ARMY WAR COLLEGE HOLDS SEMINAR ON EXTREMISM AND NATIONAL SECURITY

In a significant move to enhance the strategic foresight of its future leaders, the Army War College (AWC) conducted a seminar titled "The Dynamics of Extremism, Violent Extremism and Their Implications on National Security." This event served as a key academic engagement for the Student Officers of the first Trimester of 2026.

The seminar commenced with opening remarks by the Commandant of the Army War College, Major General D K R N Silva RSP USP psc and he emphasized the importance of the session, noting its primary objective of providing a dynamic platform for knowledge sharing. He, further highlighted the necessity for officers to enhance their strategic awareness of global manifestations of extremism that would result in vulnerabilities to national security.

The seminar featured a series of presentations from experienced officers of the Military Intelligence Corps (MI Corps), each addressing critical aspects of the subject. At the outset, the first speaker, Lieutenant Colonel D Ranasinghe RSP psc Isc MI laid the groundwork with a presentation on "Fundamentals and Dynamics of Violent Extremism," explaining the root causes and evolving nature of this phenomenon.

Continuing with the motion, the second speaker, Lieutenant Colonel M G S Piyarathne psc Isc MI explored the existing challenges in "Contemporary Extremism Threats and Their Implications on National Security” thus linking global trends to local security contexts. As the last speaker, Major A I Jayawardena MI enriched the discourse with a presentation on "The Role of Online Platforms in Advancing Contemporary Extremism and Undermining National Security" where he plentifully addressed to the implications of the modern battlefield.

The event was attended by the Commandant, Chief Instructor along with the faculty members, and permanent staff in addition to the audience of 140 Student Officers, consisting the Senior Command Course 16 and Junior Command Course 35.

The programme also included a vibrant Question and Answer session, encouraging thoughtful engagement and fostering a rich exchange of ideas between the speakers and participants. Having presented tokens of appreciation to the guest speakers who contributed as resource persons, the Seminar was brought to an end with the concluding remarks delivered by Chief Instructor, Colonel D P A S A Witharana psc.