Dr. Aurangasri Hinriksson, born in Sri Lanka and educated at Visakha Vidyalaya, was bestowed the highest award in Iceland.
In 1976, she married the United Nations’ Fisheries Expert Thorir Hinriksson and after serving many countries all over the world, the family finally moved to Iceland during the early 1980s. While living in many foreign countries, she studied the culture and languages of those countries. In Iceland, she continued her studies and obtained a Doctorate in English from the University of Iceland.
She worked as a teacher for over 35 years in Iceland.
She used her cultural knowledge to raise funds to build a new Music school and also for the Accident Prevention Society of Iceland. For 30 years, at her own cost, Dr. Hinriksson, painstakingly searched for families who gave away their children for adoption in Sri Lanka and reunited them. Destitute families were financially helped by her and the foreign adoptees.
On June 17, the National Day of Iceland, Dr. Hinriksson was awarded the Order of The Golden Falcon, which is the highest award that can be bestowed by the President on anyone who has performed an exemplary service to the country.