Strategic Vision
To establish the Lanka Foundation for Social and Educational Research (LFSER) as a nationally and regionally recognised centre for high-quality social and educational research, professional capacity building, and policy engagement, generating evidence that informs inclusive, equitable, and sustainable development in Sri Lanka.
Strategic Orientation
Unlike discipline-specific institutes, LFSER adopts a broad, interdisciplinary mandate encompassing education, language, social development, equity, and public policy. While English language education remains an important thematic strand, LFSER’s scope extends to wider educational and social research priorities relevant to Sri Lanka and comparable contexts.
Core Strategic Pillars
Pillar 1: Research Excellence in Social and Educational Studies
Unlike discipline-specific institutes, LFSER adopts a broad, interdisciplinary mandate encompassing education, language, social development, equity, and public policy. While English language education remains an important thematic strand, LFSER’s scope extends to wider educational and social research priorities relevant to Sri Lanka and comparable contexts.
Establish robust systems to conduct high-quality, ethically sound, and internationally credible research across education and related social domains. Key Focus Areas include:
- Teaching and learning across disciplines
- Language education and multilingualism
- Teacher education and professional development
- Educational equity, access, and inclusion
- Social dimensions of education (gender, rural–urban divides, socioeconomic factors)
- Digital transformation and innovation in education
Pillar 2: Capacity Building and Knowledge Development
Strengthen the research, analytical, and professional capacities of teachers, academics, postgraduate students, and practitioners through evidence-informed training and mentoring.
Activities include:
- Research methodology training
- Non-formal CPD programmes
- Practitioner research and action research support
- Early-career researcher mentoring
Pillar 3: Policy Engagement and Social Impact
Serve as a trusted, non-partisan research partner providing timely, evidence-based insights to policymakers, government agencies, NGOs, and development partners.
Focus areas:
- Education policy analysis and evaluation
- Monitoring and evaluation of social and educational programmes
- Policy briefs and advisory reports
- Stakeholder dialogues and policy forums
Pillar 4: Partnerships and Collaboration
Build strong national and international partnerships to enhance research quality, funding opportunities, and societal impact.
Partners include:
- Universities and research centres
- Government ministries and provincial authorities
- NGOs and civil society organisations
- International development agencies
Pillar 5: Research Dissemination and Scholarly Publishing
Build strong national and international partnerships to enhance research quality, funding opportunities, and societal impact.
Key initiatives:
- Establishment of a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary academic journal under LFSER
- Publication of research reports, policy briefs, and edited volumes
- Organisation of national and international conferences and symposia
Journal Development Note
The LFSER journal will prioritise social and educational research relevant to Sri Lanka, South Asia, and comparable Global South contexts, following rigorous peer-review and ethical publishing standards.
Long-term indexing goals include Google Scholar, DOAJ, ERIC, and Scopus (subject to eligibility and quality benchmarks).
Pillar 6: Institutional Sustainability and Governance
Ensure strong governance, transparent financial management, diversified funding, and long-term institutional stability.
Year-by-Year Strategic Plan
Year 1 (2026): Foundation and Institutional Credibility
Objectives
- Establish LFSER as a legally registered and operational NGO/CLG.
- Build foundational governance, policies, and visibility.
- Launch the first flagship social or educational research project.
Key Activities
- Register LFSER with the relevant national authorities.
- Constitute the Governing Board and Advisory Council.
- Recruit core staff (Director, Research Coordinator, Administration Officer).
- Develop institutional policies:
- Research ethics and integrity
- Financial and procurement procedures
- Human resource policies
- Launch Flagship Research Project #1 (education or social research focus).
- Sign MoUs with:
- At least two Sri Lankan universities
- Two government or provincial authorities
- One international research or development partner
- Host the Inaugural National Symposium on Social and Educational Research.
- Produce initial outputs:
- One working paper
- One policy brief
- One practitioner-oriented resource
- Register LFSER with the relevant national authorities.
- Constitute the Governing Board and Advisory Council.
- Recruit core staff (Director, Research Coordinator, Administration Officer).
- Develop institutional policies:
- Research ethics and integrity
- Financial and procurement procedures
- Human resource policies
Year 2 (2027): Expansion and Consolidation
Objectives
- Expand the research portfolio across multiple themes.
- Demonstrate policy and practitioner relevance.
- Strengthen funding streams and partnerships.
Key Activities
- Conduct three additional research projects, such as:
- Teaching and learning innovation study
- Teacher or practitioner professional development study
- Social equity or access-to-education study
- Launch annual non-formal CPD and research training programmes.
- Establish the Editorial Board for the LFSER academic journal.
- Develop the journal’s online platform and submission system.
- Publish:
- Three research reports
- Three policy briefs
- Initial peer-reviewed articles or edited outputs
- Apply for competitive grants (national and international donors).
- Host the Second National Conference on Social and Educational Research.
- Expand partnerships to include:
- NGOs and civil society organisations
- Regional universities in South and Southeast Asia
Expected Outcomes
- Enhanced national visibility and credibility.
- Growing repository of Sri Lanka-focused social and educational research.
- More stable annual budget through diversified funding
Year 3 (2028): Impact, Influence, and Sustainability
Objectives
- Position LFSER as a recognised advisory body on social and educational issues.
- Achieve operational and financial sustainability.
- Disseminate high-impact research nationally and internationally.
Key Activities
- Scale up flagship research projects to additional regions or populations.
- Publish two issues of the LFSER peer-reviewed journal.
- Apply for indexing in Google Scholar and DOAJ; prepare for higher-tier indexing where feasible.
- Publish a National Social and Educational Trends Report based on cumulative research findings.
- Host an international conference or policy summit on education and social development.
- Publish:
- One edited book or monograph
- Multiple peer-reviewed journal articles
- An annual policy outlook report
- Establish a Small Research Grants Scheme for teachers, postgraduate students, and early-career researchers.
- Secure 3–5 long-term MoUs with international universities or development partners.
Expected Outcomes
- LFSER recognised as a national hub for social and educational research.
- Demonstrable policy influence supported by empirical evidence.
- Sustainable institutional structure with long-term growth potential.