Meet IRO Team

Dr. Harinda Vidanage is Director, International Relations Office (IRO) & Founding Director, Centre for Strategic Assessment (CSA), Sir John Kotelawala Defence University Sri Lanka, he was formerly Director, Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS), prior to his assignment at the BCIS he was Assistant Professor of International Relations, St. Lawrence University, New York from 2012 – 2016. Where his teaching focused on International Relations, Global Cyber Politics, and International Security.

Dr Vidanage gained his PhD from the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom as an ORSAS and Principles Scholar. He graduated from University of Colombo Sri Lanka with First Class honors in Political Science. He is a Senior Fulbright Scholar and one of the few Sri Lankan scholar recipients of the prestigious Fulbright Scholar in Residence fellowship awarded by the US Fulbright Commission.

Dr Vidanage is IORA Academic Group Focal point for Sri Lanka, a Honorary Fellow at Stratenewsglobal.com,) and research fellow at Nepal Institute of International Cooperation (NIICE). Expert Member of the South Asia Cyber Security Governance review group of Geneva Centre for Security Governance (DECAF).

Dr. Vidanage has presented on various local and international academic and corporate forums on themes ranging from cyber security, international security, and geopolitics. He was a lead academic in developing the curriculum for the newly established National Defence College in Sri Lanka (NDC). ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), HDUCIM coordinator for KDU and Sri Lanka.

As a renowned public intellectual in the field of International Affairs, Cyber Policy and Strategic Studies Dr Vidanage contributes regularly to electronic and print media analyzing current global political developments. Dr Vidanage is widely consulted by state agencies for policy input and review.

Dr. Harinda Vidanage (PhD)
Director