More than 75 student leaders from 22 universities gathered at Ramada Colombo on 6 July, 2025, for the IEEE Industry Applications Society Sri Lanka Chapter Congress under the theme “The AI Shift: Reimagining Sri Lanka’s Industrial Future.
The day began with an interactive workshop by Dr. Srikanth Vasudevan Pillai, Chair of the IEEE IAS Chapter and Membership Department, who spoke on strengthening local chapters and the value of volunteerism. Prof. A.G. Buddhika P. Jayasekara from the University of Moratuwa then shared insights from his IEEE journey, highlighting how leadership and hands-on experience can shape the engineers of tomorrow.
Student Branch teams from six IAS branches showcased their recent projects and future goals, followed by a thought-provoking panel discussion featuring Mr. Hansa Perera (Nagarro), Prof. A.S. Karunananda (University of Moratuwa), and Mr. Dehan Vithana (MAS Intimates), moderated by Dr. Madhawa Herath. The panel explored AI in enterprise systems, AI education, and the ethical use of data.
Dr. Ajith Pasqual, Founder and CEO of Paraqum Technologies, ended the main speeches by sharing ideas about new inventions and the growing link between academia and industry. The congress created opportunities for collaboration and inspired young engineers to dream big for Sri Lanka’s future.
