The EQUALS Global Partnership launched its 2025 Research Report, titled “Evidence to Impact: Advancing Gender Empowerment in the Digital Age,” at the WSIS Forum 2025. The report focuses on providing fresh global insights into gender and digital transformation, and emphasizes the urgent need for gender-inclusive digital development. The report is the result of a collective effort to advance the global conversation on digital gender equality, featuring exploratory research, case studies, and evidence-based initiatives from EQUALS partners worldwide. The EQUALS Research Report 2025 is organized into four thematic sections: Digital Skills, Digital Inclusion and Education, Digital Economy, and AI and Cybersecurity. This report serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners seeking the most up-to-date evidence and tools for closing the gender digital divide across multiple levels. 
The EQUALS Global Partnership launched its 2025 Research Report, titled “Evidence to Impact: Advancing Gender Empowerment in the Digital Age,” at the WSIS Forum 2025. The report focuses on providing fresh global insights into gender and digital transformation, and emphasizes the urgent need for gender-inclusive digital development. The report is the result of a collective effort to advance the global conversation on digital gender equality, featuring exploratory research, case studies, and evidence-based initiatives from EQUALS partners worldwide. The EQUALS Research Report 2025 is organized into four thematic sections: Digital Skills, Digital Inclusion and Education, Digital Economy, and AI and Cybersecurity. This report serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners seeking the most up-to-date evidence and tools for closing the gender digital divide across multiple levels. 
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. 
A recent experimental study conducted by LIRNEasia in Sri Lanka explored people’s ability to accurately assess the truthfulness of information — and found that this ability varies significantly depending on the topic. The study focused on three types of information: climate change, economic, and ethno-religious issues. Participants were asked to classify 12 cue cards related to climate change as true, mostly true, mostly false, or false. This classification process took place in three phases throughout the study. In the first phase (baseline evaluation), participants arrived at the test center and were asked to classify 40 cue cards (including the climate-related ones). 
On the 1st of July 2025, LIRNEasia in collaboration with the University of Jaffna held an event titled Launch of the information disorder research in Sri Lanka and a forum on building digital resilience. The event centered around the launch of results from a LIRNEasia study assessing the ability of Tamil news readers in Sri Lanka to classify information as true/false, and measuring the effectiveness of popular countermeasures to misinformation, such as fact-checking and media literacy programs. The opening address was given by Prof. Sivakolundu Srisatkunarajah, Vice Chancellor of the University of Jaffna, talked about the digital revolution, the newer challenges arising due to the information disorder and the importance of information literacy as a counter measure. The chief guest at the event, the Hon. 
Sri Lanka is preparing to roll out Starlink, an innovative satellite-based telecommunications service provider. In an article published in Views Bangladesh on June 2, 2025, LIRNEasia Chair Professor Rohan Samarajiva examined the legal and regulatory dimensions of Starlink’s entry into Sri Lanka. He examined the complexities surrounding the licensing framework, public policy obligations, and the reported absence of clear provisions for lawful interception in the license. He also highlighted the technical and legal challenges posed by the absence of a local gateway, noting that lawful interception would be significantly complicated under such conditions. “News reports claim that the Starlink license does not include provisions on lawful interception. 
LIRNEasia CEO Helani Galpaya was a featured speaker at the World Press Freedom Day 2025 South Asia Regional Conference, held on May 4, 2025, in Nepal. Joining the event virtually, she contributed to the opening policy dialogue – press freedom in the AI era: a regional lens wide-ranging discussion which explored how AI intersects with democratic values, legal frameworks, and freedom of expression in South Asia. Moderated by Sabina Inderjit, Vice President, International Federation of Journalists, the panel also included speakers such as Pankaj Pachauri, Senior Journalist, India, Nalaka Gunawardene, Senior Journalist, Sri Lanka and Santosh Sigdel, Executive Director, Digital Rights Nepal. In her remarks, Helani addressed the growing dominance of large social media platforms and search engines in the distribution of news, and the profound impact this has had on traditional media. She highlighted how these shifts have disrupted the value chain, contributing to revenue losses and threatening the long-term sustainability of media houses. 
Aslam Hayat (Senior Policy Fellow LIRNEasia, Country Researcher for Pakistan), and Pranesh Prakash (Policy Fellow LIRNEasia, Co-Principal Investigator), drew on research carried out under LIRNEasia’s ‘Harnessing Data for Democratic Development in South and Southeast Asia’ project to discuss aspects of data governance in Pakistan and other countries. This was part of a forum hosted by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in Pakistan, under the theme, “Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) on Data Governance in Pakistan.” The forum brought together key voices from government, academia, civil society, and the private sector in Pakistan, and was held on 23 April 2025. Aslam Hayat highlighted key findings from the research carried out in Pakistan, outlining the data governance framework in the country, identifying policy gaps and good practices. Pranesh Prakash gave an overview of the research carried out by the Harnessing Data for Democratic Development project, and discussed concepts related to data governance, privacy, and open standards. 
Pinpointing where poverty is most severe and tracking its changes over time is crucial for helping communities effectively. However, traditional benchmarks like household surveys and national censuses often fall short—they’re expensive, slow, and infrequent. In countries like Sri Lanka, this means we’re often relying on outdated information, hindering our ability to respond to sudden economic shocks or disasters. On top of that, poverty cannot be determined by income data alone, rather its multidimensional, where factors such as infrastructure, access to services, and economic activity also play a role in determining a community’s well-being. To capture these complexities, our DAP team (Data, Algorithms, and Policy) explored something different: how to rethink the way we measure poverty in Sri Lanka using AI with non-traditional data sources? 
The ‘Human Development and the Data Revolution’ report, edited by Mark Graham, Sanna Ojanperä, and Eduardo López and published by Oxford University Press features LIRNEasia as a significant case study, detailing our establishment, research, challenges, and lessons learned in leveraging big data for public good in the Global South. Through the Chapter 7 “Leveraging Big Data for Public Purposes in the Global South: LIRNEasiaʼs Experiences”, the report highlights how LIRNEasia has pioneered the use of big data across the Asia-Pacific, offering valuable real-world experiences and a critical Global South perspective on data-driven development. LIRNEasia Research fellow Shazna Zuhyle and former team members of LIRNEasia Sriganesh Lokanathan and Thavisha Perera-Gomez have contributed to this report as authors. For a more comprehensive understanding of our work and the impact on public policy, readers are encouraged to read the report, specifically the Chapter 7. 
LIRNEasia has drafted a regional (Asia) report for the Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI) that focuses on responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Asia region, which is open for public review until April 13, 2025. This report, the final output a Global Center on AI Governance (GCG)-funded project, exists in three main parts: The first section examines where Asia stands in the Global Index, identifying key trends and regional patterns. The second section contextualizes these findings through in-depth national case studies, highlighting both best practices and governance gaps. The final section takes a forward-looking approach, identifying the key developments that will shape AI governance in the region. This report was authored by Merl Chandana and Sukitha Bandaranayake, with the India case study written by Anushka Jain and Aarushi Gupta. 
The following document is a summary of an upcoming regional report for the Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI) that focuses on responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Asia region. The broader report, to be released in April 2025 as the final output of a Global Center on AI Governance (GCG)-funded project, was authored by Merl Chandana and Sukitha Bandaranayake from LIRNEasia, with the India case study written by Anushka Jain and Aarushi Gupta (of Digital Futures Lab, India). Part II was co-authored by Merl Chandana, Sukitha Bandaranayake, and Ana Florido. The report containing global findings of the Index can be found here. 
LIRNEasia’s CEO Helani Galpaya, participated in the Canada-in-Asia 2025 (CAIC) Conference held in Singapore from February 19-21, 2025. The event, organized by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and Universities Canada, brought together over 800 participants from across Canada and the Asia-Pacific region to discuss investment opportunities and strengthen ties between the two regions. The majority of attendees were from the private sector, though the conference also saw significant participation from Canada’s diplomatic corps in Asia, various Canadian government investment funds, and ministers from Asian countries. During the plenary session, Helani shared insights on research funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), a Canadian Crown Corporation that has supported key initiatives by LIRNEasia in the region. Her talk highlighted the impact of Canada’s development research investments across Asia, emphasizing IDRC’s proactive approach in funding. 
LIRNEasia participated in RightsCon 2025, the world’s largest gathering of digital rights leaders, held in Taipei and online from February 24 to 27, 2025. The event brought together business leaders, policymakers, human rights advocates, technologists, and academics to address the intersection of human rights and technology. As digital landscapes evolve, discussions at RightsCon focused on pressing issues such as data governance, AI regulation, and the future of work—topics that LIRNEasia’s CEO Helani Galpaya, and our Data, Algorithm, and Policy Team Lead Merl Chandana tackled in their panel contributions. Their insights highlighted the challenges facing the Global South and provided actionable strategies for policy and regulatory frameworks. “Information Ecosystems and Troubled Democracy: What Global Research Tells Us” CEO Helani Galpaya participated in two panels. 
සම්පූර්ණයෙන්ම ඩිජිටල්කරණය කරන ලද රජයේ ගෙවීම් පද්ධතියක් රජය, බදු ගෙවන්නන්, සහ බැංකු වැනි මූල්ය ආයතන ඇතුළු සැමට ජයග්රහණයක් වන්නේ මන්දැයි LIRNEasia සභාපති මහාචාර්ය රොහාන් සමරජීව මහතා The Leaderහි පළවූ ඔහුගේ නවතම සිංහල ලිපියේ පැහැදිලි කර ඇත. සම්පූර්ණ ලිපිය කියවන්න. The article has been published under Prof. Samarajiva’s column in the Daily Mirror in English. You can read the English version as well if you prefer. 
In an insightful 50-minute discussion, Principal Presidential Advisor on Digital Economy Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya sat down with LIRNEasia Chair Prof. Rohan Samarajiva to share his insights on the key priorities and challenges in shaping the nation’s digital transformation. From bridging the country’s digital skills gap and fostering a thriving innovation ecosystem to implementing effective policy reforms, the conversation explores the steps needed to propel Sri Lanka into a competitive position on the global digital stage. Both experts bring a wealth of experience in technology, telecom, and policy, offering a thought-provoking dialogue on what it takes to drive meaningful change. 
As of 2025 DAY 33, the satellite tracking website “Orbiting Now” lists 11,559 active satellites in various Earth orbits, each with missions including communications, Earth observation, technology development, navigation, space science, etc. These satellites provide us with an unprecedented view of Earth, enabling real-time monitoring and granular data collection. From tracking deforestation in the Amazon to monitoring agriculture yields across different continents, these ‘eyes in the sky’ generate a massive volume of data that gives valuable information about our planet’s health and human activities that have changed the natural earth’s surface. However, this sheer volume and complexity of such data lead us to an exciting question: How can we harness artificial intelligence (AI) to make sense of this vast array of satellite imagery? Let’s explore this intersection of satellite imagery and AI, by understanding the unique characteristics of satellite data, the challenges in processing it, and the potential solutions with deep learning.