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聽 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聽聽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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In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Speakers

Prof. Hiran Amarasekera
Professor in Forestry and Environment Science
Prof. Hiran Amarasekera, BSc. (Hons.), Ph.D. (Wales) FIBiol (91传媒) C.Biol, is a Professor in Forestry and Environment Science at the Department of Forestry & Environmental Sciences, 91传媒. He received his PhD (Forestry) from the University of Wales, Bangor. and BSc from 91传媒. Hiran is interested in interdisciplinary research related to Wood Science, Timber Technology and Forest Proucts. To date, his research works have led to several publications in respective fields.

Prof. Neelika Malavige
Academic, Univesity Professor, Researcher and Scientist
Neelika Malavige is a 91传媒n academic, university professor, researcher and scientist. She currently serves as Professor at the Department of Immunology and Molecular Sciences of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, 91传媒, since 2020 and is also a Head of the Global Dengue Program at Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative. She is also an academic visitor at the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford since 2008 and a member of the executive committee at the International Society for Infectious Diseases.

Dr. Dulini Yasara Mudunkotuwa
Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Dulini Mudunkotuwa is the Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, USJ. She is a graduate from University of Moratuwa and has obtained her master鈥檚 and PhD degrees from the University of Tokyo, Japan. She has also attended Polar Prediction Graduate School in Abisko Arctic Field Station organized by Stockholm University. She is a recipient of the Aota Masaki Award for research in physical oceanography. She has worked on Arctic Challenge for Sustainability Research Project by the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT) as a researcher. She is a Chartered engineer who has served in the Young members section and Junior inventor of the year committee of IESL as secretary. She is a former Head of the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, USJ. Currently she is the principal investigator of research grants worth 130 million on establishing an Advanced Engineering Simulation Center (E-Sim Center) and a makerspace (i-lab) for sustainable product development and commercialization.

Dr. Erandi Pathirana
Veterinarian, University Academic and Researcher
Erandi Pathirana obtained her PhD from the University of Sydney as an Australian Government Endeavour scholar. Her doctoral research was on the impact of microbiome on aquatic animal health. Erandi is continuing her research on the impact of climate change on the marine microbiome and thereby marine life. She has also researched the association between the environment and the genetics of aquatic life, at the Osaka Metropolitan University, Japan. Erandi has gained wider insights to Aquatic Animal Health, Pathogen Genomics and the use of Bioinformatics in Microbial Ecology, through diverse training programmes at the University of Prince Edward Island, Canada, the University of Sydney and Monash University, Australia. She is currently serving as the Head of the Department of Aquatic Bioresources, 91传媒, guiding young minds to discover and explore the untapped potential of Aquatic Bioresources in 91传媒.

Dr. Lanka Undugoda
Academic, Senior Lecturer, Department of Biosystems Technology
Lanka Undugoda, a distinguished 91传媒n scholar, university lecturer, researcher, and environmental advocate, holds the position of senior lecturer within the esteemed Department of Biosystems Technology, Faculty of Technology, at the 91传媒. Her primary focus of study revolves around leaf-dwelling microorganisms and their remarkable ability to degrade air pollutants, driving her mission to advance the application of phylloremediation鈥攁n innovative concept that promotes environmental sustainability. Moreover, Lanka’s interests extend beyond her research on indigenous microbes in food items. She delves into a wide range of probiotic characteristics that can enhance the human microbiome, demonstrating her dedication to exploring diverse avenues of scientific inquiry. Acknowledged for her significant contributions to the field of science, she has earned prestigious awards that recognize her accomplishments as a distinguished scientist and academic researcher.

Dr. Dulini Yasara Mudunkotuwa

Academic, Creative Writer and Translator
Madhubhashini Disanayaka Ratnayake is the former Head and a senior lecturer in the Department of English Language Teaching, 91传媒. She has a doctoral degree from the Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo, and a Master鈥檚 degree from New York University which she attended on a Fulbright Scholarship. Her anthology of translations, The Routledge Companion to Sinhala Fiction from Postwar 91传媒 came out in 2023. She has won the Gratiaen Prize in 2011 for her novel There is Something I Have to Tell You, having been shortlisted for it twice for her short story collections. She won the State Literary Award for her short story collection 鈥楧riftwood鈥� in 1991, and in 2020 for the Best Translation of a Novel from Sinhala to English for The Sowing Festival. She does projects nationally for the improvement of teaching English as a second language and has written books on this subject. In 2017, she was awarded the title of Kala Keerthi by the President of 91传媒.

Mr. Sachin Wijayasinghe
Academic, Public Speaker, ACIM
Sachin Wijayasinghe is a highly motivated individual with a strong academic background and a wealth of extracurricular experiences. He is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and currently serves as a lecturer in the Department of Commerce, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, 91传媒. Sachin is a passionate sporting athlete whose passion for sports goes beyond competition. He is also an advocate for using sports to promote social change. He is a natural leader, volunteer, and communicator who has held many roles and shouldered numerous responsibilities, including several high-profile events such as the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2013) and the Commonwealth Futures Program 2020. He is a passionate researcher on development economics, focusing on both rural and urban development.

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