IEEE Education Week Sri Lanka 2026
IEEE Education Week Sri Lanka 2026 brought together school students, educators, IEEE volunteers, STEM organizations, and industry partners for a day of learning, exploration, and inspiration. The initiative focused on empowering young learners through career guidance, digital safety awareness, and hands-on STEM experiences while encouraging them to explore their interests and future opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Event Overview
IEEE Education Week Sri Lanka 2026 was organized by the IEEE Sri Lanka Section, IEEE Young Professionals Sri Lanka (YPSL), and the IEEE Sri Lanka Inspire National Project (SLInspire), in collaboration with the IEEE Student Activities Committee (SAC), IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE), IEEE Special Interest Group on Humanitarian Technology (SIGHT), and SL2C.
The programme was supported by IEEE StudPro as the Program Partner, TRACE Expert Sri Lanka as the Ecosystem Partner, and IFS Sri Lanka as the Powered By Partner.
The school-focused programme brought together 60 students and 3 teachers from Arawwala Dharmapala College and St. John’s College, Nugegoda, providing them with an opportunity to step beyond traditional classroom learning and engage with professionals, IEEE volunteers, and STEM organizations.
The programme combined career exploration, cyber safety awareness, and practical STEM activities to create an engaging learning experience designed to inspire students to think about their future and recognize the opportunities available through STEM education.
Key Highlights
Career Compass
The programme introduced students to Career Compass, a session conducted by members of the IEEE Sri Lanka Inspire (SLInspire) team.
The session encouraged students to look beyond conventional career choices and explore different educational and professional pathways. Through interactive discussions and guidance, students were encouraged to identify their interests, recognize their strengths, and understand how their current educational decisions can influence their future careers.
Rather than simply presenting career information, Career Compass encouraged students to think about their aspirations and take greater ownership of their future educational journeys.
Cyber Safety & Digital Citizenship
Students also participated in a Cyber Safety session conducted by Mrs. Shiromi Samarakoon from the Digital Safeguarding Center.
The session focused on practical approaches to protecting personal information, identifying online risks, and making responsible decisions when using digital platforms.
As digital technologies continue to play an important role in education, communication, entertainment, and social interaction, the session highlighted the importance of developing digital awareness and responsible online behaviour from an early age.
Hands-on STEM Experiences
One of the most engaging parts of the programme was the series of interactive STEM experiences delivered by participating organizations:
- STEMUP Educational Foundation
- Gavesha Labs
- NENASA
- SEDS Sri Lanka
Through demonstrations, discussions, and hands-on activities, students were introduced to different areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
The experiences encouraged curiosity, creativity, teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving while demonstrating how STEM knowledge can be applied beyond textbooks and classrooms.
Exploring Innovation Through Challenge Sphere
Students were also introduced to the IEEE Challenge Sphere, a technology-driven platform designed to encourage innovation and problem-solving.
The platform provides opportunities to explore areas including electronic circuit design, Internet of Things (IoT), signal processing, communications, machine learning, and computer architecture.
By introducing technology-based challenges at an early stage, the programme encouraged students to move beyond passive learning and develop an interest in creating solutions to real-world problems.
Connecting Education with Industry
The Education Week programme also created opportunities for participants to connect with industry professionals and better understand the skills expected in the professional world.
As part of this wider programme, IEEE StudPro 9.0 organized the Career Day – IEEE Edu Week CV Clinic 2026 on 28 May 2026 at TRACE Expert City.
The Career Day included CV guidance, HR and technical mock interviews, and direct interaction with representatives from participating organizations. These activities helped university students and recent graduates better understand recruitment expectations and identify areas for improvement in their professional preparation.
Speakers & Guests
This interaction helped participants better understand the transition from university to employment and the importance of continuously developing both technical and professional skills.
The participation of industry representatives added an important practical dimension to IEEE Education Week Sri Lanka 2026. Rather than limiting career preparation to presentations and theoretical guidance, the programme enabled participants to receive direct feedback from professionals involved in recruitment and industry practice.
Opening Ceremony
- Chathurya Ekanayake — Education Week Chair
- Prof. Priyan — Chair, IEEE Sri Lanka Section
- IFS Senior Leadership — Guest Address / Industry Welcome
Career Guidance / Career Compass
- Mr. Rushdi Hadhi — Director of Operations, Headhunter; Former Head of Career Guidance, NSBM
- Session: Career Guidance / Career Compass
- Focus: Career pathways, identifying strengths and interests, higher-education and career opportunities.
Cyber Safety & Digital Citizenship
- Mrs. Shiromi Samarakoon — Digital Safeguarding Center
- Session: Cyber Safety & Digital Citizenship
- Focus: Online safety, protecting personal information, identifying digital risks, and responsible digital citizenship.
Challenge Sphere
- Chamodi Hansika — Software Engineer, Dutton Labs LK
- Session: IEEE Challenge Sphere
- Focus: Technology-driven challenges covering areas such as electronic circuit design, IoT, signal processing, communications, machine learning, and computer architecture.
Mastering Perplexity: Generative AI for Smarter Research
- Mr. Sabilashan Ganeshan — Country Lead, Perplexity AI
- Session: Mastering Perplexity: Generative AI for Smarter Research
- Focus: Generative AI tools and practical approaches for smarter academic research.
IEEE for Researchers
- Dr. Achintha Kondarage — PhD in Biomedical Engineering, University of Moratuwa; Visiting Lecturer, University of Sri Jayewardenepura; Staff Program Manager, Synopsys Inc.
- Session: IEEE for Researchers: Maximizing Opportunities for Graduate Students
- Focus: IEEE resources, research collaboration, professional development, and opportunities for researchers.
Staying Relevant in the Age of AI
- Dr. Ranga Rodrigo — Senior Lecturer, University of Moratuwa
- Session: Staying Relevant in the Age of AI
- Focus: Adapting to changes brought by artificial intelligence and developing skills relevant to the evolving professional environment.
Grant Writing for Academics and Industries
- Dr. Subodha Charles — Senior Lecturer, University of Moratuwa; Group Chairman, Pearl Cluster
- Session: Grant Writing for Academics and Industries
- Focus: Understanding the grant-writing process and developing stronger funding proposals for academic and industry projects.
Revolutionizing Research with Generative AI
- Prof. Roshan Ragel — Professor, Department of Computer Engineering/Computer Science, University of Peradeniya; AI Advisory Committee Member, ICTA; Consultancy CEO, LEARN
- Session: Revolutionizing Research with Generative AI
- Focus: Using generative AI tools to support and enhance research activities.
STEM Session Contributors
The school programme also featured practical STEM sessions delivered by:
- STEMUP Educational Foundation
- Gavesha Labs
- NENASA
- SEDS Sri Lanka
These organizations conducted demonstrations, discussions, and hands-on STEM activities for participating students.
Career Day – Industry Representatives
For the Career Day – IEEE Edu Week CV Clinic 2026, the following companies participated in the HR and technical mock-interview and CV-clinic activities:
- IFS
- Altrium
- Nagarro
- VSIS
- Codimite
- Calcey
- Front Walker
- InTalent Asia
The event provided participants with direct interaction with industry professionals, including feedback on CVs, interview performance, technical knowledge, communication, and professional expectations.
Event in Numbers
Event Gallery
14 Photos
Closing & Looking Ahead
IEEE Education Week Sri Lanka 2026 demonstrated how collaboration between IEEE volunteers, school communities, educators, STEM organizations, industry partners, and technology professionals can create meaningful learning opportunities.
From career exploration and digital safety to hands-on STEM activities and industry engagement, the programme provided participants with different ways to learn, interact, and discover future possibilities.
For school students, the experience encouraged curiosity, creativity, responsible digital participation, and greater awareness of STEM pathways. For university students and graduates, the wider Education Week programme provided opportunities to strengthen employability and connect with industry.
More than a single educational programme, IEEE Education Week Sri Lanka 2026 created a platform to inspire curiosity, encourage innovation, promote digital responsibility, and support participants as they explore their future.
The journey continues through every student who becomes curious about STEM, every teacher who inspires a learner, and every volunteer who creates an opportunity for the next generation.