Engineers Convention 2012 - Event Highlights

Engineers Convention 2012 - Event Highlights

The New South Wales Chapter of the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL NSW) held its Inaugural Annual Engineers Convention on 20th and 21st of July 2012 at the Engineers Australia auditorium, Chatswood and at the Castle Grand Castle Hill, Sydney, Australia.

From the proceeds of the Convention, the NSW Chapter has allocated a significant amount towards a project to be agreed upon by the IESL and NSW Chapter to improve facilities in IESL Colombo.

The first part of the Convention, the Engineers Conference, was held on 20th July at the Institution of Engineers Australia Auditorium at Chatswood.  The event commenced with a Keynote Address from the Guest of Honour, the President of the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka, Dr. Ananda Ranasinghe.   Papers were presented by Prof. Budhdhima Indraratne, Prof. Karu Essella, Dr. Ravindra Prathapa, and PhD Candidate Nadeesha Dharmasiri.  More than 85 engineers from various disciplines attended the Conference with a good representation from the younger generations.


The second part of the Convention, the Gala Dinner, was held on 21st July at Castle Grand, Sydney with 300 guests in attendance.  It was a grand event with a three course sit down dinner and music to suit all ages. There was also a lively session with “Elvis the Entertainer,” accompanied with audience participation, and overall the night was held together with seamless event coordination.  

The engineering focus to the event was provided by the Welcome Speech from the Chair of IESL NSW, Maya Amaraweera, who stressed on the contributions to the NSW economy by Engineers of Sri Lankan origin and said the Convention was a moment to celebrate the collective achievement of the Chapter members.  Dr. Ananda Ranasinghe congratulated the IESL NSW Chapter for the progress made over past three years since its incorporation, and highlighted the need for a closer working relationship with its parent body in Sri Lanka.   Deva Mylvaganam, a reputed engineer in the industry, delivered the Key Note Address on “Infrastructure Engineering opportunities associated with Sri Lanka’s Development Needs” and noted that the accelerated infrastructure development needs in Sri Lanka as a great opportunity for the Australian companies in the field to venture into, given their well-established strengths in the sector.

The Engineering Convention 2012 was proudly sponsored by major public and commercial sector sponsors. This is a testimony to the exceptional services provided by engineers of Sri Lankan origin to the NSW community and businesses.  The Gold Sponsors were the NSW Public Works and the Roads and Maritime Services, NSW.  The Silver Sponsor was CG Power, and the Bronze Sponsors were Abigroup Pty Ltd, Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation (SMEC), and Dulux.

The Chapter will be holding its 2013 Annual Convention on 31^st May and 1st of June 2013.

For more information contact IESL NSW: CLICK

Maya Amaraweera

Past Chair

IESL NSW Chapter