INSS Staff

Colonel Nalin Herath RSP is a distinguished Commissioned Officer with over 28 years of dedicated service in the Sri Lanka Army. His illustrious career has encompassed a wide range of roles, reflecting his exceptional leadership and management skills.
Currently, Colonel Nalin Herath serving as the Director Media & Spokesman at the Ministry of Defence in Sri Lanka, he oversees media relations, management, communications, and outreach activities. Throughout his tenure, has held key positions, including Staff Officer both at the local and United Nations levels, and instructor. He has consistently demonstrated his ability to thrive in challenging and complex environments.
Colonel Herath possesses extensive experience in fragile and conflict-affected states, gained through his participation in UN Peacekeeping Missions. His expertise further extends to training, institutional development, teaching international relations, advising senior leaders, operational planning, and security cooperation. As a motivational speaker and lecturer, he has shared his insights and knowledge with a wide audience.
His academic qualifications further bolster his expertise, including a Master's Degree in Management from Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Rights from the University of Colombo, a Post Graduate Diploma in Strategic Management from Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, a Certification in International Humanitarian Law (Theory & Practice) from Universiteit Leiden & Kalshoven-Gieskes, and a Global Diplomacy certification in Diplomacy in the Modern World from the University of London & SOAS University of London.
Colonel Nalin Herath, renowned for his illustrious military career, also shines as an eminent author. Among his notable literary accomplishments is the book "Globe in a Nutshell." Moreover, in March 2017, Colonel Herath's work garnered further recognition with the publication of its Sinhala translation, titled "jsYajh w;u;" (Wishwaya Atamata), by MD Gunasena in Sri Lanka, and "Story of the World - Geopolitical Alliances and Rivalries Set in Stone," published by MD Gunasena in January 2023. His expertise extends to the management and leadership of multi-national and inter-agency teams, as well as the establishment of strategic partnerships.
Colonel Nalin Herath's remarkable career and diverse expertise make him a esteemed figure in the field of military and international affairs. His contributions to leadership, peacekeeping, and academia have been both impactful and commendable.

Nilmini Ulluwishewa is one of the pioneer members of the Institute of National Security Studies and she is a double Masters’ degree holder. As Director (Administration), she is responsible for executing all matters relating to Administration, Human Resource and Finance functions of the Institute. She has over 6 years’ experience in Public Sector and 14 years in Private Sector where she worked in Project Management & Investment Banking. She has vast experience and strong process knowledge in areas such as Administration, Human Resource, Project Management, Back Office Operations and Finance. She is compassionate and very interested in charity work in education for children who are less fortunate.

Charani Patabendige is an Acting Research Analyst and a Research Assistant at Institute of National Security Studies with a strong academic and professional background in national security and law. She is currently pursuing, MPhil/PhD in Law, building upon her Bachelor of Laws degree from the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University with a second class. She has also obtained a distinction pass in the Advanced Diploma in Transitional Justice, a program conducted by the Bandaranaike Center for International Studies. She served as a committee member tasked with reviewing and finalizing Sri Lanka's National Defence Policy. She has contributed to international dialogues on security issues, representing Sri Lanka at the 'International Scientific-Practical Conference on Regional Security in Asia in the Context of Preventing New Challenges and Threats,' organized by the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). Charani is also a Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA) Alumnus, participating in the "NESA-AFRICOM Workshop Series: Changing Nature Of Security, Transnational Threats Know No Boundaries" in Bangkok, Thailand. She has also expanded her knowledge by attending the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA) Climate Change and Security Senior Executive Seminar conducted by NESA Washington, DC, and participating in the Women, Peace and Security Round Table by invitation both in virtual format. Charani serves as an Honorary Associate Research Fellow and is an active member of the National Authority to Prevent Violent Extremism. She is also dedicated to women empowerment and political participation where she is an active member in the Women's Association. Her research focus includes critical areas such as financial crimes, hate speech, human rights, and national security, as evidenced by her numerous international and national publications.

Kalpani Gunathilaka is a Research Assistant at the Institute of National Security Studies (INSS). She has successfully completed BA (Special) in Economics degree at Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka with second class upper division. She has worked as an Executive Research Analyst at Arithmos (Pvt) Ltd. for eight (08) months. She represented Sri Lanka as a participant to the Executive Seminar 2022 conducted by the Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies. She has published research papers in the journals of University of Sri Jayewardenepura and University of Kelaniya related to Sri Lankan self-employment and its gender differences. She has also published articles to the websites and newspapers. Her research interests are economics, labour economics, microeconomics, economic security and national security.

Chandani Dissanayake is a Research Assistant at the Institute of National Security Studies (INSS). She is a graduate who graduated in Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Sociology from the University of Kelaniya and currently she is reading for a Master of Social Sciences in Sociology (MSSc) in University of Kelaniya. She has successfully completed a certificate course in Postgraduate Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo. In addition, She has involved as a volunteer with the Centre for Gender Studies, University of Kelaniya. Her research interest are global and local health security, gender and gender -based violence, criminology and national security. She has published research papers in national and international journals. Before joining INSS she was a Project Assistant at the Open University of Sri Lanka.