ESCaPe'13

Computer Engineering Students’ Symposium – 2013

University of Peradeniya

By Tharindu WEERASINGHE [MSc.Eng, BSc.Eng(Hons), MIEEE, AMIESL, AMCSSL]

 

It will be a great trend if undergraduates start involving in research projects in the universities during their stay. In Sri Lanka, we need undergraduates to move into researches because then there will be new findings in terms of newly grown ideas. So, universities and their administration should focus more on this fact as it is a national need as I feel. Academic programs should concentrate on theoretical work, practical work and written examinations but meantime if they show more flexibility in time tables, teaching times allowing undergraduates to think autonomously and engage in researches with their lecturers, professors or even industry people it will be a great booster for the contemporary university system of Sri Lanka.

Department of Computer Engineering, University of Peradeniya has given a good initiative towards this concept as they had organized a student symposium with the collaboration of the industry. It was named “EsCape 2013” (Engineering Student’s Conference at Peradeniya). It was the second of its kind at Peradeniya as the same department had organized a similar type of an event in 2010. The main objective of the event was to present the undergraduate research projects of the final year computer engineering undergrads. The presentations were in two formats, one oral and the, poster.  The chief guest for the occasion was Dr. Dharma P. Agrawal, Director of Center for Distributed and Mobile Computing, University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. He delivered the keynote speech: “Future Internet and Implication of Wireless”

I was able to take part in this event representing my employer, IFS R&D International and it was indeed a great honor for me to witness the event as an alumnus as well as an Industry Representative and also a freelance writer!

Full credit must go to the academic staff of the department and the students for making this a reality. Being the youngest of all the departments in the Faculty of Engineering, it is the pioneer to hold an event of this kind…Indeed a great achievement. Normally undergrads present their projects in-front of a small audience may be limited to the respective department. But here what I noted was, they had the opportunity to present their work in-front of a distinguish audience comprises a well renown professor in Dharma Agrawal, University Staff, Industry Representative and Students of fellow universities.

Because of these kinds of events, the students improve their technical skills as well as soft skills which is very important. Engineering research must move forward in Sri Lanka. Computer and IT world is s fast mover. To cater that capacity computer engineering undergrads have to have tight grip on the steering wheel! This type of events will help them to tight the grip, allowing them NOT to EsCape from the vehicle!!!

Many thanks to the academic staff of the department for inviting me to witness the event!