What can I do today to change the world?
Asha de Vos (BSc 2002) was undertaking research on a ship in the middle of the ocean when she heard that she had won the South Asia Regional Award of the British Council Study UK Alumni Awards 2018. She used up her entire, rather small, allocation of internet minutes in submitting the short video required for the next stage of the awards. A few months later this proved to be time well spent as Asha also won the Global Award in the Professional Achievement category.
Asha came back recently to the University, the School of Biology and the Scottish Oceans Institute (SOI) to catch up with her former teachers and to talk to students about her research as part of her prize for winning – provided by the British Council.
Phil Pass (Alumni Relations Officer, MA 2009) met her during her visit and spoke to her about why she chose to come to St Andrews, what she’s been doing since she graduated, how a degree from St Andrews helped her to achieve all she has and what it feels like to come ‘home’.
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Having read Asha’s application for the 2018 British Council Study UK Alumni Awards at an early stage, I couldn’t fail to be impressed by the myriad of achievements she has accomplished in her career so far, and there were so many turning points in her life that I wanted to find out about during my time chatting with her.
The first question I wanted to ask Asha, however, was the obvious one: why did she choose to come all the way from Sri Lanka to St Andrews to study marine biology, especially when Sri Lanka is also an island nation surrounded by such a vibrant array of sea life?
“At school I was very focused on becoming a marine scientist. I didn’t know St Andrews existed until the Principal of my school asked if I had thought about coming here, because even then it had a world-class reputation. So I looked through the prospectus (because that’s all we had back in the day!) and found out that there was all this amazing research going on around marine mammals.”
“I could sense that there was something special about St Andrews and that it was perfect for me.”
So the theory of coming to St Andrews was great, but what was the lived experience really like for Asha? Mentioning lifelong friendships and the experience of halls, when asked if she had a stand-out moment from her life in Fife, there was no hesitation before her response:
“That has to be meeting the person who became my best friend during Freshers’ Week in University Hall! She was a curly, red-haired Glaswegian who talked to (at) me solidly for three hours. I didn’t have a clue what she was saying, and she didn’t have a clue what I was saying, but we developed a wonderful friendship for life that was born out of this unique place.
“I loved the community in University Hall. Everyone – cleaning ladies, dining lades, wardens and sub-wardens and students – was so friendly and became like an extended family to me. I particularly remember my cleaning lady Catriona Duncan, who looked after me like I was her child! As an eighteen-year-old who was so far away from home, that meant such a lot. I never felt alone or homesick.”
Talk turned to academia and the highlights of Asha’s time in the School of Biology:
“My standout moment in my studies was working on a harbour seal pup in dissection class. There were several specimens available to dissect, and each group had to draw lots for the specimen it wanted to work on. Everyone wanted the harbour seal pup, and my team got it! It was an incredible class, because for three weeks you could go into the lab at any time and dissect and explore. For the first time, we learned what research really was. I learned so much and – best of all – our group got top marks!”
Clearly Asha has had no shortage of impressive achievements following her graduation. I wanted to know a bit more about her experiences after St Andrews and the path that led her to where she is now. This led onto talking of her biggest venture yet:
“Ever since I can remember, I have loved water and everything in it, and wanted to be an adventure scientist. It was my degree from St Andrews that gave me the theoretical knowledge I needed to put that passion into practice. After graduating, I applied for field work experience in New Zealand. It was while I was living in a tent and using internet cafes there that I got an email from Dr Jonathan Gordon, who had taught me at St Andrews. He told me that there was a research vessel going round the world, that it was stopping at Sri Lanka and that I should try to get on it at all costs. This was the power of the network that I’d created by coming to St Andrews. I emailed the research team for three months until they gave in and let me join them!
“It was a combination of all these things that enabled me to set up Oceanswell – Sri Lanka’s first marine conservation research and education organisation. I created it a year ago because it’s a way for me to achieve the dreams and goals I have for our oceans – particularly the oceans around where I live. The Sri Lankan Blue Whale Project, now in its tenth year, pre-dates Oceanswell and is our flagsip project. (See the British Council StudyUK video on Asha’s research)
“One of Oceanswell’s key aims is to promote the message that you can live in your local community and still drive global change. Marine biology has been perceived as very western-centric or developed-country-centric for a long time. However, contrary to this perception places like Sri Lanka do have the capacity and talent to change things – we just need support to create the opportunities.
“To save our oceans, every coastline needs a local hero. For example, when I discovered the blue whale population I wrote to scientists abroad for advice and support, and they said that if I could get the research permits then they would do the research. But I was determined to showcase that we could do the research, after all, it was my idea! It took five years to start the project because of the lack of confidence that such research could be undertaken in south Asia. But I succeeded, and this has helped a lot of other students from the part of the world I represent – south Asia or south-east Asia – to feel empowered and to believe that they can also be part of the solution, and not just part of the problem.
“This leads onto our second aim: to train students from underrepresented nations, encourage them to interact with the oceans and create more opportunities in a part of the world where marine conservation did not exist before. We do this to encourage them to become ocean-conscious citizens, so in the long run they bring this awareness to whatever career they pursue.”
Undeniably remarkable, Asha and Oceanswell are working to change the destiny of the world’s oceans through education and research and it was exciting to hear Asha relate her achievements back to her education and experience at St Andrews:
“Studying at St Andrews and being taught by people who are world-leading researchers and genuinely love what they were doing helped me to become the marine scientist and the researcher I am today. At St Andrews, you’re not just part of a local community: you become connected to a global community because the quality of research here is internationally recognised. I owe a lot to this University. I’m very glad to have brought this award back.”
Having won such a prestigious award and due recognition for her work in such a critical field, I wondered what Asha had been doing since receiving the honour:
“Basking in the glory a little bit! I pride myself on being a good researcher and a good scientist, thanks to the incredible foundation that I gained from St Andrews and Oxford, and I think the award is a celebration of this. I also feel that by winning it, I’m giving back to the universities that gave me so much.
“I’m enjoying the fact that the award has caused quite a stir in Sri Lanka. It was all over the press, which was exciting! As a result, the Foreign Commonwealth Office asked me to become one of the education ambassadors for their GREAT Britain programmes – the first such ambassador from Sri Lanka.
“All this has allowed me to put St Andrews in the limelight and has given me a great opportunity to showcase what I learned here.”
Asha’s visit back to St Andrews as her prize for winning the award has been a real trip down memory lane for her:
“This is my first visit here since I graduated. This morning I went for a run along the beach (listening to Chariots of Fire of course!). There was the most spectacular sunrise, and when I turned around and looked back at the town, all sorts of powerful memories came flooding back.”
“I’m so lucky. I wake up every morning thinking ‘what can I do today to change the world?’ It’s a pretty exciting life!”
Asha’s story is inspiring for alumni and students alike, demonstrating a real-world application of a top-quality education and hard work, an element she is keen to emphasise:
“Today I met my old professors not as a student, but as a peer and an asset to the University. I’ve already discussed two collaborations for future research, which I would never have thought possible while I was a student!
“However, I wasn’t born with a scuba tank on my back: I’ve done all sorts of things from being a deck hand to cleaning toilets to follow the dream I have. I want people to know that they can do what I’ve done. I’m not special – just persistent, hardworking and passionate about what I do.
“I’m so lucky. I wake up every morning thinking ‘what can I do today to change the world?’ It’s a pretty exciting life!”
The University congratulates Asha on her immensely significant achievements, and we are proud to call her one of our own, a sentiment summed up neatly by Professor Clare Peddie, who remembers teaching Asha during her undergraduate degree.
“Asha demonstrates how the quality of her education and her wider student experience has enabled her clear talent and enthusiasm for marine conservation to flourish. We look forward to working with Asha to strengthen both our research and our teaching links and further support Asha’s very valuable work.”
Professor Clare Peddie, Head of the School of Biology
Since winning her British Council Study UK Alumni Award, Asha has continued to rack up the recognition as a National Geographic Emerging Explorer and Ted Senior Fellow, most recently being named on the BBC’s ‘100 Women 2018‘ list of inspiring and influential women from around the world and Lanka Monthly Digest’s (LMD) Sri Lankan of the Year. But what does she say to any fellow alumni thinking of entering the British Council Study UK Alumni Awards in the future?
“If you’re wondering if you should apply for the Alumni Awards, my biggest piece of advice would be GO FOR IT!”
Find out more
- Oceanswell
- Asha de Vos
- Follow Asha on Twitter
- British Council Study UK Alumni Awards
- Asha’s ‘Winners video‘ for the British Council