UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 002082

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR ECA/A/E/NEA-SA - TERESA MASTRANGELO
SA/PD - WREINCKENS/SHOVANEC
USUN PLEASE PASS IIE - MPIPPENGER

E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: OEXC CE OEXC
SUBJECT: 2003-2004 SRI LANKA FULBRIGHT JUNIOR SCHOLAR
PROGRAM


1. THE UNITED STATES - SRI LANKA FULBRIGHT COMMISSION
(US-SLFC) RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 120 APPLICATIONS IN
RESPONSE TO ITS PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SUBJECT
AWARDS PROGRAM. AFTER A PRELIMINARY INTERVIEW OF ALL
ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES BY THE COMMISSION'S COMMITTEE ON
STUDY AND TRAINING, A SHORT LIST OF 19 CANDIDATES WAS
PRESENTED TO THE US-SLFC'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR A
FINAL INTERVIEW ON OCTOBER 16, 2002.


2. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOUND THE 19 FINALISTS TO BE
AN EXCEPTIONAL GROUP OF CANDIDATES AND SELECTED SIX
INDIVIDUALS LISTED BELOW, FOR FURTHER PARTICIPATION IN
THE JUNIOR SCHOLAR FULBRIGHT AWARDS PROGRAM. AS PER
LAST YEAR, THE BOARD FOUND EACH OF THESE NOMINEES
WORTHY OF A FULBRIGHT AWARD. HOWEVER, DUE TO LIMITED
FUNDS THE BOARD SELECTED THREE PRINCIPAL AND THREE
ALTERNATE NOMINEES.


3. GIVEN BELOW IS A RANK-ORDER LISTING OF THE SLATE OF
SIX RECOMMENDED CANDIDATES FOR THE 2003-04 FULBRIGHT
JUNIOR SCHOLAR PROGRAM.


4. PRINCIPAL NOMINEES:

A.THE TOP-RANKED PRINCIPAL NOMINEE ON THE PANEL OF SIX,
MS. NAAZIMA "KAMARDEEN" GRADUATED WITH A SECOND CLASS
UPPER DIVISION PASS AT THE LLB. DEGREE FROM THE FACULTY
OF LAW, UNIVERSITY OF COLOMBO, IN JULY 2001. KAMARDEEN
ALSO OBTAINED A FIRST CLASS PASS AT THE ATTORNEY-AT-LAW
EXAMINATION FROM THE SRI LANKA LAW COLLEGE IN DECEMBER

2002. SHE WAS AWARDED THE WALTER AND JUDITH PINTO

MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP AND GOLD MEDAL BY THE FACULTY OF
LAW, UNIVERSITY OF COLOMBO. SHE PURSUED HER STUDIES IN
SPEECH AND DRAMA AND HAS OBTAINED THE LICENTIATE OF THE
TRINITY COLLEGE, LONDON. CURRENTLY, KAMARDEEN IS A
LECTURER AT THE FACULTY OF LAW, UNIVERSITY OF COLOMBO,
AND A RESEARCH ASSISTANT AT THE LAW AND SOCIETY TRUST -
A NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION SPECLIALIZING IN HUMAN
RIGHTS AND EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE. IN HER AREA OF
STUDY KAMARDEEN WISHES TO CONCENTRATE ON THE
INTERDISCIPLINARY FIELDS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND
ENVIRONMENTAL LAW.


B. MR. MIRAK WIJEYESEKERA "RAHEEM", THE SECOND-RANKED
PRINCIPAL NOMINEE ON THE PANEL OF SIX, HAS AN UPPER
SECOND CLASS PASS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND
HISTORY AT THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE FROM THE
LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE,
UNIVERSITY OF LONDON. RAHEEM HAS HAD HIS HIG

H SCHOOL
EDUCATION, IN THE ENGLISH MEDIUM, AT INTERNATIONAL
SCHOOLS IN SRI LANKA. RAHEEM'S AREA OF STUDY TOWARDS
HIS MASTER'S DEGREE IS CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND
NEGOTIATION. HE HAS A SCORE OF 1920 AT THE GRE
(GENERAL) EXAM TAKEN IN NOVEMBER 2001. HE HAS
CORRESPONDED WITH THE FLETCHER SCHOOL, TUFTS
UNIVERSITY.


C. MS. WADDUWA PALLIYA GURUNNANSELAGE DONA JEEVANTHI
"SENANAYAKE", THE THIRD-RANKED PRINCIPAL NOMINEE ON THE
PANEL OF SIX OBTAINED AN UPPER SECOND CLASS PASS IN
CHEMISTRY AT THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE FROM THE
UNIVERSITY OF PERADENIYA. SENANAYAKE'S MAJOR WAS
CHEMISTRY AND MINOR BOTANY. HER FINAL YEAR RESEARCH
PROJECT WAS BASED ON THE ANALYSIS OF AN UNANI MEDICINE.
SENANAYAKE IS CURRENTLY A DEMONSTRATOR AT THE
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY, UNIVERSITY OF KELANIYA. SHE
PROPOSES TO FOCUS ON THE INTERDISCIPLINARY FIELDS OF
ARCHAEOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY. SENANAYAKE HAS A TOEFL
SCORE OF 280 TAKEN IN APRIL 2002 AND PLANS TO SIT THE
GRE (GENERAL) IN DECEMBER 2002. SHE HAS A LETTER OF
INVITATION FROM TEXAS A AND M UNIVERSITY, DEPARTMENT OF
CHEMISTRY, COLLEGE STATION TO PURSUE A MASTER'S DEGREE
IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY.


ALTERNATE NOMINEES:


D. MRS. DILMINI DUNUWILA LEKA JAYAWICKRAMA
"DISSANAYAKE", THE FIRST ALTERNATE AND FOURTH NOMINEE
ON THE PANEL OF SIX, IS AN ARCHITECT BY PROFESSION. SHE
OBTAINED A FIRST CLASS AT THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
DEGREE IN BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND A MASTER OF SCIENCE IN
ARCHITECTURE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MORATUWA IN 1998
AND 2001 RESPECTIVELY. SHE WAS AWARDED THE GEOFFREY
BAWA AND THE PROFESSOR K.R.S. PERIS DESIGN AWARDS AT
THE M.SC. EXAMINATION. WHILE DISSANAYAKE'S MAJOR FIELD
OF STUDY FOR HER MASTER'S DEGREE IS ARCHITECTURE, SHE
PLANS TO EXPAND ON HER MASTER'S ARCHITECTURE
DISSERTATION AND CONTINUE HER RESEARCH ON A GLOBAL
LEVEL ON THE ESSENCE OF MATERIALS AND THE SPIRIT OF
PLACE IN RELATION TO ARCHITECTURE. DISSANAYAKE WAS
AWARDED THE GOLD AND BRONZE MEDALS IN THE ALL ISLAND
SWIMMING MEETS IN 1991 AND 1992. SHE PLANS TO TAKE HER
TOEFL IN DECEMBER 2002.


E. MR. RUWAN DARSHANA "RANAWEERA", THE SECOND ALTERNATE
AND FIFTH NOMINEE ON THE PANEL OF SIX IS A LECTURER AT
THE DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PERADENIYA. RANAWEERA IS ALSO
INVOLVED IN THE ADMINSITRATIVE DUTIES OF THE FACULTY
AND IS THE MASTER-IN-CHARGE OF THE ELECTRONICS AND
MEASUREMENTS LABORATIES IN THE DEPARTMENT. RANAWEERA
OBTAINED AN UPER SECOND CLASS PASS AT THE BACHELOR OF
SCIENCE ENGINEERING EXAM IN 2001. IN 1997 HE WAS
AWARDED THE UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP FOR THE BEST
PERFORMANCE. FOR HIS MASTER'S DEGREE, RANAWEERA
PROPOSES TO STUDY BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING. HIS MAJOR
INTEREST BEING IN COMPUTER-BRAIN INTERFACING TO STUDY
THE BRAIN WAVES AND PROCESS THEM TO EXTRACT SIGNALS
CORRESPONDING TO EACH RESPONSE, THEREBY UTILIZING THIS
KNOWLEDGE TO CONTROL ARTIFICIAL LIMBS. RANAWEERA'S
SEPTEMBER 2002 TOEFL SCORE IS 267.


F. MS. NADIKA DEEPANI "SENADHEERA" IS THE THIRD
ALTERNATE AND SIXTH NOMINEE ON THE PANEL OF SIX.
SENADHEERA OBTAINED AN UPPER SECOND CLASS PASS IN
GEOGRAPHY AT THE BACHELOR'S DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY
OF COLOMBO. SENADHEERA IS A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
SYSTEMS (GIS) SPECIALIST ATTACHED ON A CONTRACTUAL
BASIS FOR NEEDY ORGANIZATIONS AT THE UNITED NATIONS
WORLD FOOD PROGRAM BASED IN SRI LANKA. SHE PROPOSES TO
PURSUE HER STUDIES IN GIS AND REMOTE SENSORS AT THE
MASTER'S DEGREE.


5. ALL NOMINEES WHO HAVE NOT TAKEN THE TOEFL AND GRE
EXAMINATIONS WILL USE THE FEE VOUCHERS SENT BY IIE AND
COMPLETE THE ABOVE-MENTIONED EXAMINATIONS BY THE END OF

2002. DULY COMPLETED APPLICATION FORMS OF THE 2003-04
FULBRIGHT JUNIOR SCHOLAR NOMINEES WILL BE SENT TO REACH
IIE BY NOVEMBER 15, 2002. REGARDS. WILLS