Speakers

Voices of Impact: Meet Our Keynote and Plenary Speakers

Keynote Speakers

Prof. Steven Ratuva

An Award-winning Political Sociologist Global Interdisciplinary Scholar
Director of the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies
University of Canterbury
New Zealand

Professor Steven Ratuva, an award-winning political sociologist and global interdisciplinary scholar, is Director of the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies. He was awarded the 2020 Metge Medal by the Royal Society of New Zealand -Te Apārangi, the country’s highest award in social science research excellence. He was also co-winner of the 2019 University of Canterbury research medal, the university’s highest academic honour. He became the first Pacific Islander and foreign national to win both esteemed and highly contested awards. He is also recipient of a number of research grants by Marsden, NZ Health Research Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and others, totaling a few million dollars.

He was a recipient of a Fulbright Senior Fellowship and was Fulbright professor at the University of California (LA), Duke University and Georgetown University in 2018. He is Chair of the International Political Science Association research committee on Security, Conflict and Democratization and former President of the Pacific Islands Political Studies Association. He has transdisciplinary across sociology, anthropology, political science, development studies, economics, philosophy and history. With a PhD from the Institute of Development Studies (University of Sussex), he has published widely on a range of issues Pacific societies and culture, indigenous knowledge, development, conflict, peace, political change, coups, memory activism, social solidarity economy, social protection, elections, ethnicity, security, military, affirmative action, COVID-19, social indexes, indigenous knowledge, climate security and nationalism.

Prof. Saskia Sassen

Professor of Sociology and Co-Chairs the Committee on Global Thought
Columbia University
USA

Prof. Saskia Sassen is the Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology and Co-Chairs the Committee on Global Thought, Columbia University. Her recent books are Territory, Authority, Rights: From Medieval to Global Assemblages (Princeton University Press 2008), A Sociology of Globalization(W.W.Norton 2007), and the 4th fully updated edition of Cities in a World Economy (Sage 2011). The Global City came out in a new fully updated edition in 2001. Her books are translated into twenty-one languages. She is currently working on When Territory Exits Existing Frameworks (Under contract with Harvard University Press). She contributes regularly to OpenDemocracy and The Huffington Post.

Plenary Speakers

Prof. Liezille Jacobs

Assoc Professor
Head of Department
Psychology Department
Faculty of Humanities
Rhodes University
South Africa

Topic: “Spotlight on Substance Use Disorder: A critical view on mental health and the sustainable development goals (SDG)”

Professor Liezille J. Jacobs leads as the Head of the Psychology Department at Rhodes University in Makhanda, Eastern Cape, South Africa. She also holds a visiting scholar position at the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science, School of Medicine, Stanford University. Dr. Jacobs earned her PhD in psychology from Stellenbosch University and is a fellow of the Future Professors Programme (cohort 2) for 2021-2023.
Her teaching interests span social psychology and critical health psychology, while her research delves into addiction, gender, class, race, identity, sexuality, feminist epistemologies, and cyberpsychology’s evolving dynamics. She explores the intricate relationship between humans and technology.
Dr. Jacobs has lent her expertise to organizations like the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), University of the Western Cape (UWC), and was an Erasmus Mundus Fellow at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. She’s engaged with Howard University in Washington, D.C., and has contributed to the South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association (SAMEA).
With over 30 articles in peer-reviewed international journals and multiple authored book chapters, Dr. Jacobs boasts an impressive publication record. Her book “Rocklands: On Becoming the First Generation of Psychologists in Post-Apartheid South Africa” stands as a testament to her scholarly prowess. Notably, she chaired the National Department of Health’s Alcohol Guidelines and served as a committee member of the NRF. Her remarkable contributions have been recognized with awards from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust.

Prof. Jay L Garfield

Doris Silbert Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Philosophy and Buddhist Studies
Smith College
United States
Editor in Chief, Journal of Buddhist Philosophy

Topic: “Buddhism and Nonviolence in the World Today”

Professor. Jay L. Garfield is Doris Silbert Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Philosophy and Buddhist Studies at Smith College, Visiting Professor of Buddhist philosophy at Harvard Divinity School, Professor of Philosophy at Melbourne University and Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies. Academicinfluence.com has identified him as one of the 50 most influential philosophers in the world over the past decade.
Prof.Garfield’s research addresses topics in the foundations of cognitive science and the philosophy of mind; metaphysics; the history of modern Indian philosophy; topics in ethics, epistemology and the philosophy of logic; the philosophy of the Scottish enlightenment methodology in cross-cultural interpretation; and topics in Buddhist philosophy, particularly Indo-Tibetan Madhyamaka and Yogācāra. He is the author or editor of over 30 books and over 200 articles, chapters, and reviews.
Prof.Garfield’s most recent books are How to Lose Yourself (with Maria Heim and Robert Sharf 2024), Getting Over Ourselves: How to be a Person Without a Self (2022), Knowing Illusion: Bringing a Tibetan Debate into Contemporary Discourse (with the Yakherds 2021, Buddhist Ethics: A Philosophical Exploration (2021), ̛What Can’t Be Said: Paradox and Contradiction in East Asian Thought (with Yasuo Deguchi, Graham Priest, and Robert Sharf 2021), The Concealed Influence of Custom: Hume’s Treatise From the Inside Out (OUP 2019), Minds Without Fear: Philosophy in the Indian Renaissance (with Nalini Bhushan, 2017), Dignāga’s Investigation of the Percept: A Philosophical Legacy in India and Tibet (with Douglas Duckworth, David Eckel, John Powers, Yeshes Thabkhas and Sonam Thakchöe, 2016) Engaging Buddhism: Why it Matters to Philosophy (2015), Moonpaths: Ethics and Emptiness (with the Cowherds, 2015) and (edited, with Jan Westerhoff), Madhyamaka and Yogācāra: Allies or Rivals? (2015).

Prof. Madhubhashini Galagedarage Hewage

Professor in Communication
The Open University of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka

Topic: “The role of media in promoting sustainable development goals”

Prof. Madhubhashini Hewage, PhD, MPhil, is an esteemed scholar in Communication, holding degrees from prestigious institutions including the National University of Malaysia, the National University of Singapore, and the University of Kelaniya. With a first-class Bachelor of Arts degree from Sri Palee Campus, University of Colombo, her academic prowess is undeniable. She also obtained the first class in the first time in the history of Sri Palee Campus, University of Colombo. Recognized for her exceptional research contributions, Prof. Hewage received the Research Award from the Open University of Sri Lanka consecutively from 2020 to 2022. In 2018, she demonstrated her leadership as President of the Young Social Scientists Association of the National Science Foundation. She also served as a subject expert of the several national level committees appointed by the Ministry of Mass Media in Sri Lanka. A member of the International Association for Social Sciences and Humanities (IASSH) since 2022, Prof. Hewage is dedicated to global scholarly collaboration. She serves as a member of the editorial boards of the several reputed journals at the local and international levels. Her expertise extends to speaking engagements, including a keynote address at the ICOSSHTech 2021 conference organized by the National University of Malaysia. With practical experience in media production, Prof. Hewage served as an assistant producer for programs at both the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation in 2006. Her multifaceted contributions underscore her commitment to advancing knowledge and fostering excellence in Communication.

Dr. Bhagya Senaratne

Global Asia at the Center for Global Asia
China

Topic: “Maritime connections between New Zealand and Sri Lanka: Connected by Empire, Separated by Distance” and this broadly falls under the area studies, geography, and political science categories.”

Dr. Bhagya Senaratne is a Postdoctoral Fellow of Global Asia at the Center for Global Asia, NYU Shanghai. Previously, she was a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Strategic Studies, at General Sir John Kotelawala Defense University, Sri Lanka (KDU). Her research at the Center for Global Asia focused on the BRI in South Asia. She researches and teaches on Foreign Policy Analysis (Sri Lanka, China, U.S.), Ocean Politics, Diplomacy, Strategic Communications and Maritime Security.

Dr. Senaratne has served in several editorial boards such as the Journal of Defence & Policy Analysis and the Defence and Security Journal published of which she was the Editor-in-Chief in 2021. She co-edited Pakistan-Sri Lanka Relations: A Story of Friendship in 2017 and Sri Lanka’s Post-Independence Defence Policy: Past, Present and Future Projections in 2023. She has a podcast with the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR), USA, the Indo-Pacific Circle and writes to the Stimson Center’s South Asian Voices on Sri Lanka’s foreign policy.

Among the awards and honors received. Dr. Senaratne was the recipient of the U.S. State Department’s Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) Award in 2020, the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in 2019, and the 22nd Ship for World Youth Programme awarded jointly by the Cabinet Office of Japan and the United Nations University in Tokyo, Japan in 2010 to name a few. She is an alumna of the University of Colombo, the Indian Institute for Mass Communication (IIMC), the Geneva Center for Security Policy, the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS), the Near East and South Asia Center (NESA), the IVLP and SWY. Dr. Senaratne was a Visiting Scholar at the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS) in Beijing, China in 2017. She received her Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Prof. S. M. Khan

Professor in Psychology
Aligarh Muslim University
India

Prof. Khan, a distinguished academic, holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Lucknow and a master’s degree in Statistics & Psychology from AMU. With over three decades of research expertise, he has contributed significantly to applied psychology, publishing extensively, and overseeing numerous research projects, particularly in safety personnel selection for Indian Railways. Prof. Khan’s leadership extends to teaching and mentoring, having supervised numerous successful Ph.D. and master’s candidates. A sought-after speaker, he has conducted workshops internationally, focusing on online learning, data analytics, and research methodology. Prof. Khan’s research interests span psycho-physiological assessment, statistics, and organizational behavior.

Prof. Dr. Yasir Nawaz Manj

Professor of Sociology
Dean, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences
Government College Women University
Pakistan

Prof .Dr. Yasir Nawaz Manj is a distinguished administrator and academician in the field of sociology, currently serving as Professor of Sociology at Government College Women University Sialkot. With over 23 years of professional experience in academia and administration, Dr. Manj holds the esteemed positions of Chairman of the Department of Sociology and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Additionally, he has the role of Director, External Linkages, fostering connections beyond the university’s borders.
Dr. Manj’s academic contributions are extensive, reflected in more than 60 research publications in reputable journals. He has mentored numerous scholars, guiding the academic journeys of 9 PhD candidates and over 60 MPhil students, as well as supervising the research work of more than 500 BS/MSc students in the field of Sociology.
Specializing in Medical Sociology and Gender and Development, Dr. Manj’s expertise extends to various projects funded by organizations such as the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Government of Punjab. He has showcased his leadership internationally by organizing and participating in conferences held in Sri Lanka and Malaysia, Thailand contributing to the global discourse on sociological issues.
Dr. Manj’s dedication to scholarship, combined with his commitment to education and administration, has earned him recognition as a thought leader in his field, shaping the next generation of sociologists and fostering meaningful international collaborations.

Mr. Isanka P. Gamage

The International Institute of Knowledge Management (TIIKM),
Sri Lanka
Hotline : +94 715 589 870 | +94 777 379 779
Phone : +94 112044485
Email : isanka.gamage@tiikmedu.com

Conference Convener

Call for Resource Persons

The Call for Resource Persons is open for:

The deadline for submissions is April 15, 2024. All submissions will undergo a review process by the conference board, and selected speakers will be notified within 7 days.


Category	Fee (Physical)	Fee (Virtual)	Time Slot
Keynote Speaker	USD 520	USD 270	40 Minutes
Plenary Speaker	USD 500	USD 250	30 Minutes
Panelist	USD 495	USD 240	30 Minutes
Workshop Speakers	USD 500	USD 295	40 Minutes