The IRC is leading the advancement of scholarly activity, primarily through collaborative research/study such as developing and delivering methods, models, tools, techniques, policies, processes or operational guidance or instruction, service, and outreach as components of equal importance. This includes creative endeavours such as problem-solving think tank activities in closely related academic areas. As our motto of “Wisdom Restrains and Guides in Way of Good” (நன்றின்பால் உய்ப்பது அறிவு; ප්රඥාව යනු යහපත් චේතනාවෙන් ජීවත් වීමයි; ප්රඥාව විසින් දමනය කර යහපත් මාර්ගවල මඟ පෙන්වයි), the IRC would excel in the innovative, appropriate but reliable multi-disciplinary (inter and intra discipline) research (both fundamental and applied) and coordination activities beyond the scope of single discipline and promote interdisciplinary work and would actively empower collaboration for delivering sustainable development of the region and nation”. The IRC is expected to provide unique enquiry and evidence-based learning opportunities for students, staff and to be actively engaged in relevant academic forums and community outreach. It will support continuing life-long professional and personal development education/research training to the staff, former students, industries, government institutions and community leaders,
International Research Centre
To carry out cross-cutting bottom-up applied research (to influence policy/technology through scientific understanding of system behaviour) with the top-down reviews, basic or fundamental research, analysis on current local issues, foresight future risks, prioritise, appraise the management options, and find the appropriate, affordable, acceptable and reliable sustainable development solution; To generate and provide new independent evidence, data, information and knowledge to improve Sri Lankan and the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) nations capabilities for developing science, policies, processes, technologies and managing operations; To develop innovative scientific method, models, tools, techniques as well as to archive and disseminate the research outputs to support sustainable social-cultural, etho(s)-economics, environmental and politico-legal development and also mitigate or adopt future changes such as climate and its impacts.
To educate via both short community/professional development courses and postgraduate academic research (with Graduate studies/Doctoral college), mentor for attitude-change, provide training to develop collective stakeholders’ (students, academic-researchers, professional-practitioners, policymakers, and wider community) knowledge, skills, capabilities, competencies, and capacity development and life-long individual learning (managing, mitigating, adapting to climate change and sustainable development). Mainly to transfer/ inter-change knowledge including socio-economic-environmental and politico-legal applied theories; cutting-edge, dynamics, appropriate, reliable analytical techniques, strategic approaches and technologies, transcending national and disciplinary boundaries. Particularly to increase their interest, willingness, and capability to involve meaningful engagement to create and use scientific evidence, innovation and related think-tank, policy and strategy development, operational delivery activities of community/provinces/nations to deliver UN SDG in Sri Lanka and South Asian (SAARC) countries.
To form a Discussion Forum to support the policy, processes, strategic plan, operational practice, technology development and implementation to solve problems, make decisions at the local, national, and international levels; to implement the University’s Vision and UN SDGs, COP objectives and to build a nation with progressive harmonised “socio-economic-environmental-politico-legal” system. This also to network, engage, interact, coordinate, communicate, consult, advocate, outreach, discuss based on critical thinking with National and International inter and intra subject specialists, scientists, academics, intellectuals, professional practitioners, policymakers, governmental authorities, agencies, NGO, young community leaders, UOV Staff, and students. This is to deliver sustainable development, to manage climate change probability, consequence and vulnerability and build a sustainably developed nation, with like-minded charitable citizen groups, lawful democratic political parties, and environmental/social activists as collaborative partnership with international countries.