17/06/2026
The Open University awards the Doric de Souza Gold Medal
The Open University of Sri Lanka awarded the Doric de Souza Gold Medal for the first time at its Convocation held recently. The medal marks all-round excellence in the Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language conducted by the Postgraduate Institute of English. It honours Doric de Souza, the eminent academic and Reader in English at the University of Peradeniya who, in the 1960s, established the first Sub department of English to support undergraduates not fluent in the English Language.
The winner of the medal, Sandaru Diwakara, is a lecturer at the Dept of English Language Teaching at the University of Colombo. Ms Diwakara had earlier won a Research grant for her work on Sri Lankan cultural influences on speaking in English. The medal was donated by Professor Emeritus Ryhana Raheem, Founder Director of the Postgraduate Institute of English. The PGIE, which offers Diplomas and Master’s degrees in English Studies and Bilingual Education, works closely with the Ministry of Education in enhancing the professionalism of English teachers in the secondary system and its alumni comprises academics and teachers working in Sri Lankan universities as well as across the globe.
