It is with profound sadness that the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS) announces the demise of Mr. Ray Forbes on 27 of January, 2024.
Mr. Ray Forbes served the BCIS from January 1983 to December 1997 as its Director. As a career Foreign Service Officer, he served Sri Lanka in various capacities in several capitals of the world including as the Deputy Chief of Mission, Sri Lanka High Commission in New Delhi. In 1980 he resigned from the Foreign Service to join Mother Teresa’s social mission in Calcutta. On his return to Sri Lanka he joined the BCIS in 1983. For his services to the country, he was honoured by the Government of Sri Lanka with the conferment of the title Deshabandu in November 2005 and the Lifetime Achievement Award by the BCIS in March 2017.
His service to the BCIS has been exemplary and his contribution to the betterment of the institution has left an indelible mark. The legacy of Mr. Forbes will continue to inspire all of us at the BCIS.