Participates in ISLE Silver Jubilee

The Ambassador participated at a luncheon that the Peradeniya University Vice Chancellor Professor Harischandra Abeygunawardena hosted at The Lodge to celebrate the silver jubilee of The Inter Collegiate Sri Lanka Education (ISLE) Program. Those present included visiting faculty from ISLE colleges in the US, Peradeniya University faculty that teach in the program and former students and other well-wishers.

Established in 1982 in collaboration with the University of Peradeniya ISLE annually brings for a period of four months about fifteen to twenty undergraduates from a group of US Colleges to study in Kandy. While in Kandy they study Sri Lankan history, archeology, languages, culture, religion as well as the country's economy, politics and society. They experience Sri Lankan life and hospitality first hand by staying with Kandy families. In the past twenty five years several hundred students have graduated from the program and some of them have proceeded to do graduate research on Sri Lanka and become experts in their chosen fields.

The Founder Director of ISLE is Professor John Holt who has written several books on religion, culture and society in Sri Lanka including The Religious World of Kirti Sri: Buddhism, Art and Politics in Late Medieval Sri Lanka. Dr. Sree Padma Holt serves as the Administrative Director of the Program.

Ambassador Blake at ICES

Ambassador Blake also visited the International Centre for Ethnic Studies during his recent visit to Kandy. He had a wide ranging discussion with an invited group of senior scholars, administrators and professionals on governance, conflict and related issues. Some of the participants in the discussion (from left): ICES Director Dushyantha Mendis, Chairman of the Board Professor K M de Silva, Ambassador Blake, Executive Director Professor Sam Samarasinghe, Dr. Rajeewa Jayasinghe, Professor Sirima Kiribamune, Dr. Ram Alagan, ICES Senior Consultant Palitha Elkaduwa, Professor Asoka Ekanayake, Professor Kamala Liyanage, Professor Jude Fernando, US Embassy Public Affairs Officer Evan Owen, and Attorney-at-Law and former Kandy Mayor Harindra Dunuwille.