October 16th was marked by the first visit Ambassador Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka and Madame Sanja Jayatilleka paid to Russia's academic community, meeting with the Ambassador's long-standing contacts at the Russian Centre for Policy Studies, known to the international community as PIR CENTRE.
The Ambassador and Madame Jayatilleka were welcomed in a fine 1870ies estate, which, since 1944, has been home to the Soviet, then Russian Diplomatic Academy, the core institution of Russian Foreign Service education and research. PIR CENTRE, established exactly 50 years later in 1994, has been widely recognized as one Russia's leading think tanks in international policy studies, with particular focus on non-proliferation and disarmament, global security, nuclear policy, with a strong regional studies component covering Iran, Middle East and Asia-Pacific studies. Numerous publications, periodicals, analyses and reports are published by PIR and made available through Internet, including the longest-established Russian journal on international security, Security Index, in which Dr. Jayatilleka collaborated during his postings as Ambassador in Geneva and Paris.
Though a fully independent non-government institution, PIR CENTRE has provided valuable expertise for some of the Russian Foreign Ministry programs; most of PIR scholars are staff or guest lecturers at MGIMO (Moscow State University of International Relations under the Russian MFA) and lead seminars and other activities at MFA's Diplomatic Academy.
Notably, the Dual Degree MA program in Non-Proliferation Studies was founded by PIR CENTRE in 2016, as a joint curriculum of MGIMO and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (USA), enrolling not only Russian and US students but also those from several other countries, including China, Canada, Spain, Mexico and others. PIR CENTRE noted the large numbers of Sri Lankan students coming to Russia every year and invited those of them with background and further interests in international policy, global security and counter-terrorism studies, to join this 3-semester program, or PIR CENTRE's Summer School on international security.
The Ambassador received an open invitation to participate, as a guest of honour, lecturer or discussion leader, in any of the academic events organised by PIR CENTRE. The invitation was acknowledged gratefully with a note that such academic events would highlight the growing role of Sri Lanka in the Indo-Pacific region in the context of new global policy trends, dynamics and problems.
Ambassador Dr. Jayatilleka and Madame Jayatilleka were happy to meet again, this time in Moscow, with their long-term academic contact – Dr. Vladimir A. Orlov, PIR CENTRE founder, Security Index editor-in-chief and member of the Advisory Board of the Russian Federation Government. The Ambassador acknowledged his fruitful correspondence with PIR CENTRE CEO, Dr. Albert F. Zulkharneev whom Dr. Jayatilleka was happy to meet in person, and their colleagues Dr. Vadim B. Kozyulin, Director, Asian Security Studies, Dr. Adlan R. Margoyev, Director, Non-Proliferation, Russian Nuclear Policy and Iranian Nuclear Program Studies Director, Dr. Andrey A. Baklitsky, Leading Expert in Middle East Studies, along with Ms. Julia Tseshkovskaya, Advisor to PIR CENTRE Founder.
