Dr. Oshan Wedage attends the ‘Human Origins and Our Future’ workshop hosted by Griffith University, Australia

In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, Griffith University, Australia, researchers alongside 42 scholars from 22 universities and partner organizations from around the world, set an ambitious task to weave together interdisciplinary scientific research, local community, and Indigenous knowledge to truly understand our human story.

Hosted by Griffith University at a four-day workshop in Brisbane, Queensland (29th January-05th February), nine Australian universities connected with international guests worldwide, including the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, represented by Sen. Lect. (Dr.) Oshan Wedage, attached to the Department of History and Archaeology. There, Dr. Wedage made two presentations on ‘New Investigations into the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene Prehistory of Sri Lanka’ and ‘Repatriation Program of Human Skull Remains of the Vedda Community from the University of Edinburgh’.

These workshops are said to represent the first step in the ambitious Griffith-led Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence bid to develop this first-of-its-kind collaboration, titled ‘Human Origins and Our Future’. Accordingly, the Centre seeks to integrate cutting-edge scientific methodologies with innovative questions and historical frameworks to unearth fundamental discoveries about our species’ environmental, biological, and cultural history.

The workshop also provided participants with exclusive access to the Queensland Museum‘s collections, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at its First Nations Collection. The event fostered deeper connections between human evolution specialists from around the globe, and promoted the work of public museums in supporting scientific and cultural knowledge. More details: https://news.griffith.edu.au/2024/02/13/scientists-gather-for-first-of-kind-human-origins-research/