The short course on ‘Cultural Linkages Towards an Asian Ideology 2022/23’ was organized by the Department of Social Sciences of the Faculty of Management, Social Sciences and Humanities of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University with the funding of Eurasia Foundation in Japan (from Asia). Eurasia is a non-profit organization supporting activities and stimulating common sense values among Asian people in different aspects which would result in global peace and prosperity.
The short course was initiated with the aim of educating the students about the diversity in Asia, which would help them to understand the similarities and differences across cultures, societies and systems in Asia. The series of lectures was conducted by eminent scholars, practitioners and resource persons both locally and internationally. At the end of the short course, a certificate was awarded to the students who have successfully completed the programme.
The Certificate Awarding Ceremony of the course, which was successfully concluded for the third consecutive time, was held on the 22nd of March 2023 from 09.30 am onwards at the Main Auditorium of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University. The event was graced by the esteemed presence of the Acting Ambassador of Japan, Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka, Mr. Kotaro Katsuki as the Chief Guest, Professor Hajime Tozaki of JF Oberlin University in Japan as the Guest of Honour, Chief Representative of JICA Sri Lanka Office Mr. Tetsuya Yamada, Mr. Nobuo Kanda, Assistant Section Chief, Department of Academic and Student Affairs of JF Oberlin University in Japan and the Vice Chancellor of KDU, Major General Milinda Peiris. A number of other distinguished guests including the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic, Deans, Directors, Heads of Departments, Professors, Military Officers, Academic staff, non-academic staff and students were present at the occasion.
Vice Chancellor emphasized the importance of international partnerships in his welcome speech and paid his gratitude to all the Japanese counterparts and the Department of Social Sciences for their successful collaboration. The Chief Guest, Mr. Kotaro Katsuki, reiterated the golden memories of how Sri Lanka supported Japan at the San Francisco Conference after the World War II and assured that Japan will continue to extend its support to Sri Lanka at this crucial juncture. The Guest of Honour, Professor Hajime Tozaki, expressed his deep sense of appreciation for how the course was conducted and the efforts taken to complete it successfully for the third consecutive time. He further assured the audience his willingness to continue this collaboration for many more years.
Certificates were awarded by the Chief Guest, Mr. Kotaro Katsuki, to 76 local and international students comprising both Officer Cadets and Day-Scholars from different faculties of KDU. The event was illumined by two amazing dance performances of university students and it was wrapped with a vote of thanks made in both Japanese and English languages by the course coordinator, Dr. Hemantha Premarathne.
