Pathfinder Foundation signs landmark MOU with India’s leading strategic institute

Thursday, 25 February 2016 00:46 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Research on strategic issues and exchanges to be the focus

The Pathfinder Foundation, through its recently-established Centre for Indo-Lanka Initiatives (CILI), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) based in New Delhi.

Pathfinder Foundation Chairman Bernard Goonetilleke and IDSA Director General Jayant Prasad signed the MOU.

Through this initiative, both institutions expect to work together in a planned and structured programme to engage in joint research projects, exchange outputs and publish research work relating to strategic studies jointly undertaken by the two institutions. The MOU in general would serve to build academic and scholarly ties between the two institutions on security issues and national and international developments.

IDSA is India’s leading strategic studies institute. It is funded by the Indian Defence Ministry, but functions autonomously. IDSA’s governing Executive Council is headed by India’s Defence Minister and consists of both the Secretary of External Affairs and the Defence Secretary.

Prior to this MOU, in 2014, Pathfinder Foundation signed a Memorandum of Intent with Vivekananda International Foundation, a leading international relations and strategic studies think-tank based in New Delhi that facilitated exchange of visits and publication of joint papers on issues of importance to promote bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka.