Department of Industrial Management

DR. CHATHUMI KAVIRATHNA DELIVERS THE KEYNOTE SPEECH AT SRSOL 2023

“SRSOL 2023”, the first-ever Students' Research Symposium in Operations and Logistics organised by the Department of Operations and Logistics of the Faculty of Business, at National School of Business Management (NSBM), was held on the 11th of May 2023 under the theme of “Integrating Operations, Logistics and Project Management for Business Success”. The symposium was established to give students an opportunity to exchange ideas, uncover hidden information, and share their findings in the most cutting-edge branches of operations and logistics.

The keynote speech was delivered by Dr. Chathumi Kavirathna, Senior Lecturer from the Department of Industrial Management of University of Kelaniya, who has made a remarkable contribution to research in the fields of Maritime transport and shipping industry: modeling and analysis, Supply chain planning and optimisation logistics, Transport planning and policy analysis, Logistics and transport system optimisation and Competition and cooperation strategy analysis and game theory. Dr. Kavirathna established the tenor of the event with her stimulating speech on ‘Sri Lanka as a Maritime Logistics Hub: Cooperation for a Win-Win Solution’.

The event was graced by Vice Chancellor, Prof. E.A.Weerasinghe, Head of Academic Development and Quality Assurance, Prof. Bharatha Dodankotuwa, Dean of the Faculty of Business, Ms. Thilini De Silva, Deans and Heads of Other faculties. As the Chief Guest of the event Dr. Namali Sirisoma, President, The Charted Institute of Logistics and Transpiration, addressed the gathering.

SENATE AWARDS MARCH 2023

On March 29th, 2023 another session on presenting Senate Awards was held at the senate room, University of Kelaniya. The senate awards have been established to emphasise the importance of research at the University of Kelaniya and also, to honour and appreciate the academic staff members, who excel in research and make outstanding contributions to the university community through their work in their respective fields of study.

All the researchers whose papers were published in internationally recognised, prestigious indexed journals were acknowledged. Furthermore, in appreciation of their work, the researchers were presented with Senate Awards and cash prizes by the Vice – Chancellor, Senior Prof. Nilanthi de Silva. Moreover, the Deans of Faculties, Heads of Departments, and senate members were present at the occasion.

Upholding the reputation of the Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Science as a competitive unit, Senior Lecturer Dr. Ruwan Wickckramaarachchi, Senior Lecturer Dr. Amila Withanaarachchi, and Lecturer Dr. Chathumi Ayanthi, received certificates of recognition for research publications.

Moreover, Ms. Ishara Ranathunga, Ms. Jinendri Prasadika, Ms. Piyumika Peiris, and Ms. Komudya Chathurangi from the staff of temporary lecturers were also awarded the Senate Honours for publishing research papers.

KICKSTARTER WEEKEND 2023

The ‘Kickstarter Weekend’ organised for the undergraduates of the Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya was held from 3rd to 5th March at the department premises aiming to enhance essential entrepreneurial skills to bolster their confidence when stepping out into a world of challenges and help them make their mark as formidable individuals. This three-day residential programme was conducted by SquareHub (Pvt) Ltd. Led by Mr. Kanishka Weeramunda, in collaboration with EDB (Export Development Board) of Sri Lanka. Mr. Suresh de Mel, the Chairman of EDB, a well-known entrepreneur, graced the event along with the team of trainers from SquareHub, comprised of mentors, speakers and judges who were dedicated to provide the students with a valuable experience of a lifetime.

The programme incorporated a variety of activities ranging from ice-breaking, design thinking, and idea-generating activities, intending to maximise student interaction. These engaging activities were able to captivate the undergraduates’ utmost attention and were successful in maintaining enthusiasm and ensuring their continued involvement throughout the programme, despite the long hours. Moreover, they helped the students conceptualise an idea, pitch it to an audience, develop the idea into a business while looking at possible obstacles, and finally present it to an audience of experts for their evaluation. Furthermore, the programme extended a special focus on augmenting the core skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills of the undergraduates, helping them to broaden their ability to analyse and evaluate information and make reasoned decisions.

All the participants in the Kickstarter Weekend were able to work in a collaborative environment while creating different teams, working on their ideas and presentations, and unite with like-minded, creative, ambitious, and motivated people that demonstrated the students’ ability to become promising seekers of solutions, for the challenging problems prevailing in our modern world.

During this entire process which was done in an interactive, fully immersive environment curated by SquareHub, the participants were able to take an active part in developing start-up culture and to Join a vast global network of passionate and competent organisers, mentors, and entrepreneurs along with other talented members of our local and regional community. The testimonials of the participants confirm that the programme helped them build their interpersonal and organisational abilities to help diversify their work and enhance their career. The unwavering dedication of the SquareHub team coupled with the competitive group of young undergraduates with an admirable team spirit made the whole programme a success.

Moreover, the steadfast support and generous contribution of the sponsors, Axiata Digital Labs, Upfield Lanka (Pvt) Ltd., and Kansha (Pvt) Ltd. were an integral part in the accomplishment of this ‘Kickstarter Weekend’ that gave a positive and lasting experience for the undergraduates.

THE 18TH ISSUE OF EXPOSITION MAGAZINE LAUNCH

Encompassing the role of "A Thought Leader in Digital Transformation," Exposition is a magazine that bridges the gap between management and IT. The magazine, a proud product of the Industrial Management Science Students’ Association (IMSSA), features a remarkable collection of student articles, expert insights, and industry features that bring forth novel ideas in the fields of Entrepreneurship, Management, and Information Technology.

The 18th issue of Exposition was unveiled with much grandeur on the 24th of February, 2023, at the Department of Industrial Management. Mr. Peter D'Almeida, founder and former CEO/Managing Director of N*able Pvt. Ltd., graced the occasion as the keynote speaker and entranced the audience with his inspiring words. Mr. D'Almeida was also presented with the first copy of Exposition Issue 18, initiating the magazine’s launch. Following that, the launch of the first ever e-magazine of Exposition Issue 18 took place, transcending the boundaries of traditional printing and providing a more immersive experience to its readers.

An Industry Forum is organized annually in conjunction with the magazine launch to share professional expertise on current issues. This year's Industry Forum featuring Mr. Malinda Alahakoon, an influencer and YouTuber at TechTrack Show, Mr. Yasas Hewage, director and co-founder of Dafedil Academy of Business, and Dr. Clive James, director at A J Medichem International, captivated the audience with their discussion of "Combating Brain Drain in the Face of Economic Recession: The Importance of Leadership in Management and IT."

During the occasion, the winners of Edify 2022, the inter-university article competition, and the intra-departmental article competition were revealed and awarded. Also recognized and awarded were the recipients of the Undergraduate Research Excellence Awards for the year.

Recognition was extended to the official partners of Exposition Issue 18 as tokens of appreciation: co-sponsor Evonsys Pvt. Ltd., official event partner T&FG, official deluxe partner MAS Holdings, and official knowledge partner Creative Software, acknowledging their contributions towards the success of the event.

Along with the distinguished dignitaries and official partners, representatives from corporate giants such as SLT, Connex, and Cambio added color to the event while highlighting the bond between the department and the industry.

DIM received ISO 9001: 2015 Certification by the SLSI for the third consecutive year

Department of Industrial Management of the University of Kelaniya takes pride in informing its stakeholders that the DIM’s continuous quality management system was evaluated and recognised with the ISO 9001: 2015 quality certification on 24^th March 2022 by the SLSI for the third consecutive time. The ISO 9001:2015 quality certification ensures institutes and entities are performing to the optimal standard for continued prosperity and improvement.

The Department of Industrial Management has been certified with ISO quality certification based on the following criteria: Design and development of programmes, teaching, learning and assessment, continuous professional development, research, publication related to the field.

The objective of the appraisal was to ensure the determination of the department in the following parameters:

Determination of the extent of conformity of the management system to be audited, with audit criteria.
Determination of the extent of conformity of activities, processes, and products with the requirements and procedures of the management system.
Evaluation of the capability of the management system to ensure compliance with legal and contractual requirements and other requirements to which the organization is committed.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of the management system in meeting its specified objectives.
Identification of areas for potential improvement of the management system.

Further, the audit team has highly commended the leadership provided by the Head of the Department, Senior Lecturer, Dr. Suren Peter and the support by the QMS Coordinator, Dr Chathumi Kavirathne and the previous Coordinator, Ms Mahikala Niranga. The audit team has also praised the entire academic and non-academic staff members of the DIM for their teamwork, support and professionalism shown during the process of auditing.

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