The Pathfinder Foundation, in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka, has launched a lecture series examining the legacy of America’s Founding Fathers to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence.
The inaugural lecture, titled “The Legacy of Thomas Jefferson on Education and Institutions,” was held on Thursday, September 10, at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo. The series explores the lasting contributions of the Founding Fathers and the contemporary relevance of their ideas.
Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and the third President of the United States, was a strong advocate for education and the advancement of knowledge. He founded the University of Virginia and contributed to the early development of the Library of Congress.
U.S. Fulbright Specialist Lara Szypszak, the lead speaker, examined Jefferson’s enduring influence on education, institutions and the pursuit of knowledge. Her presentation highlighted his role in founding the University of Virginia and his contribution to the development of educational and knowledge institutions in the United States.
Jefferson’s association with the Library of Congress was also discussed, with part of its collection having been built from his personal library. Szypszak explained how Jefferson’s legacy continues through libraries and archives that preserve knowledge, expand access to information and connect communities with educational resources.
She noted that libraries in the United States have evolved into important community spaces supporting learning, discovery and public access to information. The discussion argued that Jefferson’s most enduring legacy lay not only in the institutions he helped establish but also in the principle that education, access to knowledge and an informed citizenry are fundamental to a free society.
Dr. Sujata Gamage, Senior Research Fellow at LIRNEasia and Coordinator of Sri Lanka’s Education Forum, served as the discussant, bringing a contemporary Sri Lankan education-policy perspective to the conversation.
Drawing on her previous work and experience in the United States, Gamage examined Jefferson’s ideas and the evolution of American universities in relation to Sri Lanka’s higher education system and its present challenges. She noted that U.S. universities had developed from relatively modest institutions in the 19th century into global centres of research and postgraduate education, attracting students and scholars from around the world.
The presentations were followed by a fireside discussion and an open-floor question-and-answer session, allowing participants to consider the relevance of Jefferson’s ideas to education and institutional development today.
While acknowledging that Jefferson’s original vision emerged from a markedly different social and historical context, the speakers agreed that key elements of his thinking remained relevant, particularly the importance of participatory education and institutions that contribute to public life and shape citizens’ roles in democratic societies.
The event commenced with welcome remarks by U.S. Embassy Counselor for Public Affairs Menaka Nayyar and Pathfinder Foundation Chairman Bernard Goonetilleke. Representatives of diplomatic missions and think tanks, university students, academics and professionals attended and contributed to the discussion.
The Founding Fathers Lecture Series forms part of broader initiatives by the U.S. Embassy and the Pathfinder Foundation to promote dialogue and deepen understanding of the historical, institutional and intellectual foundations of the United States, while examining their relevance to shared contemporary challenges.
