IESL WA Chapter
OUR STORY...
Western Australia Chapter of the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL WA) was established in May 2014. Its primary objective is to cater for the needs of the current IESL members residing in the state of Western Australia (WA), as well as to facilitate its growth by way of promoting and catering to potential members in WA.
Western Australia, being the largest state in Australia and the second largest country subdivision in the world, with numerous natural energy resources & minerals, has given rise to a place rich in Engineering infrastructure & Engineering culture. As such, Engineers in all disciplines with Sri Lankan heritage working here have a good opportunity to benefit from the IESL WA chapter. Further, the potential benefits for both countries, Sri Lanka, and Australia, are noteworthy too.
IESL WA Chapter endeavours to provide its members a forum to foster the Engineering ideals and ethics in a friendly environment. The chapter is working closely with the parent body to help Sri Lanka & WA, by disseminating the wealth of knowledge and experience of all our members.
special recognition by engineers australia (WA):
Dear IESLWA Members and Friends,
We are absolutely thrilled to share some very good news with all of you. It brings us immense pleasure to announce that our collective efforts and unwavering commitment to supporting young engineers from Sri Lanka settling in Western Australia over the years have been recognized and honoured by Engineers Australia.
We have been bestowed with the prestigious Engineers Australia Award for Outstanding Voluntary Service. This recognition stands as a testament to our dedication, hard work, and the positive impact we have made in facilitating the transition and settlement of young engineers from Sri Lanka into the Western Australian engineering landscape.
This achievement would not have been possible without each and every one of you who has contributed time, resources, and expertise towards this noble cause. Your relentless support and commitment to fostering a welcoming environment for young engineers transitioning to a new phase in their professional lives have been invaluable.
This award not only acknowledges our efforts but also inspires us to continue our mission with renewed vigour and enthusiasm. It highlights the significance of our work in empowering and nurturing the next generation of engineers, ensuring their successful integration into the Western Australian engineering community.
As we celebrate this remarkable achievement, let us take a moment to reflect on the impact of our collective endeavours and the difference we are making in the lives of aspiring engineers. It is through our collaborative spirit and dedication that we can continue to create meaningful opportunities and support systems for young professionals.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the Past presidents of IESL-WA, including the founding president, Eng. Remy Jayasekara, Eng Tissa Wijesinghe, Eng.Bandula Samarasinghe, Dr.Senaka Welideniya, Eng.Chirantha Weerawardene, Eng. Nimal Jayarathne, Eng.Mitra Konaramudiyanselage, Eng.Sisira Marakkalge and all the past committee members and members of our association for their dedication and contribution to this cause. Your continued support is instrumental in furthering our mission and achieving even greater milestones in the future.
Once again, congratulations to all of us on receiving the Engineers Australia Award for Outstanding Voluntary Service. Let us continue to work together, empowering young engineers and fostering a more inclusive and supportive engineering community.
We are IESL-WA Committee 2023/24.
Successfully Conducted Events [2022 onwards]:
webinar #7 of the 2023/24 series :
'Urban Water Management: Current and future challenges and research directions'
webinar #6 of the 2023/24 series :
'Responsible Use of AI'
webinar #5 of the 2023/24 series :
'Influence of Climate Change on Ocean Waves'
webinar #4 of the 2023/24 series :
'Engineers As Leaders'
career guidance seminar for the new sri lankan origin engineers and students in Wa :
Please go here for more details:
https://www.ieslwa.org/career-guidance-seminar-2024
webinar #3 of the 2023/24 series :
'Rare Earth Permanent Magnets and Green Dreams'
Sri Lanka’s Rare Earth Odyssey for Harnessing the Hidden Treasure
webinar #2 of the 2023/24 series :
A Blueprint for Developing a Sustainable Sri Lankan Mining Industry by Attracting Foreign Investment.
webinar #1 of the 2023/24 series :
Geo-spatial Technologies and Applications for Social Benefit
9th anniverary dinner dance of IESLWA [Augusut 26th 2023]
In-person seminar #2 of 2022/23:
In-person Professional Development Seminars on the following topics were held on the 23rd July 2023 at the Wilson community centre.
Last Sunday we were able to successfully host the 2nd in-person workshop of the season. The workshop comprised two sessions on,
👉Autonomous Train Control [System Architecture and communication subsystem] by Engineer Priyal Kulawansa, a Telecommunications and Security Engineer Hitachi Rail STS.
👉Electrical Earthing Systems by Engineer Don Tissa Wijayasinghe, a Sessional Lecturer, Curtin University.
Kudos to all who helped to make this a success!
IESL-WA Related Updates and Past Events :
In-person seminar #1 of 2022/23:
In-person Professional Development Seminars on the following topics were held on the 25th June 2023 at the Wilson community centre.
MV X-Press Pearl Disaster
Vulcan Pit Designer
Speakers:
Sarath Wijeratne
Rajeewa Silva
webinar #5 of the 2022/23 series :
Topic: MINE TAILINGS STORAGE FACILITIES (TSF): PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
By Ajitha Wanninayake BScEng (Hons). MEng. CPEng. MIEAust
Brief Bio of the speaker:
Ajitha Wanninayake is a Technical Director at GHD and a Chartered Professional Engineer with 20 years of experience. He graduated from the University of Peradeniya and completed his Master’s degree in Geotechnical Engineering at Saitama University, Japan. Ajitha has worked on numerous major mining, civil and transport infrastructure development projects as a principal/lead geotechnical engineer and project manager. He specialises in design, construction, operation, and closure of mine tailings and water storage facilities. Ajitha has also served as an instructor at the Association of State Dam Safety Officials, USA. He has authored and presented many technical papers at several international conferences.
Career guidAnce seminar of 2022/23
The IESL-WA jointly with MORAWA presented a career guidance seminar for all engineering professionals, students and interested persons to support their career progression on the 28th May 2023..
This seminar focused on the following:
Writing a winning resume
Facing job interviews
Australian job opportunities
Professional and social assimilation in Australia
Tips for networking
webinar #4 of the 2022/23 series :
The fourth Free Webinar of this year, was successfully held on the 11th May 2023 :
Topic: FLOATING PRODUCTION STORAGE AND OFFLOADING (FPSO) VESSELS AND THEIR CHALLENGES IN FABRICATION
Resource persons:
Ravin Wijeyaratna MSc. (Cranfield, UK), IWE, MIEAust
Sukamal Naskar MSc. (Cranfield, UK), IWE /EWE. Director Asia Pacific for Welding Alloys Group, UK.
webinar #3 of the 2022/23 series :
The third Free Webinar was successfully held on the 23rd of March 2023 :
Topic: Autonomous Driving
Resource person: Shaminda Subasinghe, PhD
- webinar #2 of the 2022/23 series :
The Second Free Webinar was successfully held on the 9th of February 2023 :
Topic: Challenges in Grid Connected Solar Farms Energization
Resource person: Dr. Aroshanie Lamabadu, PhD
IESL WA 3rd committee meeting for the year 2022/23 was successfully held at its president Dr. Senaka Welideniya's lovely residence on the 15th of January 2023. It was followed by a BBQ and a scrumptious supper. The major focus item was the planning of up-coming events.
webinar #1 of the 2022/23 series :
The first committee meeting of the IESL WA Chapter for year 2022/23 was held on the 27th of November 2022 at Nagi's Kitchen with good Lankan cuisine.
The 9th AGM of the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka, WA Chapter was held on Saturday 29th October 2022 at 4:00 pm at Centenary Park, Wilson.
The newly elected Executive Committee:
President - Senaka Welideniya
Vice President - Mathanga Perera
Secretary - Mahesh Kariyawasam
Treasurer - Tilak Jayantha
Ex-Officio - Bandula Samarasinghe
Editor and Web Master - Tharindu Weerasinghe
Committee members:
Pradeep Dulan
Tharanga Thotagamuwage
Raveendra Salgado
Iresh Manjula
Ravin Wijeyaratna
Yenuli Ranaweera
Harshani Jayasinghe
Parakrama Sumanarathne
Manjula Abayawickrama