In a groundbreaking event that marked a new chapter in 91传媒鈥檚 academic landscape, the 91传媒 hosted the first-ever TEDx event organized by a university in the country. The听 held at the Auditorium of the Faculty of Technology鈥檚 on August 29, 2023, brought together a diverse group of speakers who shared their ideas on innovation, entrepreneurship, social justice, and more.

Under the leadership of Prof. Lasith Gunawardena and Prof. Ruwani Nilushi Nugara, the听听played a pivotal role in orchestrating this milestone event. In accordance with TED guidelines the event showcased eleven speakers with two TEDTalks videos, fostering profound discussions and connections among attendees.

The event speaker lineup featured distinguished figures from various faculties of the university, each bringing their expertise to the forefront:

Prof. Hiran Amarasekera, a leading figure in Forestry and Environmental Science, as well as the founder of the USJ Startup Hub shared his ideas on 鈥淔ostering startup culture among undergraduates and graduates in universities.鈥�

Prof. Neelika Malavige, an accomplished academic, researcher, and scientist, highlighted her work in Immunology and Molecular Sciences, along with her and her group鈥檚 significant contributions to the Global Dengue Program through her talk on 鈥淪urvival of the Kindest.鈥�

Prof. Prasad M. Jayaweera, a celebrated scholar in the field of Computer Science who is also serving as the Founder Dean of the Faculty of Computing delivered a talk on 鈥淭ackling manifold aspects of reality鈥� with insights into several models to solve complex societal and wicked problems.

Prof. Nithushi Samaranayake, is a Professor and Head of the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, shared her passion in training and research activities related to medication safety through a talk titled 鈥淭he three 鈥楻鈥檚 in medicine use.鈥�

Dr. Madhubhashini Disanayaka Ratnayake, an academic, creative writer, and translator discussed her work in literature, translation, and projects to enhance English language teaching nationally in her talk titled 鈥淲hat is education?鈥�

Dr. Priyake Palipana, a consultant in Restorative Dentistry who is currently serving as the Head of the Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Sciences. His years of experience in the field of Restorative Dentistry was shared in his talk on 鈥淭eeth and Smile in Proportion.鈥�

Dr. Dulini Yasara Mudunkotuwa, the Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, showcased her journey as a researcher, particularly her involvement in establishing an Advanced Engineering Simulation Center and maker space for sustainable product development through her talk on 鈥淟earn by doing: How we engineer the innovators of tomorrow.鈥�

Dr. Erandi Pathirana, a veterinarian and researcher, brought attention to her studies on the impact of climate change on marine life, emphasizing the critical relationship between the environment and the genetics of aquatic organisms in her talk titled 鈥淢arine Microbiome: The fascinating world within our oceans.鈥�

Dr. Lanka Undugoda, a Senior Lecturer in Biosystems Technology, shared her innovative research on phytoremediation鈥攅xploiting leaf-dwelling microorganisms to degrade air pollutants鈥攃ontributing to environmental sustainability in her talk on 鈥淯nsung heroes of environmentalism.鈥�

Mr. Sachin Wijayasinghe, an academic and public speaker, explored the intersection of development economics and sports, advocating for the transformative power of sports in promoting social change. His speech was titled 鈥淪mart cities beyond technology: Let鈥檚 stick to our values.鈥�

Ms. Senara Vidanapathirana, is an accomplished fourth year medical undergraduate, debater, and a public speaker who won the esteemed 鈥淏est Communicator鈥� award among university undergraduates at the 鈥淛apura Employability Skills Awards 2022鈥�. She shared her journey of life in a talk titled 鈥淩ediscovering yourself: navigating the turbulent seas of passion and purpose.鈥�

The event wasn鈥檛 just about ideas on stage; it marked a significant shift in how academia engages with the broader community. By embracing the TEDx platform, the 91传媒 demonstrated its commitment to fostering dialogue, innovation, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

TEDxUSriJayewardenepura served as a testament to the power of ideas and their ability to transcend boundaries. As the first university organized TEDx event in 91传媒, it set the stage for future discussions, connections, and the continued exploration of innovative solutions to the challenges of our time.

The Recorded Videos will be Uploaded to the TEDx YouTube Channel is due course. The event was supported by I-Lab Project of the Faculty of Engineering, TIIKM Events as a Equipment Provider,. The videography of the event was carried out by Japura Media, and photography was carried out by Japura Flames.

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The Innovate 91传媒 2021/2022 awards ceremony took place recently, at the Senate board room of the 91传媒. The event, organized by the of the University, was a celebration of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit among the staff and students of the University.听

The competition garnered an overwhelming response, with 202 innovation proposals received during the first stage. These proposals showcased the immense talent and innovative potential of the University’s community. After a meticulous selection process, 59 projects were chosen to advance to the highly anticipated second round.听 Out of them the IIVC Council provided funding for 31 projects under the USJ Innovation Grants Scheme, enabling their creators to transform their ideas into reality. The competition was carried out across 10 Special Interest Groups or specialization areas, with the top winners in SIGs being selected for a final round for deciding on overall winners. The second round was judged by a panel of independent judges nominated by the 91传媒 Inventor鈥檚 Commission.

The awards ceremony welcomed esteemed guests, including the Chairman of the University Grant Commission, Prof. Sampath Amaratunge, who served as the chief guest. Prof. Amaratunge was not only a key figure in the initiation of the IIVC Council but also the visionary behind the Innovate 91传媒 competition itself. The event was also attended by the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Upul Subasinghe, CEO of the 91传媒 Inventor鈥檚 Commission, Mr.听 N. M. Dolawatte, Deans of the faculties, and members of the IIVC Council, adding further prestige to the occasion.

The event recognized the pioneering service carried out by Prof. Sampath Amaratunge as the founder executive chairman, and Prof. Shirantha Heenkenda and Prof. A. H. L. R. Nilmini as founder co-chairs of the IIVCC.听

The highlight of the ceremony was the announcement of the overall winners. The project “Sani-Fly鈥� 鈥� a public washroom management and tracking solution鈥� emerged on earning the coveted title of the competition’s top innovation. The students of the project team consisted of Pramuk Hewawasam, Ishara Thennakoon, Dinuka Wijesundara and Nipuni Fernando from the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce.

The Second Place was won by the project titled 鈥淒evelopment of a novel yoghurt product incorporated with selected spices and seaweed, to hinder glycemic impact鈥� carried out by the team of Dr. K. W. Madura Jayaaainghe, P. Dayani听 and R. Priyathasini of the Faculty of Applied Sciences.听

The third place was won by the project titled 鈥淒evelopment of nitrite-free herbal sausage using natural ingredients鈥� carried out by the team of Dr. A. M. A. U. Alahakoon, G. T. Piumi Prabodya, K. P. Sewwandi Nuwan Kumari, A. M. Nishadi Anuruddika , R. M. Dilini Navida Prabashini from the Faculty of Technology.

This year marked the second edition of Innovate 91传媒, further solidifying its status as a platform that nurtures and promotes innovation within the University. The event was sponsored by the I lab grant of the Faculty of Engineering funded by the STHRDP project. The IIVC Council, co-chaired by Prof. Lasith Gunawardena and Dr. Nilushi Nugara supported by Dr. Dulini Mudunkotuwa as Secretary and Ms. Chathuri Wasundara as RA, played a crucial role in driving this competition and awards ceremony forward.

This event marks another successful chapter in the University’s commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and pushing boundaries for a better future.

Panel of Judges:听

The Full List of Winners :听

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The Inaugural Entrepreneurial Chat “From Startup to Success” organized by the in collaboration with the and Entre Club was held at Entre Club, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, 91传媒 on 22^nd May 2022. The visionary entrepreneur who shared his story was Dr. Ravi Liyanage, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Kingdom of Raigam. During the talk Dr. Liyanage shed light on his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the key factors that propelled his venture to success.

During his story, Dr. Ravi Liyanage humbly confessed that he was not a born entrepreneur and that it was the influence of the academic exposure received at the Faculty of Management Science and Commerce and the businesspersons he encountered during his time at USJ that sparked his interest in the entrepreneurial world. Despite initially joining as a customs officer after completing his university education, Dr. Liyanage nurtured a desire to solve real customer problems and make a meaningful impact. The catalyst for his entrepreneurial venture emerged when his mother lamented the wastage of soya meat due to weevil attacks. Driven to find a solution, Dr. Liyanage took on the challenge of preventing these losses. He embarked on developing a minimum viable product (MVP) by accurately measuring the ingredients of his mother’s beloved recipe using an electronic balance borrowed from the customs research division. To safeguard the quality of the soya meat, he innovated the product by introducing special packaging and airtight packets, effectively preventing the entry of insects. However, Dr. Liyanage’s journey did not end there. Recognizing the importance of natural flavours, he sought advice from Professor A. Bamunuarachchi from the Faculty of Applied Sciences, USJ, specializing in Food Science. With the professor’s guidance, he successfully incorporated natural flavours, further enhancing the taste of his product. This attention to detail and commitment to quality allowed Dr. Liyanage to manufacture a delicious and customer-approved soya meat product.

Driven by his dedication and the positive response from customers, Dr. Ravi Liyanage’s soya meat venture thrived. Today, his entrepreneurial spirit has led him to become a prominent figure in the business world, venturing into various other successful endeavours alongside his Kingdom of Raigam enterprise. The story of Dr. Ravi Liyanage’s transformation from a customs officer to a successful entrepreneur exemplifies the power of innovation, determination, and seeking expert advice. His ability to identify a customer problem, develop an MVP, and incorporate natural flavours with the guidance of a knowledgeable professor showcases the key steps he took to turn a traditional family recipe into a thriving soya meat industry.

As a prominent figure in the business world, Dr. Ravi Liyanage has achieved numerous accolades throughout his career. In 2005, he was honoured with the Platinum award for the FCCISL Entrepreneur of the Year, recognizing his exceptional contributions to entrepreneurship. Additionally, he was bestowed with the highly coveted CIMA Business Leader of the Year award, a remarkable accomplishment that made him the first entrepreneur to win both prestigious awards in the same year. Dr. Liyanage’s impressive achievements and extensive experience have established him as a role model for aspiring entrepreneurs.

The “From Startup to Success” chat series organized by the IIVCC follows the hugely successful International Finance Corporation Funded Coffee Chat initiative at USJ. The aim of this platform is to foster the growth and success of student-led startups and budding entrepreneurs. The event also partners with the Career Guidance Unit, Startup Hub, and Entre Club of USJ to provide comprehensive support and guidance to the participants. The Startup to Success initiative is supported by the SECRA Project which is co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Programme.

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P. D. S. Ashan Kumara, a second year Mechatronics student at the , has developed a prototype of an innovative Ventilator during this critical time of the COVID 19 pandemic.

The new Ventilator designed by Ashan works on a pressure controlled respiration mode. This is a promising development for manufacturing ventilators locally. Industrial Development Board has agreed to help the student to further improve his invention.

Currently he is working on the equipment at the IDB under the guidance of the Mechatronics听 lecturers of the focused area in the Department of Engineering Technology.

Acting Dean, Dr. Nilmini Liyanage, ICT Head of the Department, Dr. Nalaka Lankasena and lecturers of the Department of Engineering Technology. identified the talent and the capability of the student and with the support of the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sudantha Liyanage contacted听the relevant authorities who could further support the student to improve his prototype. IDB came forward to help听 purchase the required pressure sensors听and provide the working space to continue the work. At this very moment, with听the curfew still going ahead, the student and the team of lectures are tirelessly working around the clock at the IDB to finalize the design. Discussions on the IP rights are in progress as well. The team is hopeful that by next week, they will be able to complete the first product to be given out for trials.

For patients with the worst effects of corona-virus infection, a ventilator offers the best chance of survival.听 The听ventilator takes over the body’s breathing process when disease has caused the lungs to fail. This gives the patient time to fight off the infection and recover.

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Vice-Chancellor Senior Professor Sampath Amaratunge, Dean Faculty of Technology Professor Sudantha Liyanage, Dean Faculty of Medical Sciences Surangi Yasawardena, Dr Akila Subasinghe former Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Prof Ranil De Silva, Director, World Class University Project and Prof Hiran Amarasekera, Director, Digital Media and Communication visited various USA Universities in Houston, Texas last month.

one of 91传媒鈥檚 most eminent inventors of medical devices and the Ambassador for, Science Technology and Innovation residing in Texas, USA organized this tour. 听Dr. Bandula Wijay 听has patented more than 30 medical devices and founder of four medical device companies in USA,

Japura academies visited Rice University, , MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Houston.

The 91传媒 explored the possibility of starting a Bachelor of Engineering course in Bio-Medical Engineering in collaborating with the Bio-engineering Department at Rice University, Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Houston in the future.

The delegation visited the , Texas. This department has been in operation within the Department of Electrical Engineering from 听1996 and has recently established a separate department of BME. During the visit, the prospects in the fields of Biomedical Informatics, Remote Sensing and Brain-Computer Interfacing (BCI) was discussed in detail, and Japura faculty received a glimpse to the nature of Bio-medical Engineering education. This was followed up with a Laboratory visit and also experiencing a Biomedical Engineering lecture session with an undergraduate student group. The department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Houston extended its support for developing a program at the 91传媒.

Japura faculty also visited Baylor College of Medicine to learn about American medical education, host of professionals, including the Dean of medicine explained the medical education in US Universities and specifically that of the highly ranked Baylor College of Medicine. The clear message was that Baylor medical students engage in clinical exposure quite early during their education and the emphasis on research.听 Also, the cycle of innovation and few case studies in the invention of medical devices was explained, which included the work on Ebola outbreak and various other healthcare applications in African Countries under the leadership of , Vice-President of Baylor Global Initiatives and the Baylor Global Innovation Center.

Prof. Will Clifton of Rice University stressed the importance they place on supporting student start-up projects during their degree program.听 The University has a 鈥淒esign Kitchen鈥� for the undergraduates to develop their new medical devices and conducts regular ‘BOOT CAMPS’ for entrepreneurship and innovation/ invention.

A discussion was held with and she explained the process of development of curricula for a BioEngineering degree program. She emphasized the need for hands-on practical education and preparing students to meet new challenges in the workplace.

Other topics discussed included Cancer Biology, control of CKDu, Executive Education for business leaders, Innovations In Medicine, Science and Technology, Mammalian synthetic Biology and Immuno-therapy.

The dedication and support from Ambassador Wijay and his wife Constanza Wijay, Dr. and Mrs. and Mr. Chanaka Wijesinghe made this visit to Houston to learn about medical and Bio-engineering education by the Japura delegation a very worthwhile learning experience for the Japura faculty.

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Shilpa Sena is an exposition that is conceptualized and organized by the Ministry of Science Technology and Research. Innovators of the 91传媒 showcased their innovations at Hall E of BMICH premises听from 18 th-21st July 2019.

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91传媒 (91传媒) awarded more than 260 participants at Innovate SL Award ceremony at Waters Edge, Colombo.

The听Invention and Innovation Competition started in 2018 with the aim of providing an interdisciplinary platform for renowned听intellectual key profiles, emerging innovators and Industry Professionals to work on Research project that yield industry related innovation. The Innovate 91传媒 Exhibition was held at BMICH in April 2nd and 3rd听 2019 and it was a remarkable step in the history of the USJP.

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The Exhibition of听听organized by the听听of the 91传媒 under the theme 鈥淚nvesting in Innovative Ideas for听Future!鈥� was held on 2^nd听and 3^rd听April 2019 at BMICH premises in line with the 60^th听Anniversary Celebrations of the University.听The 91传媒 established the Innovation, Invention and Venture Creation Council (IIVCC) with the prime intention of promoting innovations, inventions, and venture creations also in collaboration with relevant external parties, at the University.

The exhibition was opened for the internal and external exhibitors while the competition was limited only to the internal exhibitors. The main objective of the exhibition was to provide an interdisciplinary platform for renowned听intellectual key profiles, emerging innovators and Industry Professionals to work on Research projects that may yield industry related innovations.

Honorable听President Maithripala Sirisena, Vice-Chancellor of the 91传媒;听Prof. Sampath Amaratunge, Vidyajothi Dr. Bandula Wije; an International Ambassador in the field of science, technology, and innovation, Deans of the respective听Faculties of the University, heads of Departments, Academic and Non Academic members and a large number of spectators participated in the event.

Prof. Sampath Amaratunge, the Vice 鈥� Chancellor of the university, Co-Chairpersons of the IIVCC Prof. Shirantha Heenkenda of the Department of Economics in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and听Dr. Nilmini Liyanage,听Department of Engineering Technology, Faculty of Technology were the backbone of the whole exhibition.

IIVCC has already formulated a series of activities in order to meet the objective, of encouraging creativity through invention and innovation and thereby contributing to national development.

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The IIVCC)听of the 91传媒 held a press conference on 25th January 2019 informing about its which is to be held on 2nd and 3rd April 2019 at the BMICH parallel to the 60th Jubilee Celebration of the University. Prof. Sampath Amaratunge; Vice-Chancellor of the Univesity,听Prof. Shirantha Heenkenda; Co-Chairperson-IIVCC,听Dr. Nilmini Liyanage;听Co-Chairperson-IIVCC, Prof. M. M. Pathmalal Manage as well as academic members representing business incubators, centers, and faculties of the university participated in the press conference.

In addition academic members of the university, including Prof. Neelika Malavige,听Prof. Pradeep M. Jayaweera, Dr. Bawantha Gamage, Dr. Chandima Jeewandara and undergraduate students including, Ms. Virgin Fernando,听Mr. Madusha de Silva,听Mr. Umendra Abeynayeke,听Mr. Dulan Dias听described their novel invention and innovations that are to be used for the betterment of the people at both national and international levels.

For more information:
Innovation, Invention and Venture Creation Council (IIVCC)

听Invention and Innovation Exhibition

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