We are deeply pleased to announce that Prof. Athula Sumathipala, Director of the Institute for Research and Development in Health and Social Care (IRD) and President of the International Society for Twin Studies (ISTS), successfully concluded his academic visit to China from June 26 to July 1, 2026. During this visit, he delivered keynote and special lectures at two prestigious international conferences and a leading academic institution in China.
During this tour, Prof. Sumathipala shared his expertise on Planetary Health, Evidence-Based Healthcare, and Advances in Twin Research Methodology with leading researchers, clinicians, and scholars from around the world.
These included keynote addresses at the 6th Belt & Road Initiative Global Health International Congress and the Shengjing Maternal and Fetal Medicine Conference, as well as a special lecture at the School of Public Health, Peking University.
Across all his lectures, he drew special attention to the 10/90 research gap existing between the Global North and the Global South, emphasizing the urgent need to bridge the inequalities in research capacity and evidence generation. He also pointed out the importance of strengthening South-South and North-South partnerships to promote equitable global health research, evidence-based policymaking, and the achievement of shared global benefits.
This academic visit served as a strong catalyst to further strengthen research partnerships and international cooperation between Sri Lanka and China. It also reaffirmed the mutual commitment to evidence-based healthcare, global health research, and capacity building through international academic collaboration.
We express our heartfelt gratitude to the host institutions and conference organizers for their warm hospitality and kind invitation. Our thanks go to everyone who contributed to making this visit a meaningful platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange.
