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Background on Sri Lanka 

The island nation of Sri Lanka is one of the most unique countries in the world in terms of cultural heritage, biological diversity, and socio-economic conditions.  With much of its history dating back several thousands of years BC, Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage is deep and diverse.  Much of that cultural heritage is preserved today across the countryside in the form of ancient ruins, Buddhist temples, seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and the living cultural traditions of dance, art, music and literature.  In terms of biological diversity, Sri Lanka’s ranks among the world’s 25 biodiversity hotspots, with ecosystems ranging from the highland mountainous forests, to the coastal wetlands, tropical rainforests and beyond.  In terms of socio-economic progress, Sri Lanka has the unique distinction of ranking among the highest in the world in terms of health, education, and life expectancy, despite the fact the average Sri Lankan lives on an income of less than three dollars per day (see detailed UN development indicators on Sri Lanka).

Tragically, Sri Lanka has suffered from two major setbacks in the past 20 years.  One of these setbacks – Sri Lanka’s internal conflict between the democratically elected government and a segment of the minority Tamil population known as the Tamil Tigers – has endured for over 20 years.  Fortunately, this conflict has subsided somewhat since the 2002 peace accord and the country has begun to rebound economically and has again become a popular destination for international tourism.  The second and more recent major setback for the country was the December 2004 tsunami, which wiped out large swaths of Sri Lanka’s coastal regions, killing tens of thousands of people and destroying the natural resources that many other thousands of people depended on for their livelihoods.

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Summer Course

Pictures from Sri Lanka

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Sri Lanka web links

Sri Lanka Travel Tips

Today, in the post-tsunami era and with the internal ethnic conflict quieted down, Sri Lanka faces a new and bright future, but one with many major challenges that still need to be addressed.  With recent visits from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, World Bank President James Wolfensohn, former U.S. presidents George Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton, to name a few, Sri Lanka has been thrust to the forefront of the agendas of the international community and global aid agencies.  These groups (including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, bilateral donors, and more) have collectively put together an aid package totaling over US $3 billion for the longer term development needs of the country.  This sum is by far Sri Lanka's largest infusion of international assistance in its history.  Thus, Sri Lanka will serve as an important case study over the coming years for the international community as they attempt to coordinate reconstruction and development initiatives beyond the emergency relief phase and beyond the areas directly damaged by the Tsunami.

This unique historical time period in Sri Lanka offers an ideal context for students interested in studying the inter-relationships between socio and economic development, environmental conservation, and cultural traditions.  Thus, American University may offer an intensive 3-credit summer course in Sri Lanka.  The course is open to students from any U.S. or international universities with an interest in these areas of study.