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Puvanya
Puvanya
Sep 30 2026
19A historic international gathering brings more than 125 participants from over 13 countries to Sri Lanka, strengthening research collaboration, global visibility, foreign-exchange earnings and knowledge-based tourism.
Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka (UWU), Badulla, is preparing to host the 20th International Conference on Webometrics, Informetrics and Scientometrics (WIS) and the 25th COLLNET Meeting – COLLNET 2026, on October 1–2.
Bringing together more than 125 international participants representing over 13 countries, this conference marks one of the significant international academic milestones in the two-decade journey of Uva Wellassa University.
Organised under the theme “Sri Lanka: A Destination for Knowledge & Discovery,” COLLNET 2026 goes beyond the boundaries of a conventional academic conference. It creates an international platform for research collaboration while enhancing the visibility of UWU, Badulla and Sri Lanka within the global academic community.
Two decades of progress
Established in 2005, Uva Wellassa University has developed a distinctive identity within Sri Lanka’s higher education sector. Guided by its vision, “To be the Centre of Excellence for Value Addition to the National Resource Base,” UWU has built its academic philosophy around value addition, innovation, research and entrepreneurship. Recognised as Sri Lanka’s First Entrepreneurial University, UWU continues to encourage creativity, innovation and the practical application of knowledge for national development. During its two-decade journey, the University has expanded its academic programmes, research output, international collaborations, infrastructure and digital presence.
Its progress in the Webometrics Ranking, including its improved national and international standing, represents another milestone in the University’s growing global visibility. Against this background, hosting COLLNET 2026 represents a natural progression from a young national university towards an institution with an increasingly international academic presence.
Bringing the world to Badulla
The international diversity of COLLNET 2026 is one of its most important achievements.
With more than 125 participants from over 13 countries, the conference brings together academics, researchers, librarians, information professionals and experts from different parts of the world.
For two days, Badulla will become an international centre for scholarly dialogue and knowledge exchange.
This is particularly significant because major international academic events are often concentrated in capital cities and large metropolitan centres. COLLNET 2026 demonstrates the capacity of a regional Sri Lankan university to attract an international academic community and host a scholarly event of global significance.
Participants will not only experience Uva Wellassa University. They will experience Badulla, the Uva region, and Sri Lanka.
A global network for research collaboration
COLLNET – the Collaboration Network – was established in 2000 as an international interdisciplinary research network connecting researchers and professionals interested in scientometrics, informetrics, bibliometrics, webometrics, research evaluation, scholarly communication and science policy. Over the past two decades, its international conference series has created a platform for scholars to exchange knowledge, present new research and develop international collaborations.
Bringing this network to Sri Lanka, therefore, creates valuable opportunities for Sri Lankan researchers to interact directly with international experts and become part of wider global research networks. The initiative to bring COLLNET 2026 to Sri Lanka was spearheaded by Dr. T. Pratheepan, Acting Librarian of Uva Wellassa University, with the approval, guidance and leadership of Senior Prof. Kolitha B. Wijesekara, Vice Chancellor of Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka.
The conference has subsequently developed into a collective University effort involving the Library, Research Unit, faculties, administrative divisions and the wider UWU community.
Research for a changing world
COLLNET 2026 comes at a time when the global research environment is undergoing profound transformation.
Artificial Intelligence, open science, research analytics, digital publishing, university rankings, research integrity and new forms of scholarly communication are changing how knowledge is created, communicated and evaluated. The conference will explore these developments through keynote addresses, expert plenary lectures, an international panel discussion and research presentations.
Six thematic tracks will cover areas including bibliometrics and scientometrics; Artificial Intelligence and intelligent systems; research evaluation and societal impact; innovation and industry linkages; webometrics, open science and Sustainable Development Goals; and information management and knowledge structures.
A major highlight will be the International Panel Discussion: “Research in the Age of AI: Opportunities, Integrity, Multilingualism and the Future of Global Scholarly Communication.”
The discussion will examine both the opportunities and challenges created by Artificial Intelligence, particularly its implications for research integrity and researchers from multilingual and non-English-speaking academic communities.
Building new international research connections
The most valuable outcome of an international conference may not always be visible during the conference itself. A discussion between two researchers can become a joint publication. A meeting between academics from different universities can develop into an institutional partnership. A presentation can introduce a young researcher to a new methodology or international collaborator.
COLLNET 2026, therefore, creates an important opportunity for Sri Lankan academics, researchers, postgraduate students and information professionals to establish direct connections with international scholars. Hosting such an international conference locally also provides Sri Lankan researchers with access to global expertise without the substantial costs normally associated with attending conferences overseas. The longer-term impact can consequently extend far beyond the two conference days.
Bringing foreign exchange to the national economy
COLLNET 2026 also has an important economic dimension.
International conference participants contribute foreign exchange to Sri Lanka through conference registration fees, accommodation, transportation, food, tourism, shopping, and other expenditure during their stay. This economic activity extends beyond the University. Hotels, transport providers, restaurants, tourism operators, suppliers and other businesses can benefit directly or indirectly from the arrival of international delegates.
The conference, therefore, demonstrates another important contribution universities can make to the national economy. Universities can attract foreign exchange not only through international students, but also by bringing international conferences, professional meetings, research networks and academic events to Sri Lanka. In this sense, COLLNET 2026 demonstrates the potential of the knowledge economy as another avenue for international engagement and economic activity.
Promoting knowledge-based tourism
Sri Lanka is internationally renowned for its natural beauty, cultural heritage, biodiversity and hospitality. International academic conferences add another dimension to this identity: knowledge-based tourism. Participants travelling to Badulla for COLLNET 2026 will have opportunities to experience the natural beauty, cultural heritage and hospitality of the Uva region.
An international academic visitor may subsequently return as a tourist, recommend Sri Lanka to colleagues and family, initiate future academic collaborations or encourage another international event to be organised in the country.
The impact of a conference visit can, therefore, continue long after the event itself. COLLNET 2026 provides an opportunity to position Sri Lanka not only as a destination for leisure, but also as a destination for education, research, professional networking, innovation and intellectual discovery.
Expanding UWU’s global visibility
In today’s digital academic environment, the international visibility of a university is influenced by its research output, digital presence, scholarly collaborations, institutional partnerships and engagement with global academic networks. International conferences can contribute significantly to this visibility. Participants search for the University, visit its websites, interact with its academics, share conference activities through professional and social networks, and subsequently carry the name of the institution back to their universities and countries.
COLLNET 2026, therefore, provides Uva Wellassa University with an exceptional opportunity to expand its international academic footprint and global discoverability. This is particularly relevant because web visibility, research impact, scholarly communication and global discoverability are themselves central themes of the conference.
The changing role of university libraries
The hosting of COLLNET 2026 also highlights the changing role of university libraries in the modern research ecosystem.
Academic libraries are no longer merely repositories of books and journals. They increasingly function as research-support centres assisting academics and students with digital resources, literature searching, scholarly communication, research visibility, bibliometric analysis, open access, research data, and emerging technologies.
The central role of the Uva Wellassa University Library, together with the UWU Research Unit, in coordinating COLLNET 2026 demonstrates how university libraries can contribute directly to institutional research development and internationalisation.
A collective achievement
An international event of this scale requires extensive teamwork.
COLLNET 2026 has been made possible through the collective contribution of the University administration, Library, Research Unit, faculties, academic and administrative staff, technical and support staff, sponsors, institutional partners and external stakeholders.
The leadership and guidance of Vice Chancellor Senior Prof. Kolitha B. Wijesekara have been instrumental in enabling the University to undertake this international event. The conference also reflects the commitment of the wider UWU community to creating an event worthy of the University’s growing international profile. At its heart, this collective effort reflects the very principle represented by the name COLLNET – collaboration.
Beyond the conference
COLLNET 2026 should ultimately be viewed as more than a two-day event.
Its lasting value will be reflected in the research partnerships it creates, publications it inspires, professional relationships it develops, international visibility it generates, and opportunities it opens for Sri Lankan researchers.
For Uva Wellassa University, it represents another major step in a journey that began only two decades ago. For Badulla, it provides an opportunity to welcome an international academic community and showcase the region to the world.
For Sri Lanka, it demonstrates how higher education, research, tourism, and international engagement can come together to create academic, social and economic value. More than 125 international participants. More than 13 countries. One university in Badulla bringing an international community together through knowledge. That is what makes COLLNET 2026 a historic milestone.
From Badulla to the world
Twenty years is a relatively short period in the history of a university. Yet, Uva Wellassa University has established a distinctive entrepreneurial identity, expanded its research profile and steadily strengthened its national and international visibility.
COLLNET 2026 adds a new chapter to that journey.
It demonstrates that internationalisation does not always mean sending Sri Lankan academics overseas. Sometimes, internationalisation means creating something significant enough for the world to come to Sri Lanka.
As Uva Wellassa University welcomes the global scholarly community to Badulla, the message of COLLNET 2026 reaches far beyond the University campus: Sri Lanka is not only a destination to visit. It is a destination to learn, research, collaborate, and discover. Sri Lanka: A Destination for Knowledge & Discovery.
Dr. KMRK Kulathunga
Coordinator/ COLLNET 2026
Uva Wellassa University
