The inauguration ceremony of the second semester of the Asia Pacific Master of Human Rights and Democratisation (APMA) and the Master of Human Rights and Democratisation (MHRD) Programme of the Faculty of Law for the academic year 2025/2026 was held on 12 February 2026, at the Senate Hall of the University of Colombo. This ceremony marked a significant moment, welcoming a new cohort of international students to the Faculty of Law of the University of Colombo and continuing the regional collaboration between Mahidol University in Thailand and the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka.
Established in 2010, the APMA Programme is a one-year interdisciplinary master’s programme
that highlights the interconnections between human rights, democracy, peace, and development
in the Asia-Pacific region. The APMA is a collaborative degree program that partners with four distinguished universities across the Asia-Pacific region. The four collaborating universities are Ateneo de Manila University (the Philippines), Gadjah Mada University (Indonesia), Kathmandu School of Law (Nepal) and University of Colombo (Sri Lanka). The programme’s first semester is conducted at Mahidol University in Thailand, after which students continue their second semester at the partner universities.
The APMA degree offers students a unique opportunity to engage first-hand with regional and international human rights and democratization issues and to interact with internationally acclaimed academics, practitioners, and experts. This year, seven international students from the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Vietnam, Myanmar, the Maldives, and the Philippines joined the University of Colombo for the 2025/2026 programme.
The event featured remarks from distinguished speakers, Professor I. M. Karunathilake, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo; Professor N. S. Punchihewa, Dean of the Faculty of Law; Dr M.A.M. Hakeem, the Deputy Director of the Centre for the Study of Human Rights; Dr H. Iroja Upeksha Caldera, the Director of the International Office at the University of Colombo; and Ms Isankhya Udani, Academic Coordinator of the APMA/MHRD programme. The inauguration ceremony was graced by representatives from the South Korean diplomatic mission in Sri Lanka, as well as government officials, legal scholars, academics and lawyers.
