Fourth-Year Physics Special Student wins the BESA Trophy for Applied Sciences

Panchanie Karunaratne, a 4th-Year multi-talented undergraduate pursuing a special degree in Physics, received the prestigious BESA award of the Faculty of Applied Sciences for the year 2023. Amid the fierce competition, our young star’s talents rose above the other contestants, capturing the judges’ attention and ultimately securing the award.

The BESA award is dedicated to the most optimistic and brilliant all-rounder excelling in academics, sports, extracurricular, and co-curricular activities from each faculty. It is part of the J’pura Employability Skills Awards (JESA), the ultimate platform for honoring the accomplishments of young, talented undergraduates, organized by the Career Skills Development Society (CSDS). This year’s award ceremony was held on December 15, 2023, at the Golden Rose Hotel Boralesgamuwa, where a tapestry of exceptional talents was unveiled and celebrated.

A/L Teachers Learn Electronics in Two-Day Workshop Organized by the Department of Physics

The Department of Physics at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, in partnership with the North Central Province Education Department, hosted a two-day A/L teacher training workshop in electronics on the 9th and 10th of December 2023. The workshop, which took place at the Department of Physics, gathered Physics teachers from different schools in the North Central Province.

The workshop began with a prestigious inauguration ceremony attended by Senior Prof. Pathmalal M. Manage, Vice Chancellor, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Prof. N.G.S. Shantha Gamage, Head of the Department of Physics and Ms. H.M.T.S. Herath, Deputy Director of Education, Provincial Department of Education, North Central Province. Many other faculty members from the Department of Physics were also there to celebrate the event.

The main objective of the workshop was to offer practical knowledge in electronics – an area that is often neglected by many teachers in Sri Lanka due to a lack of familiarity. During the two days, the teachers participated in practical sessions, acquiring hands-on experience that is essential for their teaching methods.

The 30 physics teachers showed great enthusiasm throughout the practical sessions. Their active participation and willingness to learn highlighted the significance of such efforts in addressing knowledge gaps within the education system. A remarkable result of the workshop was the teachers’ commitment to update their knowledge, aiming to share this new expertise with their students in the North Central Province.

The workshop arranged by the Department of Physics comes out as a very effective initiative to spread vital knowledge within the Sri Lankan education system. Filling the gap in electronics education, this session is expected to have a positive and lasting effect on both teachers and students in the North Central Province.

Two-Day A/L Teacher Training Workshop in Electronics, Organized by the Department of Physics, USJ – USJ – University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka (sjp.ac.lk)

Three students from the Department of Physics won the SLAAS Physical Science Awards

The Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS) held its 79th Annual Session on the 10th of December at the Bandaranayake Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo. The theme of the session was “Science Diplomacy as a Powerful Force for National Unity and Friendship among Nations.”

The Chief Guest of the event was Deshamanya Professor Mohan Munasinghe, a Nobel laureate and a leading expert on sustainable development. The session also featured the presentation of the Physical Science Awards, which recognize the outstanding research achievements of undergraduate students or recent graduates in the fields of Physics, Mathematics or Statistics. The awards were given to the top three candidates in each field of study, based on their research projects that were completed as a partial requirement for a B.Sc. Degree in a Sri Lankan University.

Among the award winners were three former students from the Department of Physics of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura.

  • Ms. P.C.H. Peiris, currently a demonstrator, was awarded 1st Place in the 3-minute video competition 2023 for the submission of a video titled ‘Photon Therapy’.
  • Ms. E.M.U.S. De Seram, also a demonstrator, was awarded 2nd Place in the same competition for the submission of a video titled ‘Leptons’.
  • Mr. B.H.L.M. Fernando, currently an assistant lecturer, was awarded the 3rd Place of Physical Science Award (Physics) for the submission of a thesis titled ‘Development of Atom-Centered Positron Basis Sets for Qualitative Study of e+ – Molecule Interactions’ under the supervision of Dr. W.K.I.L. Wanniarachchi.