The 5th International Conference on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICICH 2025) was ceremonially inaugurated on 19th September 2025 at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura under the theme “Bridging the Past and Future: The Role of Intangible Heritage in a Changing World.” The conference is jointly organized by the Department of Anthropology, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, in collaboration with the SAARC Cultural Center, Sri Lanka.
The Head of the Department of Anthropology, Prof. Sepala Samarasekara, welcomed the gathering, after which Dr. Tharaka Ananda, Conference Chair of ICICH 2025, delivered the introductory remarks. Dr. Narayanan Mallikadevi, Senior Lecturer of the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka, also offered introductory remarks in Tamil, marking the inclusive spirit of the event.
The ceremony was further graced by the presence of Senior. Prof. Shirantha Heenkenda, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, who addressed the audience, followed by Dr. Kaushalya Kumarasinghe, Director of the SAARC Cultural Center, Sri Lanka, who participated as the Guest of Honor. The keynote address was delivered by Emeritus Prof. Mudiyanse Dissanayeke of the University of Visual and Performing Arts, Sri Lanka, whose insightful speech set the academic tone of the conference.
The inauguration concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Dr. Nelum Kanthilatha, Conference Secretary of ICICH 2025. The two-day conference, held on 19th and 20th September 2025 in hybrid mode, provides a platform for international and local scholars to engage in dialogue on the role of intangible cultural heritage in a changing world.
