Sunday Times 2
Lankan graduates secure PhD scholarships at National University of Singapore
View(s):Six Sri Lankan graduates from the University of Moratuwa have been awarded highly competitive PhD scholarships at the National University of Singapore (NUS), one of the world’s leading universities, for the January 2026 intake.
The scholarships are part of a special initiative facilitated by Prof Suranga Nanayakkara, Vice Dean (Communications) at School of Computing, NUS, in collaboration with Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education. Under this initiative, NUS will allocate several fully funded PhD scholarships every year exclusively for Sri Lankan citizens who hold strong Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees with high GPAs from UGC-recognised universities.
Ranked 8th globally and 1st in Asia (QS World University Rankings 2025), NUS is known for its extremely competitive PhD admissions process. Recognising the need to enhance diversity and strengthen academic links with Sri Lanka, Prof Nanayakkara spearheaded a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between NUS and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Education, enabling a dedicated quota of PhD scholarships for Lankan students.
Following a rigorous and competitive selection process, six candidates from the University of Moratuwa have been selected for the January 2026 intake. Three students — Meenambika Chandirakumar, Navindu De Silva, and Kavindu Warnakulasuriya — have been admitted to PhD programmes at the NUS School of Computing.
Another three — Tharusha Sihan Fonseka, Aathavan Nithyananthan, and Sithija Vihanga Ranaraja — have been selected for doctoral studies at the NUS College of Design and Engineering.
Several more scholarships will be awarded for the August 2026 intake.