Insight Institute holds maiden online international research conference

The Insight Institute of Management and Technology, a Sri Lanka-based rapidly growing organisation held its first international research conference, ‘Application of Technology in Sustainable Development’, on Sunday 21 January 2024. The conference was held on a virtual platform with the participation of an international research and academic community from India, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Australia, United Kingdom, United States and Sri Lanka.

The conference attracted local and overseas delegates who submitted several high calibre research papers within six themes. Total number of papers submitted to the conference was 94. The conference organisers and the selection committee had the arduous task of filtering through the submissions to select the finalists to present their research topics, the methodology used, the results, and findings. The final selection of the accepted papers for presentation and publication was done through a doble blind review process. The number of papers selected for presented in the conference was 34.Eng. Mohamed Fazli from Sydney Australia who was the Master of Ceremonies (MC) for the conference, in his inauguration of the conference welcomed the delegates and participants joining via Zoom from around the globe. He then gave a description of the six themes under which the research submissions were grouped at the conference and chaired by distinguished scholars from around the world.

The six chairpersons joined a panel of independent judges to choose the best research presentation from each theme.

Theme 1: Information Technology Chairperson: Prof. Ruvan Abeysekara

(Vice Chancellor, British College of Applied Studies)

Theme 2: Engineering Technology Chairperson: Prof. Parthiban Rajendiran

(Associate Dean(Education), Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, Monash University, Australia)

Theme 3: Technological Interventions & Applications in Health - Chairperson: Dr. Makarim Hameed (Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist - Base Hospital, Kamburupitiya)

Theme 4: Information Technology and Remote sensing - Chairperson: Dr. Kumar K

(Associate Professor, Department of Software Systems, Vellore Institute of Technology, India)

Theme 5: Technological Interventions & Applications in Environment Chairperson: Mr. Riza Yehiya ( Architect and Sustainability Consultant)

Theme 6: Technological Interventions & Applications in Agriculture and Food Industry -

Chairperson: Prof. M.I.M. Mowjood (Prof. in Bio Systems Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya)

The inaugural keynote address was delivered by Prof. Razi Nalim, a professor of Mechanical Engineering in the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology, Indianapolis USA. An expert in Thermodynamics with outstanding research achievements and teaching accolades, Prof. Nalim based his address on sustainability solutions with Thermodynamic basis and in his presentation emphasised the importance of learning from a range of experts in diverse fields of research. Citing the first and second laws of thermodynamics, he said it ultimately dictates to a large extent whether our practices are sustainable for our physical needs or not. Further emphasising the second law of thermodynamics where heat moves irreversibly from hot to cold, Prof. Nalim said sustainability depended mainly on our activities that we perform responsibly.

Citing further research, he said it is impossible to capture all of the CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.

Vote of thanks for the inaugural session was delivered by Prof. MMM Najim, an academic and an expert in water resource management with over 25 years of research and teaching experience and who is currently attached to the Faculty of Agriculture, Sultan Sharif Ali Islamic University, Brunei. He is a founder director of the Insight Institute of Management and Technology, Sri Lanka. Prof. Najim thanked the chairman of Insight Institute, board of directors, and the executive management committee for their dedicated efforts in the affairs of Insight Institute. He particularly thanked the conference chair Dr. Althaf Mohideen (Lecturer, School of Computing, Engineering, and Physical Sciences, United Kingdom) for his outstanding leadership and encouragement to organise this conference. He thanked the organising committee that included not only local experts but intellectuals from overseas.

While thanking all the researchers who sent more than a hundred high quality research submissions, he regretted that not all of them could be accommodated at this conference. Independent reviewers studied the abstracts, very carefully reviewed and short listed thirty five papers for presentation.

Special commendations were given to the conference secretary Shimark Thajudeen who shouldered immense workload and responsibility to see this conference a success. He extended sincere gratitude to the technical team headed by Mr. Rushdi.

The highlight of the closing session was a keynote address by Dr. James Riordan, Associate Professor in Robotics and Autonomous Vehicles, University of the West of Scotland United Kingdom. Prof. Riordan explained in detail a project undertaken by a team of engineers in Scotland at a cost of more than 5 million Euros.

Prof. Najim was called for a second time to deliver the closing remarks of the conference in which he observed the high quality of the research presentations. He also said that the delegates were allowed to participate free of charge, being the inaugural conference. He further said that this will be an annual conference and looked forward for the collaboration of all to playing a role in the 2025 organising committee.

The MC for the event announced the names of the winners and congratulated them for their excellent presentations.

Theme 1: Information Technology – Winning presentation: Supervised Machine Learning Model for Stock Exchange Prediction by S. Dinushan Faculty of Computing and Technology, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka

Theme 2: Engineering Technology Winning presentation: Effects of Physical Activity and Sleep Quality on the Overall Health and Wellbeing of University Students in the Colombo District, Sri Lanka by D.S.Nadeesha Department of Health Sciences, American International Campus, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Theme 3: Technological Interventions & Applications in Health - Winning presentation: Developing Vegetable Oil Based Metal Working Fluids for Environmentally Friendly Machining by Perera G. I. P. Faculty of Engineering, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka.

Theme 4: Information Technology and Remote sensing - Winning presentation: Use of remote sensing to observe the relationship between vegetation cover and the land surface temperature of Colombo

Municipal Area of Sri Lanka by A.R. Gunawardena Central Environmental Authority, Denzil Kobbekaduwa Mawatha, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka.

Theme 5: Technological Interventions & Applications in Environment - Winning presentation: Stimulation of immune response (Hemocytes, SOD, proPO) of female brood Mud Crab (Scylla olivacea) fed with dietary Lacto-sacc by Mohammed Abdul Hannan Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia

Theme 6: Technological Interventions & Applications in Agriculture and Food Industry - Winning presentation: Assessing the Effectiveness and Efficiency of a Wastewater Treatment Plant: A Study of Capacity Discrepancy for Waste Reduction and Management by S.A.P.T. Samaraweera Department of Zoology and Environmental Management, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka

Vote of thanks was delivered by Mr. Shimark Thajudeen, conference secretary. He thanked all those who set up the resources for the conference, working long hours behind the scenes prior to and during the conference, managing the breakout rooms for the different sessions.

Several delegates indicated their gratitude and looked forward for further involvement in future endeavours of the Insight Institute. With the great success achieved and valuable experience gained, the Insight Institute is looking forward to collaborating with Industry, professionals, academic and research intellectuals to further enhance its capacity and capability to make an even better contribution to the socio-economic development of Sri Lanka.

The conference organising committee was comprised with eminent academics and researchers from many countries. They were Prof. M. Razi Nalim, Executive Associate Dean for Research and Global Initiatives, School of Engineering & Technology, Purdue University in Indianapolis, United States of America, Dr. V. Sivaraman Director, Trichy Aerospace Private Limited, India, Dr. Muneeb M. Musthafa, Head, Department of Biosystem Technology, Faculty of Technology, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, Prof. Ruvan Abeysekara, Vice Chancellor, BCAS Campus, Sri Lanka, Dr. Kumar K, Associate Professor, Department of Software Systems, Vellore Institute of Technology, India, Dr. G. Nishanthan, Lecturer, Faculty of Technology, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka and Dr. A. R. Nihmiya, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Technology, University of Sri Jayawardanapura, Sri Lanka.

The organisers also thanked National Science Foundation for popularising the conference among the scientific community using their Science and Technology Man agement Information System (STMIS).