Students, faculty traveling to Sri Lanka for study tour

Sudesh Mantillake is returning to his roots after wrapping up his time as Randolph’s Quillian Visiting International Scholar.

He is leading a group of faculty and students on a study tour of Sri Lanka from May 19 to June 1.

“They will be absorbing so many experiences,” Mantillake said. “Sri Lanka is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious country, and there’s much to learn from its history and cultural heritage.” 

The trip will include visits to cultural and historical sites, including UNESCO heritage sites in Anuradhapura, Dambulla, Sigiriya, Kandy, and Galle.

Destinations also include Colombo, home to the University of Visual and Performing Arts, and the village of Sirambiyadi off Puttalam, where they’ll meet members of the African-Sri Lankan community, who are descendants of African slaves brought to Sri Lanka by Portuguese colonizers. 

“We consider it Sri Lankan culture because it’s a Sri Lankan community, but their performing arts are this amalgamation of African roots, Portuguese influences, and some local influences, as well,” Mantillake said. 

They also plan to visit several architectural landmarks designed by influential Asian architect Geoffrey Bawa. 

The traveling group includes the College’s inaugural Global Scholars. The new program offers first-year students unique experiential learning opportunities to prepare them to be interculturally responsive global citizens and informed leaders. The travel destination for the program will change each year.

This year’s group will stay with host families in the village of Walaswewa, participate in cultural activities with villagers, and complete a service project organized by Sarvodaya Shramadana, Sri Lanka’s largest and most broadly embedded non-governmental community development organization.   

To prepare for the trip, students have been learning about the culture and history of Sri Lanka throughout the year, and this spring, visited the Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington, D.C. 

It will be the first time some of them, including Cassie Witt ’28, have traveled abroad. She wants to learn more about daily life in Sri Lanka and its native wildlife, as well as Buddhist practices. 

“I think this trip will reinforce the belief that we are all connected,” Witt said. “We might speak different languages or look different, but we all inhabit the same Earth and breathe the same air. It’s going to help expand my worldview, which is an invaluable experience.”

During the trip, Randolph will finalize five agreements with higher education institutions in Sri Lanka—including the University of Peradeniya, where Mantillake is a permanent faculty member, the University of Colombo’s Sri Palee campus, and the University of the Visual and Performing Arts. 

“What we are trying to do is develop long-term, future collaborations between the institutions and Randolph College,” Mantillake said. “Hopefully, it would allow for faculty and student exchanges.”

Students and faculty will also attend and present at an interdisciplinary academic conference and workshop at the University of Peradeniya. 

“Visiting Sri Lanka in person allows me to understand the big picture, both the challenges and resilience of its communities,” said Gerardo Chavez-Hernandez ’28. 

“Behind every global issue are genuine individuals with vivid cultures, resilience, and tales to tell,” he added. “Being a Global Scholar has not only broadened my view on economic and theological issues, but also taught me the importance of human connection. I plan to carry those lessons with me, using my voice to raise awareness and empathy when debating global issues.” 

Connecting Cultures: Randolph’s Quillian Visiting International Scholar shares Sri Lankan heritage