The Sri Lanka Science and Engineering Fair (SLSEF) 2014, for selecting the cream of creative
and innovative among Sri Lankan school children for participation in the Intel International
Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF)2014 to be held in Los Angeles, USA was conducted
at the Wimalasurendra Auditorium of the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka on 25th February
2014. The Intel ISEF is where the best of world’s best young scientists and inventors from over 50 countries come together each year to share their ideas, showcase their cutting edge
science and engineering projects and win awards and scholarships.

The SLSEF is a joint effort where the Ministry of Education , National Science Foundation
(NSF), Intel® EM Limited-Sri Lanka Liaison Office and the IESL had joined hands since year
2007 to promote creativity and innovation among the country’s younger generation. Every
year 20 competitors are selected from two separate competitions, the Junior Inventor of the
Year (JIY) competition conducted by the IESL and the Science Research Project Competition
(SRPC) conducted by the NSF, to compete at the SLSEF to select three of the best among
them to participate at an international level in the Intel ISEF held in USA.

Since beginning to participate in the Intel ISEF, student protégées of Sri Lanka, who has been
selected through Junior Inventor of the Year (JIY) competition organized by Institution of
Engineers, Sri Lanka, has done the country proud by managing to win awards and recognition
winning the 3rd place grand award in 2009 on their 2nd appearance and clinching the 1st place grand award in Computer Engineering at their 3rd appearance (2010). The latter achievement earned the distinction of a newly discovered planet being named after the winner who was also the Junior Inventor of the Year 2010 nominated to the Intel ISEF competition by the IESL.

JIY finalists, were able to won the IEEE Award and Intel Excellence award in computer science
in Intel ISEF at 5th appearance (2012) and also won the 1st place grand award in category of
Electrical & Mechanical Engineering and Special award from the Ashtavadhani Vidwan Ambati
Subbaraya Chetty Foundation at 6th appearance (2013). The fame and recognition achieved so soon has led to a rapid rise in the popularity of the competition among school children all
over the country.

Welcoming the participants to this year’s SLSEF the Vice President of the IESL, Eng. Jayavilal
Meegoda pointed out the significant contributions JIY programme is making to the students
and the country providing motivation to be creative and innovative. Also Eng. Jayavilal
Meegoda said that the SLSEF is being held for the sixth time and that the country has to be
proud of the way its school children has performed in the face of international competition.
He pointed out the exhaustive preliminary selection process undertaken by the IESL in selecting 50 finalists from the nearly 1000 school children projects demonstrated to panel of
judges at Colombo and all the provinces. He said that 20 of the finalists were given the
opportunity to exhibit their inventions to the industry and the public at the National
Engineering Exhibition (TECHNO) in October 2013 at the BMICH. The top 10 of these finalists
have been nominated to the SLSEF 2014 he concluded.

Eng. Jayavilal Meegoda , also pointed out the national achievement, Master Maduranga
Karunajeewa, ISEF finalist 2010 had by winning 1st place under Transport category in the
annual Presidential Awards 2011.

Mrs Anusha Amarasinghe, Director General of the National Science Foundation, in her address
stressed the role innovation has to play in the development of mankind and Mr. Indika De
Zoysa of Intel® EM Limited-Sri Lanka Liaison Office briefed the way modern technology
including the microchip has changed the way we live. Prof. Rizvi Sheriff, the Chairman of the
Panel of Judges to the SLSEF pointed out that its simple discoveries like mankind’s early
fascination with the circle which led to its increased mobility and other developments.

Mr. Priyantha Weerabahu, Intel education manager, university academics, senior engineers in
the industry, parents, teachers and students participated in the opening ceremony.