SAARC countries are top Presidential Scholarship recipients for Degree/Masters programmes

Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh nationals are top on the list of Presidential Scholarship Programme recipients, an Undergraduate/ Postgraduate scholarship scheme for for- eign students from 2011 to 2013.

According to the Higher Education Ministry, last year the highest number of 36 out of 56 students enrolled since 2011.

Youth from Palestine, Kenya, Pakistan, Nigeria, India, Maldives, Brazil, Korea, Swaziland, Afghanistan and Uganda are the other nationals who have been awarded scholarships.

The subjects the foreign students follow vary from Fisheries and Marine Sciences to Doctor of Philosophy ( PhD), from Tourism and Hospital Management to Chemical Engineering.

The subjects they are following are International Relations, Information & Communication Technology, Bachelor of Medicine ( MBBS), Buddhist Studies, Master of Business Administration ( MBA), Postgraduate Diploma in Management, Management, Statistics, Architecture, Molecular Life Science, Town & Country Planning, Food Science, Development Studies, Law, Islamic Studies, Chemistry, Environmental Science and Economics.

The highest numbers of foreign students following PhD are in the University of Ruhuna, while Moratuwa University has offered Engineering Degrees to students from Kenya, Palestine, Maldives, Bhutan and Pakistan.

Two Brazilians are following undergraduate courses in Buddhist studies at Kelaniya University from last year, while two Theras from Korea and Nepal have enrolled for Postgraduate courses in Buddhist studies.

Seven MBA students enrolled last year into Ruhuna, Colombo, Kelaniya and Sri Jayawardenapura Universities.

Two scholarship recipients from Swaziland and Kenya are following the Economics Degree at the South Eastern University. A Kenyan student is presently following the Degree course in Architecture at the University of Moratuwa.

Meanwhile, two students from Nigeria and Pakistan are following the MSc in Molecular Life Science at Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biotechnology ( IBMBB) of Colombo University

Higher Education Ministry stated that in 2011 there were five scholarship holders, 15 in 2012, which has increased to 36 students in 2013.

The State Universities offering Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses are Universities of Moratuwa, Colombo, Rajarata, Peradeniya, Ruhuna, Kelaniya, South Eastern, Sabaragamuwa and Vavuniya.

South Asian Institute of Technology & Medicine ( SAITM), Postgraduate Institute of Management ( PIM) of Sri Jayawardenapura University, University of Colombo School of Computing ( UCSC), Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies ( PGIPBS) of University of Kelaniya and Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biotechnology ( IBMBB) of Colombo University are the other State and State/ university affiliated institutions.

The Government of Sri Lanka Presidential Scholarships Program for Foreign Students is implemented by the Higher Education Ministry. It has been in operation for three years and offers 100 Undergraduate and Postgraduate scholarships made available by State universities annually, to foreign students from identified countries. dents sitting the A/L, and a similar number sitting the Grade 5 Scholarship exam and therefore, questioning the credibility of the question papers without any valid reasons would affect the mentality of the students,” he said.

He said only a group of Education sector trade unions have been raising questions about the paper.

He said that security arrangements have been made for the Grade 5 Scholarship exam which is being held today in 2,870 centres for some 335,000 students, with 18,000 teachers and offi- cials on duty.

Meanwhile, former chairman of the Federation of the University Teachers Association, Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri said that the process of preparing major examination papers was questionable.

He said the Education Minister should look into the allegations without denying them at the outset.

Earlier the Exams Commissioner said that there were no problems regarding the A/L Economics paper.