The inauguration ceremony of the Certificate Course on Participatory Democracy, offered by the Department of Political Science, University of Kelaniya, in collaboration with AFRIEL Guarantee Ltd., Sri Lanka, was successfully held on 2nd November 2025 at the Auditorium of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya.

The Chief Guest of the event was Prof. M. M. Gunatilake, the Acting Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya. The occasion was also graced by Heads of Departments of the Faculty of Social Sciences; Mr. Ravindra de Silva, Chairman of AFRIEL Guarantee Ltd.; and other board members of AFRIEL. Mr. Prasad Weerasiri, Director, National Operations, Ministry of Education, also attended the ceremony as a special guest. Academic and non-academic members of the faculty, together with participants of the first and second batches of the course, were present at the event.

The Certificate Course on Participatory Democracy aims to enhance the knowledge and practical skills of field-level government officers to promote participatory and inclusive governance practices in Sri Lanka. The participants of the course include Grama Niladharis, Samurdhi Development Officers, and Development Officers representing various regions across the island.

The partnership between the Department of Political Science and AFRIEL Guarantee Ltd. demonstrates a significant step towards fostering collaboration between academia and civil society organizations to strengthen democratic participation and governance at the grassroots level.