The PGIS Research Congress is the major annual research conference of the Postgraduate Institute of Science. The congress provides an excellent platform to share knowledge and network with scientists across the country and abroad through the presentation of cutting-edge research.
The Congress will be held on the 3rd, and 4thof November 2023. The Inauguration Ceremony, together with the keynote speech by a distinguished scientist will be held on the 3rd of November.
Technical Sessions of RESCON 2023 will be held on 3rd and 4th of November at the PGIS, and international participants will attend online.
The RESCON 2023 will be condcuted under the themes of Earth & Environmental Sciences, ICT, Mathematics, & Statistics, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Science EducationDay Event
Themes
Speakers
Participants
Gallery
RESCON 2022 in Pictures.
scan the QR code
Due to the crowd, we will not be able to accept payments and register any new participants at the venue. .
Online participants/presenters, you do not need to explicitly check-in.For in-person participants,
1. There will be three types of registration desks;
A. for presenters and participants (paid) – several desks at the main entrance, inside the building -A
B. for invited guests, committee members, and session chairs – one desk at the main entrance, inside the building –A
C. for Faculty of Science undergraduate students – one desk at the PGIS parking garage entrance -C
2. For presenters, participants, and students; we have two parallel registration check-in methods, and you have to go through both.
3. Access the RESCON23 app at https://rescon23.pgis.lk/. This is a secure web app; no download or installation is needed.
(you might have to type in on the address bar of the phone web browser and avoid auto-correct)
Note this QR is only to access the app; the registration QR code is different, and it is only available at the desks.
You can now access the program, session lineup, etc., on your phone and any computer.
4. The app home screen and the side menu have ‘QR scan’ option; access that option and give permission to the secure app to access your phone camera.
5. There will be a Printed QR code on the registration desk; scan the QR. (this is not the aove QR)
6. Enter some of your information (abstract ID / part of your name / last 3 digits of the student registration number …)
7. Find your record and check-in online.
8. After (or before) online check-in, you must also sign the physical signature sheet on the desk.
9. If you can’t find your online record on the app, don’t worry. The check-in desk staff will assist you.
Be sure to use the templates provided to submit the abstract and the extended abstract
Abstract submission deadline is the 30th of July, 2023.
We are looking into all the possibilities of making the conference an in-person one, with the exception of online presentations on request under special circumstances, and for international presenters. We will keep you posted on any development.
For RESCON 2023, we will propocess the submitted abstract and make sure they are ready for review process, this will be done by our editorial assistants.
Abstract Guidelines Submission Checklist Author Declaration Form
Kindly use the following two templates when you prepare your camera ready abstract and extended abstract
If you do not use the templates, the editorial assistants will contact you and help you put the document to the template.
Please use these details about registration.
Local Students
| Registration Type | Registration Fee |
| Early Bird Registration (On or before 15/10/2023) | LKR 2000 |
| Regular Registration (On or before 25/10/2023) | LKR 2500 |
Local Regular
| Registration Type | Registration Fee |
| Early Bird Registration (On or before 15/10/2023) | LKR 2500 |
| Regular Registration (On or before 25/10/2023) | LKR 3000 |
International
| Registration Type | Registration Fee |
| Early Bird Registration (On or before 15/10/2023) | USD 40 |
| Regular Registration (On or before 25/10/2023) | USD 50 |
Before you submit the abstract, be sure that
- You have the abstract with you as an MS word document prepared according to the template
- you have the extended abstract with you as an MS word document prepared according to the template
Keynote Speaker
Prof. Kosala Weerakoon is a well accomplished scholar and educator currently serving as Professor in Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences (FMAS), RajarataUniversity of Sri Lanka (RUSL). As a young scientist making remarkable strides in his field ofexpertise, Prof. Weerakoon is an influential figure with an impressive academic background anda proven track record of groundbreaking research.
He holds a Ph.D in Parasitology from the University of Queensland, and QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia, where his research focused on tropical infections and novel diagnostics. With over one decade of professional experience, Prof. Weerakoon has held key positions in academia. He served as the Head of the Department of Parasitology,FMAS, RUSL, and currently, he is a Visiting-Scientist at QIMR-Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia, a Visiting-Lecturer at Faculty of Medicine, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, and a fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health, UK. This invaluable experience has fortified his interdisciplinary approach to research to drive meaningful advancements in the field of tropical infectious diseases.
Throughout his career, Prof. Weerakoon has been honored with multiple prestigious awards,scholarships, and research grants, highlighting his exceptional contributions to the scientific community. His expertise in the field of tropical infectious diseases has resulted over 50 journal publications in esteemed peer-reviewed scientific journals, with over 1500 citations from fellow researchers worldwide.
In addition to his recent research that focuses on the development of novel molecular tools to improve the diagnosis of many tropical infectious diseases, he is a passionate advocate for public engagement and scientific outreach. He has consistently sought opportunities to communicate his research findings to wider audiences, fostering a greater understanding and appreciation for the field of parasitology.
Prof. Ranjith Senaratne
Chairman - National Foundation of ScienceProf. Ranjith Senaratne, former Senior Professor of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, possesses over 40 years of experience in higher education, including teaching, research and administration and community development. He has held several senior administrative positions with distinction for a period of over 20 years, i.e. the posts of Dean, Faculty of Agriculture and Vice-Chancellor, University of Ruhuna, Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Directors, Chairman of the Ocean University and Vice Chairman, University Grants Commission. Presently, he serves as Chairman of the National Science Foundation and will be the General President of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science in 2023.
As Vice Chancellor, University of Ruhuna, he has been strongly committed to promoting academic excellence, high impact research, creative enterprise, strategic partnership with industry, community development and international cooperation. In recognition of his outstanding contribution in education, science, community development and international cooperation, the University of Durham, UK conferred an honorary Doctorate (honoris causa) on him in 2007.
Prof. Senaratne has been the recipient of several internationally competitive and prestigious research grants, i.e. from the Board on Science and Technology for International Development (BOSTID) of the National Research Council of the USA and has held several coveted fellowships, including the Andre Mayer Fellowship of the FAO and the Marie Curie Fellowship of the European Community. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences and has over 100 research communications and papers to his credit. In addition, he has written and edited over 10 books related to agriculture, higher education, science & technology and national development.
Prof. Senaratne has provided strategic, inspirational and operational leadership to higher educational institutions, and he is a visionary leader and an institution builder.
Source: http://www.nsf.ac.lk/index.php/about-nsf/chairman
Plenary Speakers 2023
Prof. Danny O’Hare
Professor of Biosensor Technology,Danny O’Hare graduated in chemistry, Imperial College London 1984. He holds a PhD from Physiological Flow Studies Group (PFSG), Imperial College London on The development of electrochemical sensors for the study of intervertebral disc nutrition awarded in 1991. Dr.O’Hare is a Chartered Chemist and member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Electrochemical Society and British Society for Matrix Biology. After completing post doctoral work in the PFSG on electrokinetic characterization of articular cartilage, he held first the post of Lecturer, then Senior Lecturer in Analytical Chemistry at School of Pharmacy & Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton 1992-2001. He is a Member of the Advisory Board for Analytical Abstracts (Royal Society of Chemistry).
Prof. Shironica Karunanayaka
Senior Professor in Educational TechnologyShironica Priyanthi Karunanayaka is a Senior Professor in Educational Technology at the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL). She served as the Dean of the Faculty of Education at OUSL from 2018 to 2021 and from 2012 to 2015. She was also the Head of the Department of Secondary and Tertiary Education from 2006 to 2012. She has been an academic at OUSL since 1993. Prior to that, she has gained experience as a trained teacher of Science serving in the secondary school system in Sri Lanka for over a decade. She served as an Honorary Adviser to Commonwealth of Learning during 2019-2021, and from April 2023, she is appointed as an Honorary Chair of Commonwealth of Learning (COL Chair). Prof. Karunanayaka holds the Degree of Doctor of Education from the University of Wollongong, Australia, awarded in 2001, specializing in Information Technology in Education and Training. She obtained the Post Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Colombo in 1996. She holds a first class in the Bachelor of Science Degree from the OUSL, receiving the Gold Medal Award for the Best Performance in 1990. Being an active researcher, Prof. Karunanayaka has many publications to her credit in both national and international fora. Her research focus lies mainly in the areas of Technology Enhanced Learning, Learning Experience Design, Open Educational Resources, and Open Educational Practices. Recently, Prof. Karunanayaka received the CVCD Excellence Award presented by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Directors in Sri Lanka for the Most Outstanding Senior Researcher-2022 in the field of Social Sciences and Legal Studies.
Prof. Johannes Barth
Professor Johannes Barth has been the coordinator and head of an international research group in Germany at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg since 2008. The team runs a well-established laboratory with mostly analyses of major ions, trace elements as well as carbon, oxygen and water isotopes. Worldwide aqueous systems of investigation range from rivers, lakes and reservoirs to groundwater and their biogeochemical interactions. Before starting in Erlangen, Johannes Barth coordinated one of the largest environmental projects in Europe (AquaTerra) between 2004 and 2008. Before this task (between 2000 and 2004) he held a lectureship inBiogeochemistry in Scotland. This period was preceded by a postdoctoral fellowship at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland (1998-2000) after he had completed his PhD on the St.Lawrence River at the University of Ottawa (Canada) between 1994 and 1998. His basic geological and hydrogeological training took him from Germany (Munich) via Scotland (Edinburgh) and back to Germany, where he finished his Diploma at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum in 1993.
Dr.Chaminda Ranasinghe
Founder/Chief Executive Officer of IDEAHUB (PVT) LTD.Dr. Chaminda Ranasinghe functions as Founder/Chief Executive Officer of IDEAHUB (PVT) LTD. Dr. Ranasinghe obtained his B.Sc. (Hons) Degree in Computer Science from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka in 1997 and a Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK) in 1995. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Colombo related to Machine Learning (Software Agent Technology) in 2008. He is a member of CIM (U.K.), IEEE, ACM and CSSL. Dr. Ranasinghe works as a Senior Lecturer for the University of Colombo School of Computing in M.Sc. and B.Sc. streams. Dr. Ranasinghe has over 25 years of experience in the IT Industry. He started his career as a Software Engineer and designed and developed technology platforms for the telecommunication and banking sectors. He has worked in managerial positions as Head of Research & Development, Chief Information Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer.
| Prof. H. M. T. G. A. Pitawala | Director/PGIS |
| Dr. Thilini Weeraratne | Chairperson/RESCON 2023 |
| Dr. Kapila Wijayaratne | Secretary/RESCON 2023 |
| Prof. Charmalie Abayasekara | Editor-in-chief/RESCON 2023 |
| Ms. Shiromi Rajapura | Convener/Ceremonial Committee |
| Mr. Nadun Madanayake | Convener/Food and Entertainment Committee |
| Dr. Tharindu Dewasurendra | Convener/Logistics Committee |
| Dr. Manjula Wijesinghe | Convener/Media and Publicity Committee |
| Dr. Buddhi Nanayakkara | Convener/Registration Committee |
| Dr. Udeni Wijesooriya | Convener/Technical Programme Committee |
| Prof. Priyanka de Silva | Convener/PGIS Highlights Committee |
| Dr. Ashwini Amarasinghe | Convener/International Relations Committee |