Srimal Fernando is a Doctoral Fellow at Jindal School of International Affairs (JSIA), India. Fernando was the recipient of the prestigious O.P. Jindal scholarship to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in International Affairs on “Political and Economic Integration in South Asia: A Prerequisite for Regional Community Buildingâ€. He is also the Advisor / Global Editor of Diplomatic Society for South Africa and, the winner of the 2018/2019 ‘Best Journalist of the Year’ award in South Africa .He has been the recipient of many other accolades for his journalistic work over the years including the GCA Media Awards for 2016. Having graduated with a Masters of Philosophy (M.Phil.) degree in Sociology from the South Asian University (SAU) in India, he was a South Asian University (SAU) Scholarship holder awarded under the SAARC umbrella spanning 8 regional countries in 2016 His former positions and experience include the handling of media and publications as a Publication Assistant /Press Officer to the Office of the Former President of Sri Lanka H.E Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga at the Presidential Secretariat as well as a Visiting Lecturer and International Speaker for several reputed academic institutions. A highly skilled analyst, he has undertaken various roles over the years; as Regional Advisor to International Alert UK Peace Building –INGO, he headed the Business for Peace Alliance, a consortium of 25 Regional Bossiness Chambers of Commerce during the Sri Lanka conflict period. He has also, in the past, undertaken the effective coordination of EU, UN and INGO funded projects and has been a key thought leader in the Multi party Political dialogue process in Sri Lanka. Over the years, as an Advisor, he has worked with policy makers for various peace building and conflict resolution initiatives that include working on the Post conflict Human Development Index (HDI) Report after the liberation of the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. In the field of politics, and Policy affairs, Fernando is a specialist, with over ten years of first hand experience in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Upon completion of his Doctoral studies , it is his aspiration to pursue a career in politics and to steer his island nation towards the path of a new and robust foreign policy.
Throughout the last decade since Maldives became a multi-party democracy, several changes occurred in the country for greater political integration. During the early years the new constitution gave more powers to the judiciary and legislatu...
In the next five years, Sri Lanka is striding on a economic vision plan to achieve a export target of $20 billion dollars. The country’s export performance had recovered after the slump in the years 2015 and 2016 to US$ 16.4 billion dollars...
Being the largest nation in South Asia, India was elected as non-permanent member of the powerful United Nations Security Council (UNSC) with an overwhelming number of votes crossing the two-thirds majority mark. According to Article 23 of ...
The ocean is vital for the economy and food production for small islands like Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and to the coastal areas of the Indian subcontinent. In the neighbouring countries of India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, over 16 million ...
Energy self-sufficiency has gained renewed importance among small island states such as Sri Lanka and the Maldives in the past few decades. Sri Lanka is the fourth largest electricity-producing nation in South Asia. On the other hand, there...
The visually appealing Colombo city skyline has experienced dramatic change in the past few years, surrounded by iconic skyscrapers, high-rise residential condominiums and construction cranes hovering in different parts of the city. These n...
