The Sri Lanka’s premier science organization Sri Lanka Association for Advancement of Science
inaugurated her 76 th Annual Sessions at BMICH today (13 th Dec 2020) with the theme “Science for a
Quality Life” with the presence of Dr Seetha Arambepola, the State Minister of Skills Development,
Vocational Education, Research and Innovation as the Chief Guest and the Secretary of Ministry of
Education, Prof Kapila Perera as the Guest of Honor.
This year with the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic sitution, the inaugural session was restricted to 50 members with invitations to meet the health guidelines and the safety of the membership. However, for the first time, the session was streamed live through SLAAS website for a greater audience.
The participants both physical and virtual were warmly welcome by Prof Janitha Liyanage the General President of SLAAS. She made her presidential talk with an explanations of why science and scientific method was important for any country to develop a quality life for the citizenship. Foreign sister science organizations from Malaysia, Nepal and India sent their felicitations over the digital means.
The State Minister, Dr Seetha Arambepola reiterated that the science and scientific method was very important and she reminded her engagements with SLAAS as well. The State Minister requested all the sectional presidents to communicate with the ministry to have a better impact to the needs in each science areas.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Education explained the definition of science in a different view point and emphasized the important milestones of human history with the advancement of science.
It was a very interesting time when the many more scientists were awarded for their excellent performances. Prof Nilwala Kottegoda won the SLAAS GRC Lifetime award. The theme seminar will be held tomorrow at the BMICH and sectional sessions will be held from 15 th December. The Sectional presidential addresses will be conducted on 17 th December. All the sessions will be live streamed online for a greater audience via zoom platform.
