Surrounded on all sides by towering, verdant hills, the campus of the University of Sabaragamuwa boasts an idyllic location in the heart of Sri Lanka’s hill country.For the last few days, however, this sleepy pocket of academia has been lit up by an International Symposium, ‘Modelling the Issues and Challenges towards Sustainable Development.’ Two talks, in particular, captured the imagination, with their remarkable blend of passion and perception. The first, entitled ‘A New Earth: Towards a Biblical Theology of Sustainable Development’, delivered by Tom Wheaton, presented a thrilling conceptual analysis of the topic, while the second, by Olivia Rae, ‘Chose to Re-Use: The Durham Agreement’, was both entertaining and informative, and drew rave reviews. All joking aside, it was a wonderful opportunity for us to be able to participate in the symposium – an astoundingly broad and thought-provoking intellectual survey of sustainable development – and we sincerely hope that this marks the start of a fruitful academic partnership between the universities of Durham and Sabaragamuwa. During our time here both students and staff have been incredibly welcoming, involving us in all aspects of educational life, curricular and extra- curricular. We have spent the mornings teaching English to a range of age and subject groups, and the afternoons playing sport – swimming, tennis, badminton, and even karate! In future, one hopes, Durham students will have the opportunity to repay those of Sabaragamuwa for the kindness and generosity they have shown us.