Published date: Feb 07 2024

Journal Title: KnE Social Sciences

Issue title: International Conference of Applied Psychology (ICAP-H)

Pages: 614–635

DOI: 10.18502/kss.v9i5.15206

Naren Deepan Selvaratnamnarendeepan@gmail.comSchool of Psychology, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), Sri Lanka

Ooi Boon KeatSchool of Education & Social Sciences, Management and Science University (MSU), Malaysia

Jacquline ThamSchool of Education & Social Sciences, Management and Science University (MSU), Malaysia

Inter-ethnic relations amongst students in public higher education institutes (HEIs) in Sri Lanka are weak. This deficit deprives students of experiencing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to be productive citizens the country demands. Considering the violent history both Sinhalese and Tamils share, there is a dearth of minority discourse in Sri Lanka. As a consequence, research that explores inter-ethnic dynamics within public HEIs in the island nation is also minimal. Similarly, being mindful of the fragileness of Sri Lanka’s race relations, it is unclear how responsible local authorities should facilitate educational reforms to foster student success. To address this literature gap, the present inquiry conducted a document review to identify contemporary student and instructor perspectives associated with learning in state-run universities. A total of nine newspapers and blog posts by students, journalists, and academics that critically discuss learner experiences in minority-dominant Jaffna University were chosen after a careful evaluation. Using thematic analysis, three key themes were generated. As per the obtained results, inclusiveness and appreciation between Tamils and Sinhalese learners remain a challenge. Moreover, local security forces continue to suppress minority student voices, leadership, and civic engagement. Further, there is a need for governmental interventions to systematically implement DEI policies to improve the quality of learning spheres for students. Overall, this interpretative research lays out key observations associated with race relations in Sri Lankan HEIs.

Keywords: diversity, inclusion, minority groups, interethnic relations, multiculturalism, cultural awareness

[1] Satkunanathan A. Sri Lanka: Minority rights within shrinking civic space [Internet]. The South Asia Collective; 2020. 196–229 p. [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https: //thesouthasiacollective.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/SASM2020-SriLanka.pdf

[2] Russell I. The limits on critical voice in conflict-affected universities: Evidence from Sierra Leone and Sri Lanka [Internet]. International Journal of Educational Development. 2023;96:1–8. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/ pii/S0738059322001353

[3] Deane T. Discrimination, marginalisation and violence against minorities in post-war Sri Lanka. International Journal on Minority and Group Rights. 2022;30(2):301–337. https://brill.com/view/journals/ijgr/30/2/article-p301_006.xml

[4] USCIRF. Annual Report 2023: Sri Lanka [Internet]. United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. 2023 [cited 2023 Oct 3]. p. 64–65. Available from: https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2023-05/Sri%20Lanka_0.pdf

[5] DeVotta N. Standardization and ethnocracy in Sri Lanka. WIDER Working Paper [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2023 Oct 3]; Available from: https://www.wider.unu.edu/ sites/default/files/Publications/Working-paper/PDF/wp2022-86-standardizationand- ethnocracy-in-Sri-Lanka.pdfhttps://doi.org/10.35188/UNU-WIDER/2022/217-1

[6] Russell I. Degrees of peace: Universities and embodied experiences of conflict in post-war Sri Lanka. Third World Quarterly. 2022;43(4):898–915.

[7] Duncan R, Cardozo ML. Reclaiming reconciliation through community education for the Muslims and Tamils of post-war Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Research in Comparative and International Education. 2017;12(1):76–94.

[8] Pieris G. The contribution of education to tamil separatism and to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. Aleph, UCLA Undergraduate Research. Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences. 2019:16.

[9] Sachithanantham P. Social harmony among multi-lingual students’ population in Sri Lankan Universities. Kalam, Research Journal of Faculty of Arts and Culture [Internet]. 2015;9(2):68–79. http://ir.lib.seu.ac.lk/handle/123456789/2058

[10] Eckstein L. What policies cannot express: An examination of Sri Lanka’s continuing inability to bridge the Sinhala-Tamil ethnolinguistic divide through national policies and programs [Internet]. Bowdoin Digital Commons. 2018 [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https://digitalcommons.bowdoin.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article= 1088&context=honorsprojects

[11] Australian Government: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. DFAT Country Information Report: Sri Lanka [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https://www.dfat.gov.au/sites/default/files/country-information-report-sri-lanka.pdf

[12] depose. Sri Lanka free map, free blank map, free outline map, free base map coasts, provinces, white [Internet]. d-maps.com. [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https: //d-maps.com/carte.php?num_car=615&lang=en

[13] Kurukulasuriya U. Jaffna University Sinhala society exposes series of grievances and anti-sinhala attacks against them [Internet]. Colombo Telegraph. 2016 [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/jaffnauniversity- sinhala-society-exposes-series-of-grievances-and-anti-sinhala-attacksagainst- them/

[14] Wakkumbura M, Wijegoonawardana N. a study on reconciliation of post-war peacebuilding in Sri Lanka. Colombo Journal of Multi-Disciplinary Research. 2017;3(1):23–38. Available from: http://archive.cmb.ac.lk:8080/research/bitstream/ 70130/4818/1/A%20Study%20on%20Reconciliation%20of%20Post-War%20FGS% 20CJMR.pdfhttps://doi.org/10.4038/cjmr.v3i1.25

[15] Asian Development Bank. Innovative strategies in higher education for accelerated human resource development in south Asia: Sri Lanka [Internet]. www.adb.org. Asian Development Bank; 2016 [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https://www.adb.org/ publications/innovative-strategies-higher-education-sri-lanka

[16] Weber M (Waters T, Waters D, editors). Weber’s Rationalism and Modern Society [Internet]. New York: Palgrave Macmillan US; 2015. Available from: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9781137365866

[17] de Diego-Lázaro B, Winn K, Restrepo MA. Cultural competence and self-efficacy after study abroad experiences. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. 2020;29(4):1896–1909. Available from: https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00101

[18] Nguyen AM, Jefferies J, Rojas B. Short term, big impact? Changes in self-efficacy and cultural intelligence, and the adjustment of multicultural and monocultural students abroad [Internet]. International Journal of Intercultural Relations. 2018;66:119–129. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014717671730384X

[19] Dalglish SL, Khalid H, McMahon SA. Document analysis in health policy research: The READ approach. Health Policy Plan. 2021;35(10):1424–1431. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/heapol/article/35/10/1424/5974853

[20] Smith JA, Flowers P, Larkin M. Interpretative phenomenological analysis: Theory, method and research. SAGE Publications Ltd; 2022. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000259- 000

[21] Fernando L. Jaffna University Sinhala-Tamil student conflict was insane. Colombo Telegraph [Internet]. 2016 [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/jaffna-university-sinhala-tamilstudent- conflict-was-insane/

[22] Kanthaiya V. The fundamental reasons behind the Jaffna University Brawl [Internet]. Colombo Telegraph. 2016 [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/the-fundamental-reasons-behindthe- jaffna-university-brawl/

[23] Kunarthnam P. To my dear jaffna university friends [Internet]. Colombo Telegraph. 2016 [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index. php/to-my-dear-jaffna-university-friends/

[24] Sri Lanka Brief. Tamil university students get Sinhala summons for military course. Sri Lanka Brief. 2011 [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https://srilankabrief.org/tamiluniversity- students-get-sinhala-summons-for-military-course/

[25] Thangamayl P. On the killing of jaffna university students: In Search of the right path. Colombo Telegraph. 2016 [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/on-the-killing-of-jaffnauniversity- students-in-search-of-the-right-path/

[26] TamilNet. TamilNet [Internet]. www.tamilnet.com. 2019 [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=39434#:$\sim$:text= The%20occupying%20SL%20Army%20has

[27] Tamil Guardian. Jaffna University students mark LTTE leader Prabhakaran’s birthday in secret | Tamil Guardian [Internet]. www.tamilguardian.com. 2021 [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/jaffna-university-studentsmark- ltte-leader-prabhakarans-birthday-secret

[28] De Silva C. Tense standoff at Jaffna University as govt destroys Mullivaikal student monument under cover of darkness [Internet]. Colombo Telegraph. 2021 [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/tensestandoff- at-jaffna-university-as-govt-destroys-mullivaikal-student-monument-undercover- of-darkness/

[29] Holoien D. Do differences make a difference? The effects of diversity on learning, intergroup outcomes, and civic engagement [Internet]. New Jersey, USA: Princeton University; 2013. [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from https://inclusive.princeton.edu/ sites/g/files/toruqf1831/files/pu-report-diversity-outcomes.pdf

[30] University of Jaffna. Students’ Union. 18th anniversary commemoration of Tsunami victims [Internet]. 2022. Available from: https://web.facebook.com/photo/?fbid= 5857229507689224&set=pcb.5857230721022436
[31] The Oakland Institute. The destroyed land, life, and identity of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka [Internet]. oaklandinstitute.org. 2021 [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https://www.oaklandinstitute.org/sites/oaklandinstitute.org/files/endlesswar- web.pdf

[32] Jayakody S. Peradeniya canteen where violence raged, no more any one clan’s turf [Internet]. The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka. 2022 [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https://www.sundaytimes.lk/221002/news/peradeniya-canteenwhere- violence-raged-no-more-any-one-clans-turf497462.html#:$\sim$:text= Peradeniya%20canteen%20where%20violence%20raged%2C%20no%20more% 20any%20one%20clan

[33] Ada Derana. 12 students suspended over attack on former VC of Peradeniya University [Internet]. www.adaderana.lk. 2022 [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https://www.adaderana.lk/news/86774/12-students-suspended-over-attack-on- v former-vc-of-peradeniya-university#:$\sim$:text=12%20students%20suspended% 20over%20attack%20on%20former%20VC%20of%20Peradeniya%20University

[34] Haviland C. Jaffna University Tamil students boycott classes. BBC News [Internet]. 2012 Nov 29 [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https://www.bbc.com/news/worldasia- 20537417

[35] The Quest. Memorial day of Pon. SivaKumar, the first martyr of Tamil Eelam - the-quest [Internet]. The Quest of Tamils. 2021 [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https://www.the-quest.org/news/memorial-day-of-pon-sivakumar-first-martyrof- tamil-eelam/

[36] University of Jaffna. Students’ Union. Facebook [Internet]. www.facebook.com. 2022 [cited 2022 Nov 22]. Available from: https://web.facebook.com/photo/?fbid= 591002909789521&set=a.581808470708965

[37] University of Jaffna. Students’ Union. Student union announcement to celebrate ‘Maveerar [Internet]. Available from: https://web.facebook.com/uojusu

[38] Cunningham J, Ladd S. The role of school curriculum in sustainable peacebuilding: The case of Sri Lanka [Internet]. Research in Comparative and International Education. 2018;13(4):570–592. [cited 2023 Oct 3]. Available from: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1745499918807027

[39] Cunningham J, Ladd S. The role of school curriculum in sustainable peacebuilding: the case of Sri Lanka [Internet]. Research in Comparative and International Education. 2018;13(4):570–592. [cited 2023 Oct 3] Available from: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1745499918807027

[40] Perera AA, Rahmat AK, Khatibi A, Azam SM. The impact of enterprise risk management on performance of non-state higher educational institutions in Sri Lanka. Hong Kong Journal of Social Sciences [Internet]. 2021:58. Available from: http://hkjoss.com/index.php/journal/article/view/474