InRO News
University of Peradeniya Welcomes Academics from Wales to Explore International Research Collaboration
2026-08-31
On 31st August 2026, the Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya, had the pleasure of welcoming three distinguished academics from Wales, United Kingdom, as part of an initiative to explore opportunities for international academic and research collaboration.
The visiting academics were Dr. Anne-Marie Coll, Associate Professor of Professional Practice at the Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, University of South Wales; Dr. Teresa Filipponi, Senior Lecturer in Human Nutrition and a public health practitioner; and Dr. Ashra Khanom, Senior Research Fellow at Swansea Medical School and the ‘Gambling Harms’ Research Lead for Public Health Wales.
The visit marked an important step towards exploring a proposed international research collaboration between the Faculty of Life Sciences and Education at the University of South Wales and the Faculty of Dental Sciences at the University of Peradeniya.
The proposed collaboration builds upon the successful academic and research partnership established during the one-year post-MD overseas training of Dr. Dilini Ratnayake, Lecturer in Community Dentistry attached to the Department of Community Dental Health. This engagement has resulted in several joint publications, ongoing collaborative research activities, and the establishment of strong professional links between academics of the two institutions.
Building on these achievements, academics from both institutions have expressed their intention to further strengthen collaboration in areas of mutual research interest. This initial engagement is expected to serve as a foundation for broader institutional collaboration and may, in the future, lead to the establishment of a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two universities.
During their visit, the delegation met with Professor Terrence Madujith, Vice Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya; Professor Ranjith Pallegama, Deputy Vice Chancellor; Professor Sanjeewa Malaviarachchi, Director of the International Relations Office; and Prof. Shyama Banneheka, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Sciences.
These discussions provided an opportunity to explore avenues for strengthening international academic partnerships, collaborative research, and capacity-building initiatives.
The visit will also include a series of research capacity-development activities for undergraduate students, academics, postgraduate trainees in dentistry and public health, and public health staff in the Kandy District. These activities are expected to promote research collaboration, enhance research capacity, facilitate knowledge exchange, and create opportunities for the development of joint research initiatives addressing shared public health priorities.
The Faculty of Dental Sciences looks forward to building upon this promising engagement and further strengthening its international partnerships in research, education, and capacity development.
