The awards ceremony for the Engineering Excellence Awards 2015, the premier event in the country for rewarding outstanding achievements by engineers and engineering enterprises organized by the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka (IESL) was held at the Water’s Edge on Tuesday, 26th January, 2015 from 7.00 pm. Mr. Kiyoshi Amada, Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Sri Lanka was the Chief Guest and Vidya Jyothi Prof. K.K.Y.W. Perera, Chancellor of the University of Moratuwa was the Guest of Honour for the event.

A large gathering comprised of individuals and organizations who vied for the different categories of awards, Council Members and Past Presidents of the IESL as well as invitees and staff of the IESL Secretariat were present. The presentation of awards were done amidst entertainment provided by the all engineers music group ‘Music Engineers – IESL’ and the Channa Upuli Performing Arts Foundation dancing troupe.

This year the most prestigious awards of Eminence in Engineering were bestowed upon two distinguished Fellows of the institution, both of them academic luminaries, Vidya Jyothi Eng. (Prof.) K.K.Y.W. Perera, Emeritus Professor of Electrical Engineering and Vidya Jyothi Eng. (Prof.) Dayantha Wijeyesekera, Emeritus Professor of Civil Engineering. They have both been conferred the National Honours of “Vidya Jyothi” by H.E. the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Furthermore they have both been Secretary of Ministries ie Ministry of Power and Energy and the other in the Ministry of Vocational Training and Technical Education. The two Past Presidents of the Institution are currently Chancellors of Universities namely University of Moratuwa and University of Vocational Technology respectively and also Fellows of the National Academy of Sciences.

Engineering Excellence Awards for Individuals went respectively to Eng. (Dr.) Premila Sivaprakasapillai Sivasegaram, the first lady engineer the country produced, for Civil Engineering, Eng. A.K. Diyabalanage for Mechnica Engineering, Eng. B.R.O. Fernando for Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Eng. Kamal Nanayakkara for Electronics and Communication Engineering. The Outstanding Engineering Education Award went to Eng. (Prof.) Mrs. Niranjanie Ratnayake.

Eng. (Dr.) H.H.J. Keerthisena was decorated with the President’s Award for his contribution to the profession while Eng. Shavindranath Fernando and Eng. (Dr.) S.B.Wijekoon , the Past Presidents of the IESL respectively for the sessions 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 were presented with Special Appreciation Awards for their services to the IESL.

The Award for Social Responsibility went to the team effort by Eng. Ms. K.A.P. Chandani, Eng. H.S. Sugathadasa and Eng. M.A.G.P. Fernando from Holcim Lanka Ltd. Eng. S.M.A. Nelugolla won the Environment Award. Eng. Ranjith Gunathilaka was adjudged the Engineering Entrepreneur of the Year while Eng. Ruwan Edirisinghe conferred the Merit Award in the same category.