NPC's Mobilising University State Engagement for Reconciliation (MUSTER) project, supported by Strengthening Social Cohesion and Peace in Sri Lanka (SCOPE) and co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Foreign Office, focused on capacity building initiatives, enhancing student researchers' abilities to effectively communicate and disseminate their findings through creative and accessible methods. This enhanced dissemination capacity ensures that research addressing conflict resolution and cultural preservation reaches intended audiences, thus strengthening efforts to rebuild social cohesion and prevent the further decline of traditional practices.
The project conducted creative dissemination workshops designed to equip university research pods with essential tools and methods for sharing research findings with diverse audiences.
University of Ruhuna students participated in the creative data dissemination tools workshop, which introduced essential approaches for making research accessible and impactful. The session covered online dashboards for interactive data exploration, audio/visual presentations using multimedia formats, storytelling techniques for narrative driven research communication and formal academic presentations for scholarly audiences.
Dilhani Kumarasingha, a student from University of Ruhuna, said, "When I first joined the programme, I didn't expect it to be this important. But this has been a remarkable experience. It clearly showed us how to communicate the work we do to society in a more meaningful and impactful way. I believe this programme will be even more beneficial to us in the future than it is today."
Dulmi Yasara, another University of Ruhuna student, said, "We had used the Canva app before but today we truly understood its depth. It offers the opportunity to carry out many of our day to day activities in a creative manner. Another key takeaway is how to build success stories. This will be a great opportunity for us to share the nuanced aspects of the research we conducted with society."
University of Jaffna students received the same capacity building training. "We are still students. We didn't have a clear understanding of how to disseminate the research we do to society. Through this programme, we learnt how to creatively share the data we have. That was very valuable. We learnt that by using an app like Canva we can organize data quickly and easily," said Vijisnaraj Maruthalingam a student from University of Jaffna. Another student, Kathiska Kavitharajan, explained, "As students we learnt how important research papers are for us. Now we feel motivated to engage in research. This guidance was very important. We now know how to make proper power point presentations.”
Both workshops emphasised practical application, with participants engaging in case study group work where they were divided into small groups, given scenarios with data and specific target audiences and tasked with identifying the most appropriate dissemination tools and methods for their particular research contexts. This hands-on approach ensures that students can effectively share research that contributes to reconciliation and social cohesion, maximising the impact of their work in addressing these critical issues.
The workshops introduced students to various tools and platforms for different dissemination approaches and addressed key considerations for each dissemination method, including when online dashboards are most effective for quantitative research data and government officials, how audio/visual presentations work best for emotional research topics and diverse educational backgrounds, when storytelling approaches are ideal for humanising statistical data and community presentations and how academic presentations remain essential for conference settings and peer review processes. These diverse dissemination strategies ensure that research on reconciliation can reach all relevant stakeholders from policymakers to community members, strengthening the overall impact on conflict resolution and cultural conservation efforts.
Participants engaged in interactive activities for sharing expectations and feedback and group presentations. The workshops concluded with practical next steps encouraging students to experiment with different tools, practice with their own research data and seek feedback from their target audiences. These practical steps ensure that the enhanced communication skills will be applied to research that supports reconciliation.
These capacity building initiatives represent an important investment in ensuring that the research conducted through the project reaches its intended audiences effectively and creates meaningful impact beyond the academic sphere. By equipping student researchers with diverse communication tools and methods, the project strengthens the bridge between university generated knowledge and community level application, supporting the broader goals of reconciliation and social cohesion in Sri Lanka. The improved dissemination of research findings directly contributes to strengthening social cohesion and preserving cultural and spiritual practices that are at risk of being lost.