Having studied at her alma mater, Royal Institute International School, Nugegoda branch, Dr Nirodha graduated with flying colours, whilst also being heavily involved in numerous extracurricular activities. From performing her duties as a Student Leader, Prefect, to performing on stage in the school at various functions with song and dance whilst also taking part in numerous sporting activities, she led a vivacious student life and upheld everything Royal Institute is known to stand for. This exposure to balancing her academics and extracurricular activities led her to instil in all students at Royal Institute the importance of taking part in extracurricular activities, be it sports or performing arts, in this technology-driven age where students would learn how to collaborate, socialise, manage time, de-stress, and maintain a healthy lifestyle and build confidence.
As a young adult, she went on to pursue her first degree, a BA (Hons) in Economics and Management, at the University of Sheffield, UK. She attended this prestigious university from 2009 to 2012 and received a half-scholarship which she was able to maintain for the duration of her course through hard-work and consistent academic success. In addition, she served as the Treasurer of the Sri Lanka Society for the term of 2011/12. She then proceeded to the University of Warwick, UK, in 2012, where she obtained an MSc in Economics while working on an inspiring dissertation titled, “Impact of Education Policy on Poverty Reduction for Urban, Low-Income Families in Post-Colonial Sri Lanka”.
Dr Nirodha is one of the youngest PhD (UK) holders in Sri Lanka, having obtained her PhD in Economics at the impressive age of 24, from the University of Nottingham, UK. She attended this university from 2013 to 2016 and worked on her thesis titled, “Education, Sectoral Choice and the Urban-Rural Welfare Gap in Sri Lanka”. She would then go on to work at the University of Nottingham.
Once she returned to Sri Lanka, she proceeded to work as a researcher at the Centre for Poverty Analysis, before taking over as Academic Director at Royal Institute International School and Royal Institute of Colombo, an institute known for its 50 years of experience in the field of education. Royal Institute is well renowned for guiding learners from nursery to tertiary education keeping up with international (world class) standards while seeking to develop a positive learning community that instills character traits of respect, responsibility, fairness, honesty, perseverance, trustworthiness, care, compassion, and citizenship. She continues to contribute there to the betterment of learners everywhere, uplifting the standards of teaching at all Royal Institute related junctions and beyond, while also being a great advocate for the theatre and performing arts. She is an Associate of Trinity College of London (Performing) – Speech and Drama.
Dr Nirodha has dedicated herself to hard work and perseverance, setting a worthy example of constantly striving for excellence in whatever one does. She is certainly an inspiration to all, and a true success story. So it is with great pride and respect, that we see her recently appointed as Treasurer of The International Schools of Sri Lanka (TISSL) for the term 2022/2024, where she is sure to continue contributing at large towards the development of the education sector of the country.
A heartfelt congratulations and the best of wishes to her as she undertakes this new role!