President's Message

New Year Greetings from the President – IESL

“As President of the IESL, I extend my warmest wishes to all our members and their families for a joyful, peaceful, and prosperous Sinhala and Tamil New Year. May this festive season bring renewed hope, unity, and success in all your personal and professional endeavors.”

Dear Members of the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka,

It is with great pleasure that I address you through this edition of the IESL Newsletter, reflecting on the progress we have made and the initiatives we continue to pursue in strengthening our Institution and serving our membership.

Over the past months, we have remained committed to enhancing the value we offer to our members. A range of benefits introduced earlier have now been successfully delivered, including health care benefits from top hospitals and laboratories in the country, banking services, special discounts for purchases and many more. We are pleased to note that additional member benefits are currently being developed and will be introduced in the near future.

Notably, the implementation of Microsoft Office 365 for the Secretariat has been successfully completed, enabling enhanced digital collaboration and ensuring uninterrupted support for the professional and academic activities of our members. In light of ongoing developments in the global oil market, and the need to adopt measures such as remote working, the Secretariat is now fully equipped with the necessary tools and systems to continue delivering efficient and seamless services to the membership. On the international front, I had the privilege of meeting with the Global President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), UK, which marked an important step in strengthening collaboration and exploring new avenues for mutual growth and recognition.

We also successfully celebrated World Engineering Day 2026 with great enthusiasm and wide public engagement. The event received extensive media coverage, including television telecasts and radio broadcasts, further enhancing the visibility of the engineering profession. We encourage members to access and share these recordings through the official links published by the Institution.

I am pleased to inform you that the implementation of the IESL Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System (for finance) has now been completed. This marks a significant milestone in our digital transformation journey, enabling greater efficiency, transparency, and improved service delivery to our members.

In our continuous effort to maintain high professional standards, we have commenced a comprehensive review of all professional interviews, including Professional Review (PR) and International Professional Engineer (InPE) interviews. This initiative aims to ensure consistency, fairness, and continuous improvement in our evaluation processes.

Since the last Sri Lanka Engineering News (SLEN) publication, several Annual General Meetings (AGMs) of our chapters and affiliated bodies have been successfully conducted, demonstrating the active engagement and governance across the Institution.

We have also conducted Professional Review (PR) workshops in the Jaffna and Eastern Provinces, aimed at strengthening regional engagement and promoting the role of engineers in national development.

In response to the recent Ditwa cyclone, IESL has stepped forward to extend its volunteer services to the Ministry of Construction, Housing, and Water Supply to support the rebuilding of houses in the affected districts. This initiative reflects our commitment to social responsibility and national service.

Looking ahead, several key initiatives are currently in progress. These include the implementation of ISO 9001 quality management systems, pursuing full membership of the Sydney Accord and membership of the Dublin Accord, and the revision of the Management Information System (MIS) to further enhance institutional efficiency.

In addition, IESL has initiated a knowledge transfer programme in collaboration with our Australian chapters to support advanced flood modelling practices within Sri Lanka. This programme is being conducted with the assistance of the New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and Western Australia Chapters. I wish to acknowledge the efforts of Eng. Jayantha Wickramasinghe, the inaugural Chairman of the Queensland Chapter, who is coordinating this initiative among the four chapters. This collaboration will significantly benefit the Irrigation Department and contribute to strengthening the country’s resilience to flood risks. As we move forward, I encourage all members to actively engage with the Institution, contribute to its initiatives, and take full advantage of the opportunities available.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to IESL.

Eng. Kosala Kamburadeniya
President 2025/2026