Students need free environment for innovation - Prof. Ajith Alwis

Ramani Kangaraarachchi

The Engineering Research Unit (ERU) of the Moratuwa University through its annual symposium showcased industry related research of academics and researchers at the faculty to interested stakeholders outside.

This hopes to disseminate key findings as well as initiating new partnerships. This year's symposium carried out over 60 presentations related to software engineering, e-learning, water resource management, coastal zone management, disaster management, environmental and energy management.

Nearly 100 participants were present from the industrial and , engineering sectors. The Director of Engineering Research Unit ERU of University of Moratuwa Prof. Ajith de Alwis strongly believes that industries in the country must move faster and the talents of university students must be fully utilised.

Unlike the Arts graduates Engineering graduates are highly employable locally and internationally.

But Prof. de Alwis regrets the country has not sufficiently utilised the talents of our engineering graduates except for certain categories such as telecom and IT.

As a result the country has lost a lot of brilliant brains who could earn a huge amount of foreign exchange.

Alwis said the ERU is mandated to promote and disseminate research in the faculty. Research is a core function of a university and well directed research can really support economic growth.

"Our task is to position Moratuwa University doing just that type of work." Prof de Alwis said. All Departments within the faculty are represented within the ERU.

Prof de Alwis proposing to put some challenges into the engineering graduates and identify the bottlenecks in the industry in terms of productivity, technology and give them a free environment to work because innovation is the need which they do not have at present.

He pointed out that the country is running down its own products, and the marketing systems do not provide what the country needs namely personnel and technology.

'Our industry has still not explored because of negative attitudes and this has to be rectified.

We are investing highly on students and if we don't make use of them in a meaningful way we cannot stop the brain drain. Since the students do not have a good research environment they are leaving the country.

Sometimes the best and the brightest disappear. So no point of talking about lost talents without addressing the core issues', Prof. de Alwis said.

'In the past researches like the traffic lights have come to effect.

Due to environmental issues they have taken it away. There is no system to monitor. Now we are trying answer doctorate questions.

According to him students are keen to get industrial employment rather than sitting and doing spreadsheets.

When they start doing other jobs, the country loses the engineering community. So it is up to the industry to take it beyond their final year, Prof. Alwis said.