Australia Awards South and West Asia

The journey of Upul Sanjaya Weerasinghe, an Australia Awards alumnus from Sri Lanka, is a testament to determination and resilience. In mid-2024, he became the first person in his family to earn a master’s degree, completing a Master of Public Policy at the Australian National University’s Crawford School of Public Policy, with the support of an Australia Awards Scholarship.

Sanjaya experienced gradual vision loss during childhood, eventually becoming blind. Despite numerous obstacles due to his disability, Sanjaya remained determined to attend university. As he explained on the Crawford School’s website, “My curiosity for knowledge, fueled by my experiences of poverty and disability, led me to delve into policy framing, evidence-based decision-making, and global governance”.

Studying in Australia was not without its challenges, particularly as a person with disability. To support him, Australia Awards provided Sanjaya with devices he needed to access course materials and complete his degree. Not content with just receiving his master’s, Sanjaya gave back to the university by providing feedback on his experience of accessibility. “I had  the opportunity to submit my comments and observations on the Accessibility Guidelines for Teaching and Learning  and to provide my proposals to improve inclusivity in the Crawford School of Public Policy”, he says.

Sanjaya (far right) with other scholars from Sri Lanka (middle) and Mongolia (far left) in Canberra.

Now back home, Sanjaya has resumed his role as Senior Assistant Director at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.  Reflecting on his return to work, Sanjaya says “The transition went very smoothly thanks to the experiences I had, the training and the technology I received in Australia.”

During his time in Australia, Sanjaya was deeply impressed by the commitment to inclusivity.  This experience opened his eyes to the potential to revamp public services in Sri Lanka to make them more accessible. Through these insights, Sanjaya is now more determined to advocate for and implement changes that will foster a more inclusive and accessible society.

He is applying his experience in Australia to improve accessibility in the banking sector.  “I received first-hand experience on the accessibility of Australian banks,” he says.

“After returning to Sri Lanka, I conducted training programs for financial service providers in relation to accessibility in banking and provision of their financial service providers.”

Sanjaya with other Sri Lankan scholars in Canberra.

Sanjaya is conducting a research project to compare banks in both countries and develop a plan to improve accessibility in Sri Lankan banks. “The plan will be implemented in the near future after the conclusion of the comparative study,” he says.

Sanjaya’s journey demonstrates how determination and a passion for learning can transform lives. His story continues to inspire others to overcome their challenges and strive for excellence.