In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).
Speakers
Prof. Hiran Amarasekera
Professor in Forestry and Environment Science
Prof. Hiran Amarasekera, BSc. (Hons.), Ph.D. (Wales) FIBiol (Sri Lanka) C.Biol, is a Professor in Forestry and Environment Science at the Department of Forestry & Environmental Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. He received his PhD (Forestry) from the University of Wales, Bangor. and BSc from University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Hiran is interested in interdisciplinary research related to Wood Science, Timber Technology and Forest Proucts. To date, his research works have led to several publications in respective fields.
Prof. Neelika Malavige
Academic, Univesity Professor, Researcher and Scientist
Neelika Malavige is a Sri Lankan academic, university professor, researcher and scientist. She currently serves as Professor at the Department of Immunology and Molecular Sciences of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, since 2020 and is also a Head of the Global Dengue Program at Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative. She is also an academic visitor at the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford since 2008 and a member of the executive committee at the International Society for Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Dulini Yasara Mudunkotuwa
Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Dulini Mudunkotuwa is the Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, USJ. She is a graduate from University of Moratuwa and has obtained her master’s and PhD degrees from the University of Tokyo, Japan. She has also attended Polar Prediction Graduate School in Abisko Arctic Field Station organized by Stockholm University. She is a recipient of the Aota Masaki Award for research in physical oceanography. She has worked on Arctic Challenge for Sustainability Research Project by the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT) as a researcher. She is a Chartered engineer who has served in the Young members section and Junior inventor of the year committee of IESL as secretary. She is a former Head of the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, USJ. Currently she is the principal investigator of research grants worth 130 million on establishing an Advanced Engineering Simulation Center (E-Sim Center) and a makerspace (i-lab) for sustainable product development and commercialization.
Dr. Erandi Pathirana
Veterinarian, University Academic and Researcher
Erandi Pathirana obtained her PhD from the University of Sydney as an Australian Government Endeavour scholar. Her doctoral research was on the impact of microbiome on aquatic animal health. Erandi is continuing her research on the impact of climate change on the marine microbiome and thereby marine life. She has also researched the association between the environment and the genetics of aquatic life, at the Osaka Metropolitan University, Japan. Erandi has gained wider insights to Aquatic Animal Health, Pathogen Genomics and the use of Bioinformatics in Microbial Ecology, through diverse training programmes at the University of Prince Edward Island, Canada, the University of Sydney and Monash University, Australia. She is currently serving as the Head of the Department of Aquatic Bioresources, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, guiding young minds to discover and explore the untapped potential of Aquatic Bioresources in Sri Lanka.
Dr. Lanka Undugoda
Academic, Senior Lecturer, Department of Biosystems Technology
Lanka Undugoda, a distinguished Sri Lankan scholar, university lecturer, researcher, and environmental advocate, holds the position of senior lecturer within the esteemed Department of Biosystems Technology, Faculty of Technology, at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Her primary focus of study revolves around leaf-dwelling microorganisms and their remarkable ability to degrade air pollutants, driving her mission to advance the application of phylloremediation—an innovative concept that promotes environmental sustainability. Moreover, Lanka’s interests extend beyond her research on indigenous microbes in food items. She delves into a wide range of probiotic characteristics that can enhance the human microbiome, demonstrating her dedication to exploring diverse avenues of scientific inquiry. Acknowledged for her significant contributions to the field of science, she has earned prestigious awards that recognize her accomplishments as a distinguished scientist and academic researcher.
Dr. Dulini Yasara Mudunkotuwa
Academic, Creative Writer and Translator
Madhubhashini Disanayaka Ratnayake is the former Head and a senior lecturer in the Department of English Language Teaching, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. She has a doctoral degree from the Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo, and a Master’s degree from New York University which she attended on a Fulbright Scholarship. Her anthology of translations, The Routledge Companion to Sinhala Fiction from Postwar Sri Lanka came out in 2023. She has won the Gratiaen Prize in 2011 for her novel There is Something I Have to Tell You, having been shortlisted for it twice for her short story collections. She won the State Literary Award for her short story collection ‘Driftwood’ in 1991, and in 2020 for the Best Translation of a Novel from Sinhala to English for The Sowing Festival. She does projects nationally for the improvement of teaching English as a second language and has written books on this subject. In 2017, she was awarded the title of Kala Keerthi by the President of Sri Lanka.
Mr. Sachin Wijayasinghe
Academic, Public Speaker, ACIM
Sachin Wijayasinghe is a highly motivated individual with a strong academic background and a wealth of extracurricular experiences. He is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and currently serves as a lecturer in the Department of Commerce, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Sachin is a passionate sporting athlete whose passion for sports goes beyond competition. He is also an advocate for using sports to promote social change. He is a natural leader, volunteer, and communicator who has held many roles and shouldered numerous responsibilities, including several high-profile events such as the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2013) and the Commonwealth Futures Program 2020. He is a passionate researcher on development economics, focusing on both rural and urban development.