St Antony’s College hosts Sri Lankan Prime Minister for OSGA Annual Lecture

St Antony’s College was delighted to welcome the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dr Harini Amarasuriya, to Oxford on Tuesday 19 May for the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA) Annual Lecture, held at the College.

Dr Amarasuriya delivered a lecture titled ‘The politics of development: Sri Lanka and beyond’, reflecting on the relationship between development, governance and democracy in Sri Lanka and internationally. Drawing on her experience as a social anthropologist, activist and political leader, she explored the challenges of implementing development policy in complex political contexts and highlighted the importance of connecting policy decisions to people’s lived experiences.

Professor Diego Sanchez-Ancochea, Head of OSGA and a Governing Body Fellow at St Antony’s College, welcomed the Prime Minister to the College and chaired the discussion. He described the lecture as ‘an important and timely reflection on the relationship between politics and development’, noting the value of perspectives informed by both academic research and political experience.

During the lecture, Dr Amarasuriya discussed Sri Lanka’s ongoing economic recovery and institutional reform, as well as the balance between democratic accountability and effective governance. She also spoke about gender equality and women’s political participation, highlighting the role of grassroots women’s movements and the importance of ensuring that development priorities remain grounded in local realities.

The lecture concluded with a question-and-answer session with the audience, covering topics including judicial independence, political reform and social justice. The event brought together leading academics, policymakers and practitioners to Oxford to discuss global challenges and their impact in different regions of the world.