Panel Discussion on Strategic Policy Perspectives

The inaugural Panel Discussion of the Strategic Policy Perspective Series was successfully concluded on the 15^th of July 2025. The theme for Series I “Migration Governance in Asia: Interactions, Policies, and Future Prospects,” aimed to provide a platform for wider interaction on key challenges such as ensuring safe and orderly migration, border control and technology, transnationally organized crimes including human trafficking, and policy development.

A remarkable addition and milestone in the Department of Strategic Studies’ annual calendar, this event enabled the students reading for the Bachelor of Science in Strategic Studies and International Relations to receive firsthand exposure to the issues pertaining to migration and Sri Lanka’s perspectives on them. The Policy paper writing workshop was followed by a Policy brief writing competition, facilitating the students to have their hand at policy formulation, a significant value addition to their area of study and research. The writer of the best Policy brief was rewarded after a strict review process.

The Vice Chancellor presided the event as the Chief Guest and the audience consisted of representatives from the tri-forces, IOM, Institute of National Security Studies and Regional Centre for Strategic Studies, alongside the Dean of the faculty and members of the Faculty of Defence and Strategic Studies. First and second-year undergraduates of the IR and SS degree programme were the focus of the event.

The first panel discussion series was framed within the context of Target 10.7 of the UN Sustainable Goals (SDG), established to ‘facilitate orderly, safe, regular, and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed policies.’ It was conducted under two sessions with the participation of notable resource personnel as mentioned below:

Panel I

Theme: Transnational Migration and National Security: Regional Policy Responses

Chairperson:

Lieutenant Commander Carine Buzaud
Director of Studies
Regional Centre for Maritime Studies, KDU

Panelists:

Tharindu Jayawardhane
National Programme Officer,
Immigration and Border Governance,
International Organization for Migration, Sri Lanka and the Maldives

Kirsty Duncan
First Secretary Immigration/ Principal
Migration Officer Integrity
Australian High Commission, Colombo

Captain(H) Sagara Udayanga WWV, RSP & Bar, USP, psn
Commanding Officer
Sri Lanka Navy

Bhanubhatra “Kaan” Jittiang
Asstistant Professor
Secretariat, ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights-Thailand
Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

Panel II

Theme: Irregular Migration Networks: Risks and Threat Evaluation

Chairperson:

Dr. D.G. Niruka Sanjeeawani
Senior Lecturer
Department of Strategic Studies

Panelists: