(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) – The Australian High Commissionwould like to announce thelaunch of the ManikSooriyaarachchi Scholarship for Female Entrepreneurs. This Scholarship has been established to commemorate Ms Manik Sooriyaarachchi, who tragically died, along with her daughter Alexandria, in the 2019 Easter bombings.
Manik was an Australian citizen and an alumna from the University of Swinburne in Melbourne. She was an active member of the Australia-Sri Lanka Alumni group and an entrepreneurial businesswoman who returned to Sri Lanka to contribute to the country’s economic development.
To mark the contributions Manik made as a female entrepreneur and as an Australian alumna, the Manik Sooriyaarchchi Scholarship for Female Entrepreneurshas been established. The Scholarship will fund a Sri Lankan female entrepreneur to undertake a business entrepreneurship degree at graduate certificate level at one of Australia’s top universities. It is anticipated one scholarship will be offered each year for the next 5 years. The Scholarship will fund course fees and travel and living expenses up to AUD 55,000.
Australian High Commissioner David Holly launched the scholarship on 21 April, the second anniversary of the bombings.
Applications will be sought from female businesswomen and entrepreneurs with at least 5 years professional experience who have a clear proposal for expanding their current business or creating a new business in sectors that will expand employment opportunities for Sri Lankans.We encourage female Sri Lankan entrepreneurs and businesswomen to take this opportunity to undertake professional development in Australia.
More details on the Scholarship can be found at https://australiaawardssrilanka.org.
