Sri Lanka Field School 2023; Collaborative Program between Department of Anthropology USJ and Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Mount Royal University, Canada

The inauguration ceremony of the Sri Lanka Anthropology field school was held on 15th May 2023 with the participation of the chief guest Prof. Upul Subasinghe; acting vice chancellor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Prof. Shirantha Heenkenda; Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Pathmalal Manage; Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, Prof. Charmalie Nahallage; Head of the Department of Anthropology, Prof. Smanthi Kulathilake; Mount Royal University Canada and Dr. Tom Buchman; Mount Royal University Canada. In addition, staff members of the Department of Anthropology students from Mount Royal University Canada and the Department of Anthropology USJ participated in the inauguration ceremony followed by a guest lecture series. Department of Anthropology of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Mount Royal University (MRU), Canada signed a Memorandum of Agreement in 2016 with the intention of promoting international educational and research collaboration between the two institutions. Extending the collaborations between two institutions this year’s Sri Lanka Anthropology field school was conducted for the 3rd time. The second was conducted in 2018 and the first was in 2016. This year, 12 Anthropology and Sociology undergraduate students from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, MRU visited USJ for field work and they were hosted by the Department of Anthropology, USJ. Mount Royal University students were given opportunity to gain knowledge and experience of the Sri Lankan culture and society through the field work conducted from 16th May 2023 to 1st June 2023. Experiences gathered from the field works blended with the conceptual insights were presented together with USJ Anthropology students on 2nd June 2023. The field school and related fieldwork covers the disciplines of Anthropology, Sociology and Archaeology under the guidance of Dr. Samanthi Kulathilake and Dr. Tom Buchman. The field school provide opportunity for Sri Lankan students to work with foreign students of the same discipline and vice versa. Further this gives Sri Lankan students to experience different teaching methods practiced in other parts of the world.