Postgraduate Institute of English, OUSL

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.

MA TESL 2026 27 INTAKE
The Selection Test will be held in Nawala and Kandy on 1st August
APPLICATION: https://forms.gle/e9P8WAgkHibHg9V57
https://pgie.ou.ac.lk/master-of-arts-in-teaching-english.../

Today, the very first Doric de Souza memorial gold medalist of the MA TESL program of the PGIE - Ms Sandaru Diwakara - graduated at the Convocation of the Open University of Sri Lanka held at the BMICH. Warm congratulations on your graduation Sandaru! The PGIE is proud of your exceptional academic achievement!

The PGIE is a proud partner in the Skills Enhancement of Rural English Language Teachers (SERELT) programme, along with the Sarvodaya Institute of Higher Learning. The SERELT programme is conducted under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education and supported by HSBC.
Last week we witnessed the awards ceremony of Stage 1 of the SERELT programme where 150 teachers from the Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, Vavuniya and Moneragala districts received their certificates. A highlight was that the 50 highest-achieving teachers who received full scholarships for the Cambridge TKT Module 1 exam were celebrated at the event which was held at the PGIE.
Truly a multi-partner relationship that benefits the nation!

Closing Date - 05 February 2026
Application form link : https://forms.gle/VRUZbP6T5GvxqPT9A

Application form link : https://forms.gle/VRUZbP6T5GvxqPT9A

The PGIE is pleased to announce that our popular series of research-related discussions is back!
Join us in-person or online for engaging exchanges on areas of contemporary interest.

Topic: Examining the Effect of Test-taker Personality on Performance in L2 Speaking Tests
Speaker: Dr. Anton Pushparajah
Date: 22nd January 2026
Time: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Venue: At the Seminar Room, PGIE

Register on or before 21st January 2026 by using the following link: https://forms.gle/7B8bg4YwS9VuUDjD7