SLIIT Professor and Three Others from Sri Lanka in the World’s Top 100,000

Research and innovation drive the knowledge- based economy and the prosperity of nations.

It is, therefore, an honour for Sri Lanka that Prof. Nimal Rajapakse (SLIIT), Prof. Janaka Ekanayake ( University of Peradeniya), and Dr. Stephan Uhlenbrook and Dr. Vladimir Smakhtin (IWMI, Colombo) are in the top 100,000 researchers in the world, according to a ranking published in August 2021 by a group from Stanford University.

Based on the Scopus research career ranking, Professor Nimal Rajapakse, who returned after an illustrious career in Canada, is currently the highest- ranked scholar in Sri Lanka. Professor Rajapakse is the Deputy ViceChancellor (Academic) of SLIIT. An engineering academic, he is an alumnus of the University of Moratuwa and Asian Institute of Technology. Ceylon Today had the opportunity to have a conversation with Prof. Rajapakse to learn more about the importance of this recognition to him and research in Sri Lanka.

We learnt from Prof. Rajapakse that the ranking was done based on six metrics using the data available on Scopus, which is the most prestigious database for scholarly publications. Scopus excludes predatory journals and publications of questionable quality. The ranking also recognises scholars who lead research and addresses self-citations and citation farms.

The ranking started in 2019 and paid attention to the details as there are unacceptable practices to inflate citations, etc. The first of the 2021 lists is based on the researchers’ entire career, the most recognised ranking. It has four researchers working in Sri Lanka in the top 100,000, nine in the top 100,000 to 200,000 and six in the top 200000 to 300000. The second list is a single-year ranking using only the 2020 data.

“It is an honour to be recognised and listed with my peers in the local and international research community. These rankings help build the institutional reputation, attract international collaborations and motivate Sri Lankan students and scholars,” Prof. Rajapakse shared, expressing his gratitude for the recognition.

“The government, academia, industry and business must work together to strengthen the national research enterprise. At SLIIT, we invest heavily in research by granting sabbatical and study leave, access to Scopus- indexed publications and international databases, internal research grants, travel grants, research scholarships, performance-based incentives, etc.

We also encourage industry and business collaborations.

I credit my research students for this recognition. Since my return to Sri Lanka, I supervise the research of graduate and undergraduate students,” he continued.

Prof. Rajapakse believes that Sri Lanka must increase access to higher education and provide flexible pathways like the education systems in developed countries. “The best universities of the world admit students using broadbased admission schemes that assess soft skills, aptitude, commitment and other factors in addition to high school grades.

We have to introduce such schemes to transform our higher education institutions into engines for economic growth and entrepreneurship,” he added.