I am a member of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, and have been working as the Assistant Secretary to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights of the Government of Sri Lanka. In my profession, I have to deal with many Development Administrative issues such as Poverty Alleviation, Climate Change and Natural Resources Management etc. As my academic background is mostly related to the science stream, I was of the view to enhance my knowledge and experience in Development Administration to support poverty alleviation initiatives in Sri Lanka.

I was privileged to be a recipient of an Australian Development Scholarship (ADS) through a very competitive process, which is one of the more esteemed scholarships open to government officers in the public service of Sri Lanka. ADS have several priority sectors identified by them for each partner country.

The Main objective of the ADS is to strengthen human resource capacity in AusAID partner countries, to contribute to long-term development needs and promote greater stability in the identified priority sectors in those countries. ADS build-up scholars with the skills, confidence and knowledge to modify and influence the development road map of their own countries. The University of Melbourne, Australia, has been consistently ranked among the top-100 research and teaching universities in the world.

The Master of Environment programme, in which I am enrolled, cuts across nine faculties at the University and allows me to access a wide range of Environment, Development, Governance and Conservation related subjects taught by academics with a strong profile in environmental sustainability and other aspects in Sustainable Development. Not only the modern advanced knowledge & technology on the subject available in the University, but the policy planning, good practices in research & project management, knowledge of Australian technological advancements, conceptual and attitudinal improvement, enhancement of self confidence and improvement in decision making competencies are some of the skills & knowledge I hope to acquire during my studies in the University of Melbourne. Further, I am certain that participation in a study programme in Melbourne University will help me to improve my language and communication skills as well as the expansion in interpersonal relationships and cross cultural sensitivity.

I am of the view that it would help me to enhance my capacity up to international standard and improve my service delivery to the public of my country at a highest international quality.
These qualities obviously would improve my competence in policy planning, implementation, administration & decision making after my return to Sri Lanka. My main intention is to get involved in the poverty alleviation agenda of the Government of Sri Lanka, through Sustainable Natural Resource Development approach.

I am very delighted about the opportunity given to me by both the Governments of Sri Lanka and Australia. Further, I am very pleased to be a holder of this prestigious scholarship at the University of Melbourne.

C.S.Harsha Vithanaarachchi
(B.Sc., M.Sc., PGD(IR)), Sri Lanka Administrative Service
Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Disaster Management & Human Rights, Sri Lanka.
M.Envt. Student, University of Melbourne, Australia.
AusAID ADS Scholar 2009
Mr. Harsha Vithanaarachchi, during the AusAID orientation programme.