, and sustained public engagement.
The lecture was followed by an interactive question-and-answer session with the audience, during which discussions focused on governance, institutional independence, political reform, economic recovery, and the challenges of balancing democratic accountability with policy implementation.
Professor Diego Sanchez-Ancochea, Head of the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, commended the Prime Minister’s lecture, describing it as an important and timely reflection on the relationship between politics and development, informed by both scholarly insight and practical political experience.
Prime Minister’s Media Division
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Sun directly overhead Kalpitiya, Talawa, Sinharagama, Galkadawala, Nachchaduwa, Padikaramaduwa, Gomarankalla and Verugal about 12.10 noon today (01)
The sun is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 28th of August to 07th of September due to its apparent southward relative motion.
The nearest places of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (01) are Kalpitiya, Talawa, Sinharagama, Galkadawala,
Nachchaduwa, Padikaramaduwa, Gomarankalla and Verugal about 12.10 noon.
… stresses need for action if claims were proved false
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Dayasiri Jayasekera has sought a clarification from Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne regarding several allegations against Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, in Parliament, recently.
In a letter dated 31 August, Jayasekera has asked the Speaker whether he received any documentary evidence from MPs in support of the allegations at issue. The SJB MP has also inquired about the steps taken by the Speaker regarding the allegations and whether the issue had been taken up with the relevant agencies authorised to probe the assets of the CJ and members of his family.
MP Jayasekera confirmed that he had raised the issue with the Speaker, following the accusations relating to the high profile X-Press Pearl case, which received significant public attention in the recent past.
The Kurunegala District MP has also asked the Speaker whether the latter contemplated taking action in case the allegations were proved false to ensure that the dignity of the Chief Justice and the judiciary was safeguarded.
Among the issues raised by MP Jayasekera are the acquisition of valuable property in Colombo by the CJ’s son, the circumstances in which he was able to procure the property, as well as accusations regarding the CJ’s birth certificate, marriage certificate and birth certificates of his children.
Navy Chief Vice Admiral Damian Fernando held a series of strategic-level discussions with senior Indian defence and military officials during a three-day official visit to New Delhi. He returned on Sunday (30).
Navy Headquarters said that the two sides discussed ways to further strengthen maritime security cooperation between the two Navies in support of security in the Indian Ocean region. They also exchanged views on expanding training opportunities and capacity-building programmes, as well as other areas of bilateral importance.
During his visit to New Delhi, Vice Admiral Fernando also held official discussions with India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General N.S. Raja Subramani, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit and defence industry representatives. Discussions at these meetings focused on bilateral defence cooperation, joint training programmes, and opportunities to enhance air and maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region.
As part of efforts to further expand cooperation in naval training and professional development, Vice Admiral Fernando also met Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of India’s Southern Naval Command, at its headquarters in Kochi, Kerala. The two sides discussed existing naval training exchange programmes and opportunities for introducing and expanding further training initiatives. The meeting followed the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy’s visit to INS Dronacharya, the Indian Navy’s training establishment where he previously completed the Long Gunnery and Missile Course.
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