Introduction

Dr Rajni Gamage’s research interests are in the politics of governance and state transformation, and development and inequality in Sri Lanka. She holds a PhD in Political Science and International Relations from University of Queensland; an MSc in International Relations from RSIS, NTU and a Bachelor of Social Science in Political Science from NUS. Her PhD titled ‘Nation as Village: Historicising the Authoritarian Populist Regime of Mahinda Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka’, was a critical analysis of the politics of Rajapaksism in Sri Lanka.

Among her publications are “Authoritarian Politics and Gender in Sri Lanka: A Survey (Routledge, 2024),” “Reforms in Sri Lanka: Emerging Trends in Elite Politics,” (Economic & Political Weekly, 2023), and “Buddhist Nationalism, Authoritarian Populism, and the Muslim Other in Sri Lanka,” (Islamophobia Studies Journal, 2021).

Prior to joining ISAS, Dr Gamage worked as a researcher in Colombo, Sri Lanka and as a senior analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Relations (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

Areas of Interest and Expertise

• Domestic Politics and Political Parties in Sri Lanka
• Democracy Studies
• Politics of Development and Inequality
• Foreign Policy & Security Issues in Sri Lanka