2 Sri Lanka Undergrads attend CERN Programme

For the first time, two Sri Lankan undergraduates participated in the 2016 Summer Student Programme at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, the most prominent Particle Physics Research Institute in the world.

Gamage Gihan Lakmal and Malinda Shiram de Silva from the Faculties of Science of the Universities of Ruhuna and Colombo respectively, completed their two-month programme last week.

They were selected on merit by CERN, following a funding arrangement negotiated by the Permanent Mission, where CERN provides financial assistance for 1 student and the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) funds the other.

This special programme for undergraduates of Physics, Computing and Engineering, provides a unique experience of joining Research teams and participating in experiments at CERN. In operation since 1962, it has had students from 104 countries participating. This year 278 students from 87 countries participated in this programme.

Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha noted that the participation of the two Sri Lankan undergraduatess in the CERN Summer Student Programme this year is one of the tangible benefits, following the formalization of relations between Sri Lanka and CERN, through the signing of an ‘Expression of Interest’ between GoSL and CERN in June 2015, and its continuing engagement.

During a visit to CERN in May, Minister of Science, Technology & Research, Susil Premajayantha agreed to enhance collaboration between CERN and Sri Lanka, through the development of a network of Scientific community of Sri Lankan Scientists and Researchers, who could remain engaged with the CERN's Research activity.

In September, CERN Senior Advisor Dr. Voss will be visiting Sri Lanka as a Guest of the GoSL, and as a Resource Person-Speaker at the ‘Science & Technology for Society Forum Sri Lanka 2016' , scheduled to be held from September 8-10 in Colombo.