Sunday Times 2
Lakshman Kadirgamar graduate scholarship launched at Oxford
View(s):Balliol College, in Oxford University, UK is setting up a graduate scholarship scheme in honour of former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, an alumni and one time president of the Oxford Union.
Over a period of 40 years Lakshman Kadirgamar had close connections with the college. He was a student there in 1956-59 and was later given the rare privilege of being elected an Honourary Fellow.
Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka in the years 1994 to 2001, and again in 2004 to 2005, the 19th death anniversary following his assassination by the LTTE fell on Monday (12).
The late minister’s widow, Suganthie Kadirgamar, made a donation to the graduate donation scheme of Balliol College during a recent visit to the University.
She was received by the Master of the College, Dame Helen Ghosh, who welcomed her to the Master’s Lodgings and discussed the scholarship plan with her. The gift makes possible the establishment of a financial award in memory of the late Sri Lankan lawyer turned minister.
Students of any nationality or gender can qualify for the Lakshman Kadirgamar Scholarship, but should be completing the two-year MPhil course in International Relations. The award’s purpose will be to help a postgraduate student at Balliol College to stay on for an extra year to do original scholarly research at a high level.
In the coming few years it is likely that the award will simply supplement the student’s funding for a doctorate. However, if the Lakshman Kadirgamar Fund at Balliol College is successful in raising funding on a larger scale, or some other form of funding emerges, then a Kadirgamar Scholarship at Balliol could be partnered with other funds to provide a full graduate scholarship for the DPhil in International Relations.
Sir Adam Roberts, former Professor of International Relations at Balliol College, and author of a book on Lakshman Kadirgamar said: “Sixty years ago. When I was anxious to do my first big research project in International Relations, I could only do so because I received an award from the London School of Economics. I was always grateful to the donor of that award. Now we all have good reason to thank Suganthie Kadirgamar. This is a brilliant gesture, worthy of her late husband, whose qualities we should celebrate.”