Defence Seminar - 2014’, fourth in sequel of annual forums, expects to open, share and discuss a wide gamut of issues, related to Sri Lanka’s post-conflict recovery and diverse challenges, facing the Nation in its march to be the Wonder of Asia.

Initiated on a conceptual notion of Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Secretary of Defence and Urban Development, this year’s forum, meticulously organized on the directions of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake, are being addressed by more than twenty guest speakers, including eminent scholars, intellectuals and think tanks of international reputation and recognition.

Themed on ‘Sri Lanka: Challenges to a Rising Nation’, scholars attending deliberations, like Dr D. Suba Chandran, Director at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (India), Dr Subramanian Swamy, Member of Parliament and President of the Janatha Party of India, Ms Mariam Safi, Founding Director, Organization for Policy Research and Development Studies (Afghanistan), Ambassador (Retd) Arif Ayub, President of the Institute of Regional Studies, Islamabad (Pakistan), Mr Patryk Kugiel, Analyst at the International Economic Relations and Global Issues Programme at the Polish Institute of International Affairs (Poland), Prof. Rwekaza S Mukandala, President of the African Association of Political Science (Tanzania), Dr. Tang Siew Mun, Director, Foreign Policy and Security Studies at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (Malaysia), Dr. Wang Weihua, Assistant Director, Institute for Foreign Policy Studies (China) and Dr. Yeo Lay Hwee, Director of the European Union Centre in Singapore (Singapore), are scheduled to submit their presentations during the sessions. (SL Army)