Student Inventors to USA

Ramani Kagaraarachchi

Three Sri Lankan students are to participate at the world's largest pre-college science competition , Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) to be held in May 2008 in Atlanta , USA .

They were nominated for this event by the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL) following the results of Junior Inventor of the Year (JIY) 2007 where they won various awards at the Sri Lanka Science and Engineering Fair (SLSEF).

The three winners namely Yasith K Lokuge of Ananda College , Colombo,Praveej Malinda Jayasinghe of St. Anthony's College Katugastota and Sajeewa Dinesh Hendurugoda of Nugawela Central College , Nugawela will leave for USA this week.

President IESL Eng R.J.Gunawardena said that IESL has been able to produce a large number of innovative engineers for the country over the last 23 years through JIY competition but this is the first time that the winners got the opportunity to participate at this prestigious Engineering Exhibition in USA, he said at a briefing session for the students held at the IESL before their departure.

The innovative ideas that won include a space saving Collapsible Staircase designed by Yasith Lokuge, a low cost Nutmeg Cutter designed by Praveej Jayasinghe and a device that automatically distributes water to a plant when the water content of a particular plant drops below a specified level designed by Sajeewa Hendurugoda.

Sajeewa will participate as an observer for the 59th Intel ISEF Fair while the other two Yasith and Praveej would compete with 1500 other students from over 51 nations for over 900 prizes and USD.4 million in scholarships , scientific trips and scientific equipments.

Chairman, JIY Committee Eng J Meegoda said that this opportunity is a great achievement received as a result of lot of dedicated work and effort by the students and IESL and Intel.

He said that SLSEF has been duly affiliated with Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in USA for the first time in October 2007 and therefore winners of SLSEF each year who met the eligibility criteria of Intel ISEF would get an opportunity to compete at this exhibition held in USA in the month of May every year.

Intel R ISEF is the world's largest pre-collegiate science fair and Intel R has been the primary sponsor for 11 years. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Feb 07, at the Ministry of Education Sri Lanka by the representatives of four partners to SLSEF namely the Ministry of Education, National Science foundation ,IESL and Intel R Education.