US embassy cable - 02COLOMBO2082

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 - Exchanges 
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 HIGH 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