The Indonesia Report launch and policy dialogue on “Indonesia’s Strategy for Safeguarding Cross-Border Personal Data Transfers to the United States Without Compromising Sovereignty or Data Protection” took place on 28 October 2025 at Hotel Ashley, Wahid Hasyim, Central Jakarta. The event was organized by LIRNEasia, together with Northbound Strategies (Indonesia), with funding support from the International Development Research Centre (a Crown corporation of the Government of Canada). This timely discussion brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers to examine how Indonesia can enable cross-border data flows while maintaining the principles of digital sovereignty and compliance with the Personal Data Protection (PDP) Law. The event was conducted in both English and Bahasa Indonesia to ensure inclusive participation. The dialogue opened with a keynote address by Alfreno K. 
The Indonesia Report launch and policy dialogue on “Indonesia’s Strategy for Safeguarding Cross-Border Personal Data Transfers to the United States Without Compromising Sovereignty or Data Protection” took place on 28 October 2025 at Hotel Ashley, Wahid Hasyim, Central Jakarta. The event was organized by LIRNEasia, together with Northbound Strategies (Indonesia), with funding support from the International Development Research Centre (a Crown corporation of the Government of Canada). This timely discussion brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers to examine how Indonesia can enable cross-border data flows while maintaining the principles of digital sovereignty and compliance with the Personal Data Protection (PDP) Law. The event was conducted in both English and Bahasa Indonesia to ensure inclusive participation. The dialogue opened with a keynote address by Alfreno K. 
“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. 
The Forum on Data Governance in the Philippines was held on Friday, September 12, 2025, at Serenade II, Westin Manila. The event highlighted how data can drive development and serve as an effective policy-making instrument for advancing democratic and inclusive governance in the Philippines. The forum was organized by LIRNEasia in collaboration with Disini Law (Philippines) and Digital Freedom Network (Philippines), with funding support from the International Development Research Centre (a Crown corporation of the Government of Canada). It brought together experts from government agencies, academia, and the private sector to share perspectives and experiences on data policymaking and governance frameworks. Discussions centered on two recent publications under the Data for Democratic Development in South and Southeast Asia initiative: the Philippines Country Report and the Regional Synthesis Report. 
On 20th of August 2025, LIRNEasia, together with the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA) and the Sri Lanka and Maldives office of the International Labour Organization (ILO) convened a policy roundtable discussion titled “Bridging Policy Pathways for an Inclusive Future of Work”. The roundtable brought together key stakeholders from the public and private sectors including policymakers, trade union and corporate representatives and practitioners, together with regional experts through the FutureWORKS Asia network, an initiative funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada. Regional experts included Selim Raihan (PhD) of SANEM, Cheryll Soriano (PhD) of the De La Salle University (Philippines), Jayvy Gamboa of Manila Observatory (Philippines), Towfiqul Islam Khan of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (Bangladesh), Balwant Mehta (PhD) of the Institute for Human Development (India), and Reiner Lorenzo Tomayo of Women in Global Health (Philippines), and Gayani Hurulle of LIRNEasia. Opening remarks were delivered by Joni Simpson of the International Labor Organization (Sri Lanka and the Maldives), with sub-themes of the discussion moderated by Helani Galpaya of LIRNEasia, Gayathri Lokuge (PhD) of CEPA, and Sabina Dewan of the JustJobs Network. The objective of the discussion was to explore critical policy themes shaping the future of work in […] 
The Forum on Data Governance in Thailand, held on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, at the Sigma Room (6th floor), Pullman King Power Bangkok, brought together experts from government agencies, academia, and private organizations to exchange their knowledge, perspectives, and experiences on data policymaking and the design of data governance systems in Thailand. The forum was hosted by LIRNEasia (an independent think tank working across the Asia Pacific), in collaboration with the Department of International Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (Republic of Korea), Privacy Thailand, and the Institute of Public Policy Studies (IPPS), Thailand. Funding support was provided by the International Development Research Centre (a Crown Corporation of the Government of Canada). The Forum explored the inherent tensions that arise in governing data in light of competing interests and policy objectives – that of collecting, storing, using and sharing data to support development and growth objectives, and of protecting privacy and other human rights that are vital but can be violated through the release of data. LIRNEasia and affiliated researchers explored such tensions as well as the practical ways these tensions are resolved across seven countries – Thailand, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan and the Philippines. 
LIRNEasia’s Senior Research Manager, Gayani Hurulle, was invited to conduct a session on Leveraging Digitalization for Inclusive Growth at a regional workshop on Best Practices for Accelerated Pro-Poor and Inclusive Growth Initiatives, held from 24 to 26 June 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand. The event was jointly organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the BIMSTEC Secretariat, and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The workshop brought together government officials and experts from BIMSTEC Member States: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, along with representatives from ASEAN countries, think tanks, and development organizations. The goal was to share knowledge and experiences on strategies that have successfully addressed poverty and supported inclusive economic growth. In her session, Gayani shared insights from LIRNEasia’s nationally representative surveys conducted in 2017/2018 (After Access) and 2021, to highlight gaps in access and usage, and insights from two case studies on social protection and labour. 
On July 22, LIRNEasia, in collaboration with the United States–Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission, hosted a thought-provoking Roundtable Dialogue on the Ethics of Explainable AI at its premises. The session featured Dr. Robert T. Pennock, University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University, who is affiliated with Lyman Briggs College, the Departments of Philosophy and the Departments of Computer Science & Engineering, and the Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior program. With a PhD in the History and Philosophy of Science, Dr. 
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 co-convened one of the six parallel sessions, “Digital Transformation for Social Protection,” along with the World Bank at the National Social Protection Dialogue. This session focused on how to improve the Integrated Welfare Management System (IWMS), Sri Lanka’s key platform for managing social assistance delivery. 
LIRNEasia hosted a forum on December 7, 2024, titled “Unlocking Data for Artificial Intelligence in Sri Lanka” at the ITC Ratnadipa Hotel, Colombo. The event brought together AI experts, data scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders to explore practical ways to leverage data and artificial intelligence for informed decision-making and meaningful societal and organizational impact. The session featured several examples of successful and unsuccessful data projects from around the world, offering insights into practical challenges, best practices for initiating data projects, and the importance of addressing ethical concerns and trade-offs in data and AI initiatives. Prof. Rohan Samarajiva, Chair of LIRNEasia, opened the session by highlighting the organization’s ongoing work with AI and machine learning to address societal and policy issues. 
LIRNEasia held an event titled Social Safety Nets and the State of Poverty in Sri Lanka on Wednesday 7 June 2023 in Colombo. This event involved a presentation of the findings of a recent nationally representative survey of 10,000 Sri Lankan households conducted by LIRNEasia, followed by a panel discussion, with representation of stakeholders from government, multi-lateral donor organizations, and civil society. 
An Expert Round Table discussion on "Tackling online misinformation while protecting freedom of expression" held on the 11th of October 2021, as the second of a series of discussions under the theme of “Frontiers of Digital Economy” 
LIRNEasia will host the online discussion series "Tackling the Information Disorder in Asia" June 8 (7:30 AM UTC - 9:30 AM UTC) and June 9 (7:30 AM UTC - 10:00 AM UTC), 2022. This event is free and open to the public. Prior registration mandatory.
Consultative meeting with Disabled Persons Organizations (DPOs) - Event participants
LIRNEasia’s Disability Research
Register to hear presentations by UNICEF Sri Lanka and LIRNEasia and responses by key stakeholders, and participate in the discussion