Five Sri Lankan Students depart for Intel ISEF 2015
Minister of Education, Hon. Akila Viraj Kariyawasam met with the winners of the Sri Lanka Science and Engineering Fair (SLSEF) 2015, who will shortly be traveling to the United States to participate in the annual Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.M. Sivatharshan from Hartley College Jaffna, and runner-up K. A. S. Subodha Sewwandi of Bomiriya Central College Kaduwela andthe group category winners from Gnanodaya Maha Vidyalaya Kalutara will take part in Fair in Pittsburghnext week.
At this year’s Fair, Sivatharshanwill showcase his project called ‘Eye Protection and Energy Saving Lamp, a novel design with an LED bulb enclosed in a sphere filled with distilled water which helps light scatter evenly and increase its concentration. Miss Sewwandi will demonstratea specially-designed steel rod to assist the elderly and disabled to climb steps. Group category winners B. P. Wijerathna, T. P. Dissanayake and R. J. Ishanka Premalal will showcase the science of using ‘Goraka’ (Garcinia quaesita Pierre) to retain the freshness in Garlic.
Speaking at the meeting, Hon. Akila Viraj Kariyawasam stated, “Since its inception, SLSEF has produced some brilliant school-aged inventors who have excelled with their ingenuity and creativity. Last year, Namal Piyasiri of Thambuttegama Central College won a grand prize and two special awards for his versatile field construction machine for paddy cultivation which was a significant achievement for him as well as the country. Intel’s support over the last few years in assisting SLSEF winners to showcase their innovations in the global arena has been commendable. I thank them and wish this year’s team the very best of luck.”
“This event is an great occasion for Lankan students to meet with and exchange ideas with their peers from around the world. I have no doubt that this exposure will help them grow and serve their country in numerous ways through science and innovation in the coming years. I wish the finalists the very best of luck for the upcoming ISEF competition,”said Upali Marasinghe, Secretary, Ministry of Education.
Eng. Jayavilal Meegoda, Vice President, Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL) said, “IESL has been organizing the Junior Inventor of the Year (JIY) competition for the last three decades, mentoring many students to win at an international level. IESL is very happy to be a part in this cultural change that drives the next generation of Sri Lankan students to be innovative. I wish this year’s participants the very best of luck.”
Indika de Zoysa, Country Business Manager, Intel EM Limited, Sri Lanka Liaison office said, “This is the 8thconsecutive year that Lankan students will be showcasing their experiments and work at ISEF. Intel Sri Lanka is proud to work alongside the Ministry of Education, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and IESL to provide this opportunity for our students.I wish this year’s participant the very best of luck.”
Over the past seven years, 28 Sri Lankan students have participated at Intel ISEF, and over 13 officials have attended the Intel Educator Academy. Sri Lanka has won five grand awards and seven special awards to date at the event.
As the world’s largest pre-college science fair, and the only global science competition for students in grades 9-12, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) encourages students to tackle challenging scientific questions and solve the problems of tomorrow. Each year, more than 6 million students worldwide, from local and regional science fairs across 70 countries vie to attend the Intel ISEF. This year over 1,600 finalists have been selected to share breakthrough scientific research and compete for nearly $4 million in scholarships and awards at the event.
