Thursday Oct 22, 2026
Thursday Oct 22, 2026
Thursday, 22 October 2026 00:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Marga Institute Executive Vice Chairman Amar Gunatilleke (seated, left) and Kaisay Founder and Host Raja Jawad signing the MoU
Kaisay with Raja Jawad, a Pakistani podcast and media platform, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Marga Institute, an independent Sri Lankan development research institute founded in 1972. Under the MoU, Marga will serve as knowledge partner for Kaisay’s Sri Lanka-focused work.
Raja Jawad, founder and host of Kaisay, and Marga Institute Executive Vice Chairman Amar Gunatilleke signed the MoU at the Marga Institute in Colombo, in the presence of staff from both organisations. The agreement provides a basis for sharing research and perspectives on social and development issues. Specific activities will be developed jointly.
“South Asia has more to gain when we listen to one another with curiosity and respect,” said Jawad. “Pakistan and Sri Lanka have different experiences, but many of the questions before us - livelihoods, education and opportunity - are shared. Kaisay South Asia aims to bring the people working on those questions into a wider conversation. Marga’s knowledge of Sri Lanka gives that conversation depth, and I hope this will help valuable ideas travel across our borders.”
Gunatilleke said: “Research is most useful when it reaches people and informs public discussion. We welcome the opportunity to share Sri Lankan perspectives with audiences in Pakistan and across the region, while learning from experiences elsewhere. The value of this understanding will lie in the conversations and learning we build together.”
Sri Lanka is the second country in Kaisay South Asia, after Bangladesh, where Kaisay earlier signed a separate MoU with Research and Policy Integration for Development (RAPID), a Dhaka-based policy research organisation. Each knowledge partnership is country-specific: RAPID’s role concerns Bangladesh and Marga’s concerns Sri Lanka. Kaisay plans to develop work in Nepal next. Those plans will be developed separately.
