SLIIT graduates receive postgraduate scholarships from prestigious German universities

Confirming SLIIT’s ranking as the nation’s premier higher education institute and its students’ quality, several graduates received scholarships to pursue their postgraduate studies in prestigious universities in Germany.

SLIIT recently celebrated the first batch of SLIIT alumni students who will transfer to Germany for postgraduate studies.

Praveen, Hasal and Varuni have enrolled at the University of Bremen for postgraduate programmes in MSc Control, Microsystems and Microelectronics. The University of Bremen is among one of Germany`s top eleven universities of excellence. It is renowned for its strengths in the sciences and engineering, disciplines as well as the humanities and the social sciences.

Binura Perera is a recipient of the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) Scholarship awarded by the German government for potential leaders from developing countries. Remarkably this scholarship for the renewable energy domain has been awarded to a Sri Lankan after a lapse of 15 years. He is pursuing the Masters in Renewable Energy (PPRE) at the University of Oldenburg, which is considered the oldest postgraduate course in Renewable Energy in Europe and home to several leading brands, products and prestigious alumni in the renewable energy field. The opportunity to study the course is given only to 22 promising candidates who have proven their calibre during a rigorous selection involving 1000+ applicants from around the world.

After graduating from SLIIT in 2017 with the award for the best performer and a first-class degree in Mechanical Engineering, Binura has made great strides in creating sustainable energy benchmarks for the apparel industry. As the group lead energy engineer for Brandix Apparel Limited in 2018/9, he and his team successfully obtained the World Green Building Council recognition for the world’s first carbon-neutral apparel manufacturing facility. The team achieved the world’s second-highest score for a green manufacturing plant (LEED) awarded by the US Green Building Council for the Brandix Batticaloa factory, with several first in Sri Lanka and first in the region projects.

Commenting on these scholarships, Prof. Nimal Rajapakse, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of SLIIT said, “We are extremely proud that our students received these scholarships from prestigious institutions in Germany.”

This is not only recognition of their academic abilities but also showcases SLIIT’s track-record in producing world-class graduates who can compete with the best in the world. We are confident that these graduates will make the best out of this wonderful opportunity and serve our nation after they complete postgraduate studies.”

Before studying in Germany, Varuni graduated from SLIIT with a BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, achieving First class honours. During which she was also awarded the Dean’s List recognition for three consecutive years. Since mid-2020, she has been studying for her MSc. in Control, Microsystems and Microelectronics at the University of Bremen, Germany. She was employed as an Assistant Lecturer at SLIIT’s Engineering Department before leaving for Germany. Varuni’s research interests include Computer Vision and Image processing, Machine learning, etc.

Praveen was an Academic Instructor at SLIIT’s Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. He graduated from SLIIT with a BSc Electrical and Electronic Engineering and was awarded the Dean’s List recognition. His research interests include Machine learning, Embedded Systems, Computer Vision and Image processing, etc.

Hasal was employed as an assistant lecturer at SLIIT’s Engineering Department after graduating with a BSc. Electrical and Electronic Engineering. He obtained first – class honours. A member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (MIET), Hasal interned as a trainee at the Ceylon Electricity Board and the Airport & Aviation Authority. SLIIT offered him several semester scholarships based on his continuous superior academic performance. He was also recognised on the Deans’ Lists from 2016-2018.

Explaining their pathway in attending the German University, Praveen said, “All of us worked at SLIIT for one year after graduation. We worked on a project together that focused on a human gait cycle detection/prediction algorithm using low computation with Dr. Nimsiri Abhayasinghe, Head, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Varuni and I have worked on a project focused on a machine learning based lecture capturing system. Hasal’s project was based on virtual power plants for power system flexibility. We are excited to study in a country that is world-renowned for its technology inventions and industrial capacity. We reached this milestone because of the quality of education offered by SLIIT look forward to this new exciting higher education phase in our lives.”

Image One – Binura Perera, a recipient of the DAAD Scholarship awarded by the German Government