Prof Jayanta Choudhury, Head of the Department of Rural Development and Planning at Nagaland University, participated as an invited distinguished expert in two major rural development events hosted by Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Rural Development Department of Uva Provincial Council and supported by the Strengthening Governance Programme of The Asia Foundation with financial sponsorship of Australian Government.
Prof Choudhury served as a Panel Member (Vocational and Skill Development Education) at the Policy Clinic on Rural Development on November 26 and as the Panel Chair for the Community Mobilization and Rural Transformation / Rural Development Track at the National Conference on Rural Development on November 27.
These programmes, part of the National Summit on Rural Development 2025 (NSRD 2025) and the National Conference on Rural Development (NCRD 2025), brought together national policymakers, scholars, development practitioners, and provincial-level institutions to advance evidence-based rural development strategies in Sri Lanka.
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During the engagements, Prof Choudhury made significant scholarly and policy contributions, particularly in advising on the formulation of the Rural Development Policy for Uva Province, with a focus on community mobilization, inclusive governance, and rural transformation; strengthening the analytical and participatory components of the provincial policy planning process; bringing comparative insights from India’s rural development experience, community-based institutions, and rural governance frameworks; and providing expert guidance during panel discussions to shape knowledge-driven practices for rural development in Sri Lanka.
Organizers from Uva Wellassa University expressed appreciation for Prof Choudhury’s expertise, noting that his participation “significantly enriched the intellectual discourse” and contributed meaningfully to advancing rural development knowledge and dialogue in Sri Lanka.
The collaborative engagements serve to strengthen the cross-country knowledge exchange between India and Sri Lanka on rural development, community empowerment, and sustainable local governance.
