Nature's Secrets presents 'Research Award'
Nature's Beauty Creations (NBC), manufacturers of Sri Lanka's herbal
cosmetics brand 'Nature's Secrets', is a strong believer that "Sri
Lankans can be innovative and productive" and plays a dynamic role in
uplifting and strengthening the national economy.
NBC, a 100% local entity dedicated to promoting the Sri Lankan herbal
heritage has embarked on a journey to create a global herbal cosmetics
brand by 2020. Their acclaimed brand is presently exported to many
countries in Continental and Western Europe, South and South East Asia,
Asia Pacific and the United States.
Being increasingly aware of its responsibility to society, NBC has
gone beyond having mere business objectives, to become one of the most
socially responsible entities in Sri Lanka. The 'Nature's Secrets
Research Award' is a concept that is aligned with their commitment to
promote applied research that would be advantageous to the country.
 |
 |
|
Recipients
receiving the ‘Nature’s Secrets Research Award 2012’ |
Although local universities produce a large number of scientists,
financial allocations for research and development as a percentage of
GDP is minute. Nature's Secrets has raised this concern at a number of
occasions with the government and relevant officials. Having its own
Plant Research Centre dedicated for advanced research on medicinal
plants in Sri Lanka, Nature's Secrets decided to facilitate Applied
Research with the objective of fostering commercially applicable
research among local scientists.
The Nature's Secrets Research Award is a cash award of Rs 250,000
which is awarded annually to the best commercially viable research
project conducted at the Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya.
It was decided to present this award to research carried out at the
said faculty as the Chairman/Managing Director of Nature's Beauty
Creations Ltd, Samantha Kumarasinghe has followed his higher education
at the University of Peradeniya.
The award was agreed to be presented from year 2010, however the
Peradeniya University did not nominate a qualifying research team to be
rewarded during the year 2010 and 2011. Nature's Beauty Creations has no
influence or decision making on selection of a research team for the
award, the task is solely carried out based upon criteria approved by
the Board of the Science Faculty.
A research project for development of an automated tool for
performance evaluation in weight lifting was selected by the University
of Peradeniya for the valuable "Nature's Secrets Research Award 2012".
The research group comprised Dr. U.A.J. Pinidiyaarachchi, Prof. S.R.
Kodituwakku and K.A.D.G. Kuruppu.
"The product which is a software, could be developed cost-effectively
and would be useful in evaluating performance of Sri Lankan weight
lifting athletes and help them improve on their techniques when
competing at international level" said principal investigator of the
team Dr. (Mrs.) U.A.J. Pinidiyaarachchi.
Held at the University of Peradeniya, the Nature's Secrets Research
Award 2012 was presented to the wining research team by Chief Guest of
the event, Chairman of National Research Council Prof. Eric
Karunanayake. Guest of Honour, Vice Chancellor of Peradeniya University
Prof. Atula Senaratne handed over certificates to the three members of
the research team while the cash reward of Rs. 250,000 was presented by
Samantha Kumarasinghe Chairman/Managing Director of Nature's Beauty
Creations Ltd., to the group's principal investigator Dr. U. A. J.
Pinidiyaarachchi.
|
