On December 4, 2019, H. E. Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, visited the Higher School of Economics to give what could be his last lecture on the foreign relations and world politics in his capacity as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. During his tenure in Russia, Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka delivered lectures at the most prominent and leading Russian educational institutions, including the well-known Moscow State University, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO-University), famous Peoples' Friendship University (formerly known as the University of Patrice Lumumba), the Higher School of Economics, the Academy of General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, and others, participated in a number of very important and representative conferences to discuss the most pressing issues of international affairs and peace and stability in the world.

 A special place among these academic institutions is occupied by the Higher School of Economics, which does not have a long history, as it was founded in 1992, but it has already become one of the leaders of academic and research activities, being one of the three largest universities in Russia. Just recently, the HSE held two groundbreaking conferences on "Greater Eurasia" and "Globalization in Contemporary Asia," in which Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka took part. The Conference on Globalization gathered many Heads of the Foreign Missions accredited in Russia, including representatives from India, China, Bangladesh, Iran, Vietnam, South Korea, Turkey, etc., representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry, H. E. Dr. Seyed Mohammad Kazem Sajjad Pour, Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran and other guests.

This time H. E. Dayan Jayatilleka was specifically invited to speak to the students of HSE on two main subjects: Globalization and Greater Eurasia, after which he answered the questions from the future international academicians, diplomats, and political scientists. The lecture was moderated by Olga Solodkova, Associate Professor, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, School of International Regional Studies at HSE, and was also attended by Prof. Andrey Karneev, Head of the School of Asian Studies, and Elena Khokhlova, Deputy Head of the School and Lecturer at the School of Asian Studies.

Speaking on the phenomenon of globalization, Dr. Jayatilleka talked about the social and institutional reactions to it, and the confusion in understanding the term "globalization". Globalization can be different, it does not necessarily have to be an evil in itself, if only one could come up with an "alternative globalization", alternative to its present content: neoliberalism and unipolarity. The Ambassador also stressed the need to develop the idea of Greater Eurasia, which requires some institutional and intellectual efforts.

After his lecture Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka answered the students' questions, which showed their proficiency in the subject. Among other things he touched upon the matter of autonomy versus state sovereignty and integrity problem, pointing out the mistakes made in the recent past in this matter by some political leaders.