March 11, 2019 marked a visit of H. E. Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, accompanied by Madame Sanja Jayatilleka, to the Russian People’s Friendship University (RUDN), one of the most popular and widely-known in Sri Lanka Russian higher education institutions.
In the framework of his visit to the Russian People’s Friendship University, H. E. Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka gave a lecture on ‘terrorism and anti-terrorism’ that was attended by more than 115 students from various countries.
Founded in 1960, the Russian People’s Friendship University (former Patrice Lumumba University) is one of the most famous Russian higher education institutions with the most internationally diverse community of more than 31 500 students, 9 000 of which come from foreign countries. Over the past 50 years approximately 800 students from the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka graduated from RUDN. The University offers various undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate programs in humanities and social sciences, medicine, construction and engineering, mathematical sciences.
The visit began with a bilateral meeting between H. E. Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka and Dr. Larisa I. Efremova, Vice-Rector for International Relations and International Academic Mobility of the Russian People’s Friendship University (RUDN), who has also served as First Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Kalmykia (2001-2003), the Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia.
At the meeting, the RUDN University was also represented by Ms. Natalia V. Syulkova, Deputy Vice-Rector for International Relations and International Academic Mobility, Ms. Galina I. Tsvyk, Deputy Head of the Asia Division at the Department for Recruiting and Assistance to International Students, and Dr. Denis A. Degtyaryev, Head of the Department of Theory and History of International Relations at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
During the meeting the RUDN Vice-Rector International Relations and International Academic Mobility pointed out that there were students from more than 157 countries, currently enrolled at the Russian People’s Friendship University, with 52 students representing Sri Lanka, which makes RUDN one of the most international universities in the world. Dr. Efremova also underscored that, as a part of its outreach at establishment and development of ties with its alumni, a RUDN delegation had visited Sri Lanka three years ago to meet with Sri Lankan former alumni of the university, have a round table discussions and give a presentation on the current activities of RUDN and its academic programs. Further, it was noted that, being a very internationally diverse institution, the Russian People’s Friendship University supported Buddhist clergy in obtaining higher education and learning more about the Russian culture. As it was mentioned by Dr. Efremova, “the RUDN University organizes events not only to demonstrate the quality of education, but also to lead to understanding” between students of various cultural, religious backgrounds and political affiliations.
H.E. Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, in his turn, thanked the Administration of the Russian People’s Friendship University for the invitation to give a lecture to students and reminisced about his first visit to the RUDN during his adolescent years. During his discussions with RUDN representatives, H. E. the Ambassador pointed out that some universities had been able to safely maintain their images overseas through drastic political changes in the region, such as the dissolution of the Soviet Union; however, since the name of the RUDN university was changed from Patrice Lumumba University to Russian People’s Friendship University in 1992, there has been confusion about the branding of the university, as many Sri Lankan people had always associated the institution with the name of Patrice Lumumba. Concluding his comment on this issue, H. E. Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka suggested re-establishing the former image of the university with the purpose of further familiarization of the Sri Lankan people and restoration of ‘the triangle of associations’, consisting of the Embassy of Russia in Sri Lanka, the Russian Cultural Center in Colombo, and the Russian People’s Friendship University (the former Patrice Lumumba University).
Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka started his lecture to the students by saying that his expertise on the problem of terrorism is unique, since he is probably the only person who has been indicted for terrorism at one point, and then accused of supporting forceful measures to suppress it on another occasion. Being an academician, he studied terrorism in theory, being a diplomat in the public service, he had to face the problem of terrorism in practice.
After elaborating on the history and origin of the use of terrorism – and Russia was the first country, where it was used as the means for achieving some political goals, although the meaning of it was very different from what is known under the name of terrorism now, Dr. Jayatilleka raised very important questions. How ethical is the use of violence in principle, whether it is used by a state to protect its territorial integrity, or by a people aspiring for justice and freedom? Where is the borderline, separating the explicit evil of terrorism from all forms of struggle for social justice or national liberation, which is sometimes called “terrorism” as well? Referring to his book, ‘Fidel’s Ethics of Violence: The Moral Dimension of the Political Thought of Fidel Castro’, Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka stressed that there are examples in history of the moral use of violence. If a state or a movement crosses the red line of willingly targeting unarmed civilians and innocents, that one loses the moral high ground, and loses it all, whatever the outcome of their struggle may be. On the other hand, you may lose your battle, but still win in the end, because of your ethical behavior, which resonates throughout the whole world.
Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka encouraged the students of the RUDN university to study the cases of terrorism in the world and see how they can be defined and categorized. “Terrorism is a pathology,” said Ambassador Jayatilleka, “and it is very important to diagnose it correctly.” Sometimes you need to make an “inoculation,” in other cases – to remove the malignancy. It is an imperative task of the international community to adopt an ethical code, prohibiting the use of violence against unarmed, innocent civilians, underscored Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka. To develop such a code, and scrupulously implement it – this is an important goal for the young people who want to change the world, said Dr. Jayatilleka. “Obviously, you want to change it for the better, not for the worse.”
After the lecture H. E. Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka had a round-table discussion with representatives of the Sri Lankan student community at RUDN and talked to them about their academic lives as well as scientific and social achievements gained during their studies in Russia.
