One of the key goals of the IESL Corporate Plan is “Facilitate members to develop and sustain high competencies and achieve leadership in all relevant, existing and emerging disciplines related to Engineering”. In order to supplement the dissemination of knowledge to engineers, IESL has been organizing number of seminars, conferences, annual sessions etc. However, as I pointed out in a previous editorial, we have found a lack of participation by our members in those activities. Recently, we had a discussion on why there is lack of interest in participating in the IESL competitions such as the ‘Water’and ‘Young Member’ competitions. Naturally, IESL has sometimes felt that those awards should not be declared at all due to the low number of applications.. However, I personally feel that IESL and our senior engineers MUST encourage the junior engineers to participate in those activities. These activities are morale boosters to participants in their work while others learn from them. 

I found a number of definitions for knowledge dissemination in the web and selected the one I felt was the best. (Source : http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/stis1993/nsf9375/nsf9375.txt ).

“In particular, the term "knowledge dissemination" has different meanings to different people. Its most common definition is the transfer of knowledge within and across settings, with the expectation that the knowledge will be "used" conceptually (as learning, enlightenment, or the acquisition of new perspectives or attitudes) or instrumentally, (in the form of modified or new practices.) There are, however, those who see dissemination as having other legitimate outcomes. Some of these outcomes include: (1) increased awareness; (2) ability to make informed choices among alternatives; and (3) the exchange of information; materials or perspectives”.

Calling applications for next year’s competitions and annual sessions are not very far away, Thus we  should be active and in alert!

Eng. (Dr.) Udeni Nawagamuwa
Editor