Scholarship

Kushma Thapa

Kushma Thapa is our second Burma Star Scholar and is from Nepal.

Kushma was delighted when she was offered a Burma Star Scholarship and joined UCL’s MSc in Engineering for International Development in September 2020. Since graduating she has been working as a Senior Sustainability Designer at Foster and Partners where she contributes to diverse projects in different geographic locations. Her role involves supporting F+P with sustainable design strategies for both buildings and masterplans. In this role, she is dedicated to ensuring that the projects they design are human centric, inclusive, meaningful and have minimum impact on the environment. Notably, Kushma recently co-authored a report on sanitation and wastewater management in cities and human settlements, which was published by UN Habitat. She has also been part of academia as a guest lecturer at the University of Nottingham, where she shares insights on urban design and sustainability.

Lotenna Olisaeloka

2021 Scholar, Lotenna Olisaeloka, studied at the Institute of Global Health, UCL, for an MSc in Global Health and Development.

Luke Usher

The James and Deirdre Dyson Scholar 2022, Luke is studying for a PhD at Northumbria University in the social history aspects of the Burma Campaign.

Luke graduated from The Open University with a bachelor’s degree in History (BA) which he obtained alongside work, including roles in the museum and charity sector. He went on to complete a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) at The University of Northumbria (Newcastle) and after a period in the teaching profession decided to go back into academia, completing his master’s degree (MA) in 2020.

Luke was offered a Burma Star Scholarship to fund his PhD History research at The University of Northumbria in 2022. His thesis is a perfect fit for the scholarship as it examines the oral personal testimonies of British veterans who fought in the Burma campaign. The project takes a thematic approach to analysis and seeks to place focus on the war experience of servicemen; it aims to bring together the academic disciplines of oral history, military history, memory studies and the cultural history of war. Luke hopes that his research will help the voices of this extraordinary group of veterans continue to be remembered and commemorated by future generations.

Nitya Pun

Nitya is currrently studying Law LLB at Queen Mary’s University having started there in September 2023.

Nitya Pun was born into a military family. Many of her family members have served in the military – both of her great-grandfathers were WWII Veterans.

Whilst her maternal great-grandfather, Captain Pomras Pun, fought in Europe, her paternal great-grandfather, Subedar Gan Bahadur Pun, fought in Burma.

Following in their footsteps, her father also joined the British Army in the Brigade of Gurkhas. Daughter of a Gurkha soldier, growing up in a military family around various Army camps has significantly emphasised Nitya’s sense of belonging, community spirit and instilled in her the importance of remembering those Veterans who gave their lives selflessly for the future generation’s better future.

Nitya is overjoyed to have been offered the 2023 Burma Star scholarship alongside Dr Kareen Rana and hopes to be an astute ambassador for the Burma Star Association.

Dr Kareen Rana

Burma Star Scholar Dr Karen Rana is currently studying for her Masters in Advanced Aesthetic & Restorative Dentistry at University of Portsmouth.

Dr Kareen Rana, the granddaughter on both sides of her family of Gurkha Burma Veterans, is a passionate dentist from Nepal. Her great-grandfather was Rifleman Meharsing Ale 8th GR; her grandfather Jemadar Jaibahadur Rana served 1939 to 1945 with 2/8 GR; her great uncle, Jemadar Jitbahadur Ale, was awarded the MC in March 1945 with 4/8th GR; and two other great uncles also served – Hav Mandhoj Ale 6th GR and Rifleman Manbahadur Ale 4/8GR.

Kareen’s journey to becoming a dental professional began at the esteemed Kist Medical College at the Tribhuwan University of Nepal. Over the course of four impactful years, she has served patients, witnessing first-hand the transformative power of oral healthcare.

Beyond the clinic, she has taken her commitment to oral health to another level by actively participating in various organistaions dedicated to raising awareness about dental hygiene - empowering individuals and allowing her to contribute to the larger goal of a healthier society.

Sam Evans

Sam is currently a part-time PhD candidate studying at King's College London, within the Defence Studies Department, based at the Defence Academy, Shrivenham.

His research interest in the Burma Campaign developed during his MSc studies at the London School of Economics, where he graduated with Distinction in the History of International Relations in 2017. His dissertation thesis centred on the creation and development of 11th East African Division, the first unit of 14th Army to cross the Chindwin River during the liberation of Burma. Sam's focus now is on the wider role East Africa Command played in supporting the 14th Army, which he hopes will raise greater awareness of the part African soldiers played in the campaign and their strategic impact in Britain’s global war effort.

Sam is immensely proud to be a Burma Star Scholar and grateful to have the opportunity to undertake his research, which would not have been possible without the support of the Burma Star Memorial Fund. As his research progresses, he is looking forward to working as an ambassador for the BSMF and helping to continue its work in preserving the legacy of the campaign and those who served there.