Pathfinder Foundation to launch China – Sri Lanka Cooperation Studies Centre

20 October 2015 06:30 pm

The Pathfinder Foundation (PF) is to unveil the ‘China – Sri Lanka Cooperation Studies Centre’ tomorrow (October 22nd) at 3:30 p.m. by Chinese Ambassador Yi Xianliang and the PF Founder  Milinda Moragoda at No: 34, Purasarana Building, Sanchi Arachchi Mawatha, Off St. Sabastian Hill, Colombo 12. 
The main objective of the Centre is to promote conduct of analytical studies, exchange of experiences and ideas, facilitation of business–to–business and people-to-people relations. 

With the cooperation of the Chinese Embassy, the China – Sri Lanka Cooperation Studies Centre foundered under the aegis of the PF, is expected to collaborate with a Chinese think – tank in Beijing or Shanghai, which will operationalise a counterpart ‘Sri Lanka – China Cooperation Studies Centre’. 
After declare opening the ‘China – Sri Lanka Studies Centre,’ Ambassador Yi and his officials are scheduled to take part in a dialogue with a team of prominent Buddhist scholarly monks.

The Pathfinder Foundation is in the process of developing a program of action for the ‘China – Sri Lanka Cooperation Studies Centre’ initially for a brief period. Nevertheless, the final action plan is to be developed in consultation with a partner institute in China to be identified at a later stage.

The PF, as a leading research and advocacy think-tank, has been in the forefront of promoting market friendly economic policies, conducting Track II dialogues, particularly with Sri Lanka’s key bilateral partners. 

The PF has been diversifying its international cooperation by developing links with similar think tanks in China, India and the USA, and exploring similar arrangements with countries such as Japan. In 2011 the PF’s participation in “Knowing China” Deepening Mutual Understanding Exchange Programme held in Beijing, opened the doors for deeper collaboration with Chinese think-tanks including the Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament (CPAPD). With the signing of a Cooperation Memorandum with CPAPD in 2012 and the exchange of business delegations in January 2013, the PF has significantly contributed to promoting Chinese tourists to Sri Lanka.