The Ministry of Science and Technology, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, and the World Academy of Sciences for the Advancement of Science in Developing Countries (TWAS), successfully convened a forum discussion on “The Role of Diplomacy in Informed Decision–Making at the Science-Policy Interface- Science-Diplomacy” on 10 November 2025. The event, was held as part of the National Science Day celebrations during Science Wek 2025 and brought together over 80 onsite participants and more than 200 online attendees representing universities, research institutions, diplomatic missions, and international organizations.
Professor Chrishantha Abeysena, Minister of Science and Technology participated as the Guest of Honour. The forum discussion commenced with remarks by Mr. Y.L. Navavi, Secretary to the Ministry of Science and Technology and by Director General, South Asia – SAARC, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Samantha Pathirana, on behalf of the Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism.
The keynote address was delivered by Former Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Dr. Zakri Abdul Hamid, highlighting the importance of International partnerships and regional cooperation in achieving sustainable development goals. Director of UNESCO New Delhi, Dr. Timothy Curtis, spoke on international scientific cooperation for sustainable development emphasizing the role of UNESCO in developing cross-national collaborations. The technical session also featured Former Chairperson of NSF Sri Lanka, Dr. Sirimali Fernando, who shared insights on aligning national research priorities with sustainable development objectives, and Executive Director of UNESCO-TWAS, Professor Marcelo Knobel, who highlighted the impact of science diplomacy to support informed decision-making.
A panel discussion was also conducted on the theme “The Untapped Potential of Soft Power and Cooperation to Enhance Scientific Partnerships for National Development Goals.” The panelists included Dr Sirimali Fernando, Professor Marcelo Knobel, Director General Samantha Pathirana, Director and Centre Chairman of the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Centre for South Asia Water Management (UMCSAWM) , Professor Lalith Rajapaksha, Coordinator of the Inter Academy Partnership (IAP), Dr Peter McGrath, , and Director of the National Innovation Centre of Excellence (NICE) China, Dr Benjin Luo. The discussion underscored the significance of cross-sectoral dialogue and highlighted the potential of science diplomacy as a means of soft power to enhance global partnerships in science and technology. The session was moderated by Seyed Shahmy, who is a member of the International Network for Governmental Science Advice (INGSA) and an alumnus of the AAAS-TWAS Science Diplomacy programme. Following the panel discussion, Dr. Peter McGrath, shared insights on emerging opportunities in science diplomacy.
The forum culminated in the development of a policy brief containing a set of recommendations to guide future actions, which will be proposed for implementation in the near future. Among the key outcomes were the decision to conduct a series of awareness programmes on science diplomacy, with consideration given to expanding its scope through targeted training initiatives.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism
Colombo
13 November 2025
