Shanika Niroshani Gajanayake is a passionate advocate for sustainable agriculture and
environmental resilience, hailing from Sri Lanka. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree
in Export Agriculture with a specialization in Crop Product Technology from Uva
Wellassa University and has submitted the thesis for an M.Phil. in molecular plant
breeding. She is currently pursuing a Danube Agrifood Masters programme at the
Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences on a prestigious Erasmus Mundus
full scholarship. Shanika played a pivotal role in a research project centered on applying
genome-assisted pre-breeding techniques to develop biotic stress resistance in finger
millet, an important traditional cereal crop.