Mrs Bandaranaike initiated the establishment of a diplomatic training institute which would support the professional Foreign Service and ensure the provision of sound training for career diplomats. She mandated Dr Vernon L. B. Mendis, Sri Lanka’s senior most career diplomat at the time, from the first batch of the Foreign Service of Ceylon, to be its Director General. The Institute, which has grown in scope, serves today as an international and regional centre, attracting students and experts, both local and foreign for its many programmes and activities.