News
Closing ceremony of the Oxonian Heart Foundation (OHF) Sri Lanka
The Oxonian Heart Foundation, Sri Lanka was recently closed, a noble endeavour that was spearheaded by renowned cardio-thoracic surgeon Dr. Ravi Pillai. The objective of setting up the not-for-profit Oxonian Heart Foundation was to help men, women, and children suffering from heart-related diseases in the Northern, North Central, and the Eastern provinces.
With the remaining funds in OHF Sri Lanka, a few of the Trustees, namely, Dr. Naomali Amarasena, Mr. Ananda Atukorala, and Mrs. Jeeva Perumapillai together with Mrs. Shanthi Jayawardena Pillai handed over a cheque to the Trustees of the Heart To Heart Trust Fund, Dr. Rajitha Y De Silva, Dr. Aruna Kapuruge, Dr. Kumudini Ranatunga and the Chairman of Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital, Dr. Nihal Jayathilaka at the Chairman’s office, Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital. The hospital’s Director, Dr. Ratnasiri Hewage, Deputy Director, Dr. Chandraguptha Ranasinghe, and Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Catharine Sudarshan from the UK and Shanti Fernando, Executive Coordinator were also at the function.
The OHF – UK will remain and will assist cardiothoracic surgeons planning to go on training to the UK.
Dr. Ravi Pillai was a great friend of the cardiac surgical community of Sri Lanka. He was instrumental in training several of Sri Lanka’s current pool of consultant cardiothoracic surgeons, giving them refuge under his wings, in Oxford, UK. As Dr. Rajitha De Silva prepared to launch the Heart To Heart Trust Fund, Dr. Pillai became his guide, graciously sharing his experiences of setting up OHF – Sri Lanka, and sharing the fundamentals of setting up a trust fund as envisaged by the young cardio surgeon. As he looks back, Dr. De Silva is grateful to Dr. Pillai, who had stood by him like a father figure in those early days of the burgeoning Trust Fund. As a founder trustee of the Heart To Heart Trust Fund, Dr. Pillai will always be remembered with gratitude as an immense pillar of strength.
Dr. Pillai passed away on December 09, 2018. He was a great man who will be fondly remembered for his enormous service to Sri Lanka. In remembering Dr. Pillai on his birth anniversary in April, the Heart To Heart Trust Fund will continue to conduct a free heart surgery in Jaffna.
The Heart To Heart Trust Fund organized an alms-giving on Dec 09 at the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital Nursing Training School.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
