Dear Members,

A new session of the IESL commenced on 29th October this year, and I am pleased to send this message to you as the President for the 112th Session of IESL.

Government’s policy framework ‘V2025: A Country Enriched’, was launched on 5th September 2017, and it is stated that the government’s economic vision is “to make Sri Lanka a rich country by 2025, by transforming Sri Lanka into the hub of the Indian Ocean, with a knowledge-based, highly competitive, social-market economy”.

So dear engineers, it is now our duty to make sure that we are ready to take on the challenges of rapid growth. Do we have the right kind of competence among our engineers? Do we have the required numbers of members with such competences? The onerous task of supplying the technological input required for the rapid economic and social growth envisaged for the country falls on us. If we do, will do they get the recognition and opportunities to make their contribution? We are very keen to protect our profession, and our identity as Sri Lankan engineers; can we do that in the current scenario? These are some of the questions that we as a body will have to seriously consider and strategize in the very near future.

We need innovative thinking, disruptive technologies and continuous upgrading and updating of knowledge among ourselves if we are to face the challenges of the rapid growth expected in the country, in the face of many threats that are faced by our members. At the same time, we have to make sure that our actions are professional and ethical, befitting the image that we want to establish for the professional engineer in the society. The newly elected Council of IESL can, and will try to devote our efforts to strengthen our membership in achieving these goals. We can do that with the support of all our members, by participating in the many activities that are already on-going, such as continuing professional development programs as resource persons and other forums where you could make a positive contribution, as well as sending us proposals that you feel would help the membership to achieve our common goals.

I urge you to help the IESL to be the Apex Body of Professional Engineers in Sri Lanka, in the true sense of the word.

Thank you.

Eng. (Prof.) Mrs. Niranjanie Ratnayake
President, Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka
2017/2018