Prof. Kokila Lankathilake Konasinghe from the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo, Wins Gold in Legal Education at the National Educators Award 2024
View(s):The National Educators Awards 2024, held on 4th of December 2024, concluded with a resounding celebration of exceptional educators in Sri Lanka. Professor Kokila Lankathilake Konasinghe, a distinguished academic from the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo, was honored with the Gold Award in Legal Education, securing the highest recognition for her immense contributions to academia, research, and policymaking, as well as her outstanding impact on national and international legal education and environmental governance.
Professor Konasinghe currently serves as the Head of the Department of Public and International Law and is the Founding Director of the Centre for Environmental Law and Policy (CELP). Under her visionary leadership, CELP has become a leading hub for advancing environmental legal studies and policy-making, not just in Sri Lanka but across the South Asian region.
Prof. Kokila Lankathilake Konasinghe
A hallmark of her commitment to environmental education is the Law Goes Green initiative, which she launched in 2014. This annual project, now in its 11th consecutive year, has played a pivotal role in raising environmental awareness and fostering a culture of sustainability within the legal community.
Among her most groundbreaking contributions is the development of the first-ever Master of Laws (LLM) programme in International Environmental and Climate Change Law in South Asia. She also introduced Environmental Law and Policy as a subject at the postgraduate level within the Faculty of Law, creating new opportunities for advanced legal education in this critical field.
Nonetheless, Professor Konasinghe’s expertise has been sought at the highest levels of national policymaking. She has served as a national consultant for drafting the National Policy on Living Entities and led a team of researchers in revising and drafting amendments to National Environmental Act of Sri Lanka. As a member of the committee drafting the upcoming Climate Change Act, she has been instrumental in shaping the legal response to climate change in Sri Lanka. Her commendable service towards addressing adverse impacts of climate change and her global influence had been well evident through her representation of Sri Lanka at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP 27 in Egypt in 2022.
Beyond academia, Professor Konasinghe has made significant contributions to capacity building, leading over 10 national, regional, and international projects in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme. She has also conducted training programmes on environmental laws and policies for judicial officers, parliamentarians, and provincial and local government authorities. Additionally, her dedication to environmental consciousness extends to schools, where she serves as a resource person, inspiring the next generation to embrace sustainability.
Beloved as a lecturer and admired for her unwavering commitment to environmental protection, Professor Kokila Lankathilake Konasinghe is a true asset to the legal scholarship in Sri Lanka. Her immeasurable contributions to academia and her tireless efforts to protect the environment have left an indelible mark on the legal landscape. Through hard work and passionate dedication, she continues to inspire future legal scholars and lead the way toward a more sustainable and equitable world.
This recognition as Gold award Winner in Legal Education at the National Educators Award 2024 is a fitting tribute to Professor Konasinghe’s extraordinary journey and enduring legacy.
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