The Institute of National Security Studies (INSS) held the viva voce for its 2026 Intern Batch I on September 9, 2026, at the INSS Conference Hall.
The viva voce panel consisted of Professor Chaminda Padmakumara from the Department of International Relations, Faculty of Arts, University of Colombo; Rear Admiral Dimuthu Gunawardena (Retd), former Director General of INSS; and Eng. Ms. Dinusha Gunawardana, Founder of the Energy Academy.
The two part-time interns successfully defended their research papers, which were a mandatory component of their research internship. Navida Dewram's research was titled "Energy Dependence in Sri Lanka: Analyzing Import Vulnerability, Renewable Energy Potential, and Policy Pathways towards Self-Sufficiency", while Sherai Fonseka's research was titled "From Opportunistic Hedging to Strategic Alignment: Crafting a Rules-Based Foreign Policy for Sri Lanka's National Security". Both interns were supervised by Ms. Charani Patabendige,AAL of INSS.
Following the viva voce, the panel conducted a question and answer session. Director General Major General WASR Wijedasa (Retd) also shared his thoughts at the conclusion of the proceedings. The evaluators were subsequently presented with plaques in recognition of their honorary service.
