LIRNEasia CEO Helani Galpaya attended UNDP’s New Ways of Governing Conference in Oslo on 28–29 October 2025, contributing to discussions on AI and data governance. Her session drew on LIRNEasia’s research on data-governance policies across Asia and the organisation’s ongoing work on responsible AI. 
LIRNEasia CEO Helani Galpaya attended UNDP’s New Ways of Governing Conference in Oslo on 28–29 October 2025, contributing to discussions on AI and data governance. Her session drew on LIRNEasia’s research on data-governance policies across Asia and the organisation’s ongoing work on responsible AI. 
“Untangling Data Governance – Sri Lanka’s Way Forward” was held on 13 November 2024 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The event formed part of the Harnessing Data for Democratic Development in South and Southeast Asia (D4D Asia) project, with funding support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), a Crown corporation of the Government of Canada. 
On July 3, 2025, in Colombo, LIRNEasia organized the “Day of Information Disorder” to disseminate research findings from two major studies: a nationally representative survey and an experimental study measuring the effectiveness of misinformation countering measures. The event brought together researchers, journalists, media professionals, tech innovators, and policy experts to address one of today’s most urgent challenges: information disorder. The day began with an introduction by Helani Galpaya, CEO of LIRNEasia, who set the tone by unpacking what information disorder is and why it matters. LIRNEasia researcher Shenali Bamaramannage followed with a thought-provoking presentation titled “Are we idiots?”, sharing key findings from LIRNEasia’s national research on the human factors influencing susceptibility to misinformation in Sri Lanka. 
LIRNEasia is inviting proposals from qualified web development firms, service providers and consortia of individual professionals to design, develop and deploy a public-facing website for the Asia AI4D Observatory. The website is intended to serve as a searchable, interactive regional knowledge repository and engagement platform, making evidence and resources on responsible artificial intelligence easy to discover, use and share. Further details are available in the full RFP. 
LIRNEasia is looking for a talented individual to join the team as an Data Annotation Intern. The full job description is available below. The deadline for applying is September 30th, 2026. 
The World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026 was held in Shanghai from 17–20 July and brought global attention to the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), as well as the increasingly important question of who gets to shape the rules governing it. This analysis examines the alignment between Chinese President Xi Jinping’s speech and Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eng. Eranga Weeraratne’s speech across key themes, including inclusive global AI governance, the role of the Global South, international cooperation, and AI safety and security. 
LIRNEasia Senior Research Manager and Team Lead for Data, Algorithms, and Policy (DAP), Merl Chandana, was interviewed on NewsFirst Sri Lanka’s Face to Face programme on 9 August 2026. The interview focused on the wonders and dangers of Artificial Intelligence (AI), covering a recent cybersecurity incident where an experimental agentic AI model developed by OpenAI was manipulated to execute multiple attacks on Hugging Face. 
The economic exclusion faced by people with mobility disabilities in Sri Lanka is substantial. Although Sri Lanka has made genuine investments in this area, yet, for many wheelchair users, the journey to work, school, university or a vocational training center remains difficult. The missing piece is not necessarily another wheelchair. It is whether the wheelchair a person receives actually enables them to move independently. 
LIRNEasia CEO Helani Galpaya participated as a speaker at the Small Island Developing States Supreme Audit Institutions Symposium (SIDS SAIs), held in Ukulhas, Maldives, from 3–5 August 2026. The symposium was organised by the Auditor General’s Office of the Maldives and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and brought together over 50 participants from 26 countries. Speakers over the three-day event included Dr. Mahadeva Muizzu (President of the Maldives), Mr. Hussein Niyazy (Auditor General of the Republic of the Maldives), and several other government ministers. 
In today’s digital age, social media has become an integral part of children’s daily lives, shaping how they interact, communicate, and build friendships. In an article published in The Daily Star, LIRNEasia Senior Research Fellow Sujata Gamage examines the growing dependence of children on social media and the risks associated with these platforms. She argues that while digital platforms may not be suitable environments for children, addressing these challenges requires more than restricting access. As physical spaces for children to socialise, play, explore, and form meaningful friendships continue to disappear, rebuilding safe physical spaces is essential to creating a healthier social ecology of childhood. 
The UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka, on 24 June 2026, convened CATALYZE 2026: Social — From Commitment to Collective Impact. LIRNEasia was a session partner for “AI, Jobs & the Future Workforce: Navigating Uncertainty, Skills & Inclusion”, which explored how AI is changing workplaces and labour markets, and what these shifts mean for businesses, workers, skills and inclusion. LIRNEasia Senior Research Manager Gayani Hurulle moderated this session, framing the discussion around knowns and unknowns based on research emerging in the area. 
As societies grow older, their needs too evolve, with greater pressure on care systems being widely acknowledged as a critical issue. Broadly, care work involves supporting the physical, mental and development needs of people either directly or indirectly, while a care system refers to its overall organization (UN, 2024). Care is an integral component of the world of work. When care needs are sufficiently met, it can lead to better health and wellbeing outcomes and allow people to reach their full potential in productive work. Caring is in turn also a form of work in both paid and unpaid capacities, whether it is performed within or outside the home. 
From 9–12 June 2026, FutureWORKS Asia convened its annual Network Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, bringing together researchers from both cycles of funded projects for the first time. While Cycle 1 teams were nearing the completion of their research and beginning to translate their findings into policy recommendations, Cycle 2 teams were in the early stages of their research. Bringing these groups together created an opportunity to exchange experiences, strengthen ongoing research and foster new collaborations. 
On 17 July 2026, GovTech Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Digital Economy (MoDE), together with LIRNEasia, organized an Expert Consultation on the CHIPS Digital Economy Assessment for Sri Lanka. The session was conducted with funding support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The expert consultation presented preliminary findings from the benchmarking exercise, legal review, secondary data analysis, and key informant interviews (KIIs) conducted by LIRNEasia. Bringing together experts from government, industry, academia, and development organisations, the consultation aimed to validate the findings, identify gaps, and gather practical insights to ensure the assessment accurately reflected the realities on the ground. 
The rapid technological advancement and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have become synonymous with conversations about the future of work. Headlines often focus on which jobs are at risk and how quickly technology will replace workers. But the reality is far more complex. On 11 June 2026, researchers and practitioners from across Asia gathered at the Pullman King Power in Bangkok for a knowledge-sharing session hosted by LIRNEasia and the Regional Economic and Social Analysis Unit (RESA) of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. The session explored how AI, digital transformation and platform work are reshaping labour markets – and what this means for workers, businesses and governments. 
LIRNEasia developed Play Learn Vote, an interactive educational game designed to strengthen democratic participation while building resilience against election-related misinformation. The game introduces players to Sri Lanka’s electoral process through realistic scenarios that promote critical thinking, informed decision-making, and responsible civic participation. 
LIRNEasia is inviting proposals from qualified research organisations to develop a study on Sri Lanka’s Educational Technology (EdTech) landscape. The study aims to examine the current state of EdTech adoption, innovations, and the enabling and constraining factors across Sri Lanka’s education system, while assessing how educational decision-makers perceive and use EdTech and data systems. Further details are available in the full RFP. 
In an article published in the Daily FT on 30 June 2026, Attorney-at-Law and LIRNEasia Researcher Sachini Ranasinghe examines the Private Member’s Bill proposed by Opposition MP Faiszer Musthapha, which seeks to restrict social media access for children under the age of 16 in Sri Lanka. She argues that the key question is not whether children need stronger protection online, but whether Sri Lanka is proposing the right solution and has undertaken the groundwork necessary to make such legislation effective. 
In February 2026, the Asia AI4D Observatory: A policy and innovation network on responsible artificial intelligence was launched with the support of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. LIRNEasia, East-West Management Institute, and JustJobs Network, this three-year initiative will support Asia’s capacity to design, govern, and scale responsible (i.e., safe, rights-based, sustainable, inclusive, and context-appropriate) AI by generating actionable evidence, fostering regional learning and networks, and informing the development of inclusive AI policies and regulations across South and Southeast Asia.