Extension of Chevening CRISP Programme to Sri Lanka
British High Commissioner met Sri Lanka’s first Chevening CRISP Fellows before they left for the UK to pursue their special course of study.
Chevening crisp fellows meeting the High Commissioner
British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, HE James Dauris, met Sri Lanka’s first Chevening CRISP Fellows Dilan Fernando and Shehani Gomes before they left for the UK to pursue their special course of study.
CRISP (Chevening Rolls-Royce Science and Innovation Scholarship Programme) is a Chevening Fellowship programme funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Rolls-Royce, which provides funding for a three month tailor-made course in the Said Business School (SBS) at Oxford University. The programme is aimed specifically at mid-career professionals working in the fields of science, innovation, business and related public administration. This year the CRISP programme has been extended to cover Sri Lanka, as part of the UK’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka build a stable and prosperous country.
Sri Lanka’s very first Chevening CRISP Fellows are Dr Dilan Fernando and Shehani Gomes. Dilan Fernando has a DPhil/PhD in Biochemistry/Immunology from Oxford and was a Chevening scholar in 2005 at the University of Nottingham where he read for an MSc in Applied Biomolecular Technology. He was recently awarded “Chartered Scientist” status by the Science Council of the UK. He currently works at MAS Holdings looking into transformational and disruptive innovation and technologies in the core business and adjacencies. Shehani Gomes is an associate member of CIMA with Masters degrees from the University of Colombo and from the University of Edinburgh. She works for MAS Active, focusing on research and innovation. Both are excited about the opportunity to study at Oxford, focusing on their specialisations. Commenting on the programme, Shehani said: “CRISP is profoundly thought-provoking and highly interactive as a course of study. Its impact is far-reaching in creating a ready mindset amongst scholars to come back home and make a positive contribution to their countries. We are truly honoured to be a part of it this year.”
The High Commissioner commented: “I am delighted that the Chevening CRISP Fellowship has now been extended to Sri Lanka. Chevening is all about opportunities: from Masters programmes that help young leaders to achieve their ambitions to specialised programmes offering professional development. Partnerships such as this one with Rolls-Royce and Oxford are extending the Chevening programme into exciting new areas. Oxford is one of the world’s great universities and I wish Dilan and Shehani every success in their studies there.”
Chevening Scholarships are the UK government’s global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations. The scholarships are awarded to outstanding established or emerging leaders across a wide range of fields, including development studies, economics and financial regulation, law and criminal justice and governance and public administration. In Sri Lanka, Chevening scholarships haven been awarded since 1984. Many of our 100+ Chevening alumni in Sri Lanka have gone on to become influential in their fields and make a difference in their country.