Prof. J B Disanayaka reveals the secret of leadership at AIA scholarship awards

Revealing the secret of leadership to motivate the aspiring leaders in the audience when AIA Insurance presented higher education scholarships recently, Chief Guest at the occasion, Emeritus Professor J.B. Disanayake described the qualities that made a person a leader and not a follower. He was speaking to the students who topped the batch in each of the 25 districts in Sri Lanka in the Year 5 government scholarship examination in 2006.

AIA presents scholarships to Year 5 batch toppers every year. An AIA insurance policy is not required to receive the scholarship that the Company grants purely on merit. The scholarship scheme was initiated in 1994 to motivate the nation's most promising children and inspire academic excellence. This is one of the Company's most important Corporate Responsibility endeavours with great national relevance.

Prof. J.B. Disanayaka, a leading authority of the Sinhala language and a prolific writer in not only Sinhala but also in English, listed the vital qualities of a leader in his keynote address. "A leader must have knowledge, intelligence, skill, empathy and most importantly, wisdom" he said, addressing the audience of future leaders with inspiring words.

Shah Rouf, the Chief Executive officer of AIA Insurance, in his address reminded the young audience that it was important to understand the context in which knowledge is gained. "Apply that knowledge for the benefit of the community" he advised.

The number of scholarships offered since the scheme commenced 20 years ago has grown to 475 with this newest batch to benefit from the AIA higher education scholarships and the trust fund set up with Rs. 10 million has grown six-fold through prudent investment, ensuring the continuity of the scheme.