Cyril Ponnamperuma Memorial International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research 2020

The 25th death anniversary of late Prof. Cyril Ponnamperuma who is an eminent Sri Lankan Scientist and the former Director of the NIFS falls on the 20th of December 2019. The Cyril Ponnamperuma Memorial International Conference is organized by NIFS to commemorate this great scientist and his service towards the fundamental research in Sri Lanka.  This conference will create a huge opportunity for professionals, academics and scientists to listen to a number of guest speakers who are renowned international scientists in different disciplines.

Professor Cyril Ponnamperuma was born on October 16, 1923 in Nasarangahawatta, Hapugala, Galle. He was the youngest in a family of three sons. Cyril Ponnamperuma was studying in Galle, St. Aloysius’ College and St. Joseph’s College, Colombo and he graduated in 1948 with a degree in Philosophy from the University of Madras. He entered the University of London in England and graduated in 1959 with a degree in Chemistry. Later, in 1962, he received his doctorate in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, United States, under Nobel Prize-winning scientist Melvin Calvin. While he was a resident fellow at the US National Academy of Sciences he joined NASA’s AIMS Research Center in the Exobiolgy Division. He became the chief research scientist of the lunar rock research team that later took the Apollo moon journey. He has been a professor of chemistry at the University of Maryland, United States since 1971, and the Director of the Laboratory of Chemical Evolution.  He was invited to Sri Lanka by President J. R. Jayawardene, and in 1984 he was offered the post of Presidential Advisor. Then he was appointed as the Director of the Institute of Fundamental Studies established at that time. Through his singular efforts he established the modern laboratory complex of the Institute of Fundamental Studies in Kandy in 1985 to study the fundamental aspects of the sciences.Since its inception, thousands of students, scientists and technical and supporting staff have been benefited by IFS (now NIFS). NIFS today, is the leading institute in the country to train a large number of postgraduates in a variety of fields of research.

NIFS invite, academics and professionals in Sri Lanka who were once research assistants of the NIFS or who closely worked with Prof. Ponnaperuma or anyone interested in taking part of this memorable event to join with us.