President's Message

As the tradition dictates, the inaugural speech of the IESL president is published as the first president's message. The following is an extract of the speech delivered by the IESL president at the 118th Annual Sessions.

It is with deep gratitude that I begin my tenure as the President of the 118th session of IESL. My election to this office by all members is a great honor and a privilege. I assume the duties and responsibilities of this prestigious office with enthusiasm and dedication to serve the members and to uplift the engineering profession. Before I move on further, I wish to thank the outgoing President Eng. Prof Ranjith Disanayake and the council for their services, and I look forward their continued support during the next council as well.

Dear members, As the premier body for professional engineers in the country, the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka has a significant role, in today’s world. The world’s economy is driven by the advancements of the science and technology, and the contribution of engineers has always been paramount. Not like 50 years earlier today we produce graduates that fall almost into 24 engineering disciplines. Right now we have paths worked out for charter only for 13 disciplines, during next session one important goal is to work out paths for charter for the remaining disciplines too.

The Institution, right now shoulders a total membership exceeding 28,000 members, we also need to find out the reasons why more than 8800 members of all categories are not ready to continue their role at IESL, a way forward action plan is needed to find out the reasons and then to fix this issue.

On this important day I wish to draw the attention of all members of our prestigious professional body over few points.

Dear Members, It was revealed at the recently concluded Techno-2024 exhibition, Sri Lanka Inventor’s Commission, IESL sectional committees, chapters, Universities, YMS, JIY,Tri-forces together exhibited more than 150 innovative products and most them need further assistance for commercializing these inventions. Unless this gap is addressed we will soon lose the enthusiasm and their inventive sprit thus, creating an unbearable loss to the country’s economic prosperity. IESL needs to plan this out with Sri Lanka inventor’s Commission to address this gap and thereby to promote innovation culture in our country. Actions will be taken up for this move during the new session.

Dear Members Today the higher education landscape is evolving much faster than we could even imagine, collaborative models are emerging [for example, part is completed in SL and remaining part in an overseas country, or else all four years in SL but degree offered by a foreign jurisdiction, nor sooner there may be instances where three or more countries would involved] other concern is the formulation of acceptable credit transfer mechanisms. IESL being the responsible institution for recognition and accreditation of engineering education, have a mammoth responsibility ahead to arrive at acceptable and viable interventions , while maintaining the quality standards.

I also wish to draw my attention over the ECSL Act; we need to evolve acceptable and executable road map defining appropriate progression paths so that all categories of engineers and engineering technologists are taken under one umbrella while marinating quality standards.

My dear members, As you all are aware, there are growing concerns where decisions taken by engineers over economically and financially sensitive projects are being criticized by general public, quoting investments had been a waste of public funds, or decisions are dressed with favorable personal agendas. Either we like or not we have to shoulder the responsibility for these claims.

Dear members, despite having an estimable code of ethics, rules and professional conducts we still have been unable to improve our lost image as a whole, instead we are still losing it.

Prevailing by-laws allow only to accommodate written complains, without limiting to this approach now the Ethic Committee is evolving a mechanism with required amendments to by-laws to identify decisive cases not limiting to written submissions and to investigate them. Violation of code of ethics, rules & professional conducts are to be considered as punishable offences, where punishments varies from awareness, warning letter, temporary suspension of membership and finally full revocation full membership.

Since 21st June 2017 we have the provisional membership of SA, now we are in the process of preparing the application for full membership and during next session, ladies & gentlemen we need to obtain the full membership.

We will focus our attention to formulate policy directives for the economic development of the all vital sectors of the country, once the new government is established we wish to have direct dialogue on this direction too,

I declare the new session mainly a session for members,

Dear Members, I also wish to express my gratitude, to the whole membership who helped me throughout my life at IESL, all members of state & private institutions, among them specially my sincere colleagues in the ROAD Development authority, are remembered at this moment.

Eventually you all are the heart and soul of this institution. I take this opportunity to invite you to join with me in shaping the institution with collective leadership culture, we together need to enhance professional carrier of our members through the emerging technological advances. We need to be the most influential stakeholder towards the economic development of our nation.

Prior to conclusion, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to my family members, my late father, mother two brothers & the sister, my wife and the two sons, who silently absorb all burdens and sufferings they used to undergo throughout the last twenty years allowing me the freedom to attend IESL affairs, their patient and the dedication and understanding are greatly solicited. The presence of my Sister-in-law & her daughter who are here to witness this occation are also remembered.

With this note, I wish to conclude my address and it is my honor to have the opportunity to serve as your next president. Thank you for the opportunity and I humbly accept it. Have a great day for you all.

Thank you

Eng. Granie R Jayalath
President - IESL (2024/2025)