From Multidisciplinary AI to National Impact: Building Sri Lanka’s Engineering & Digital Future
ECE 595 Seminar Series
September 19, 2025
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location
Lecture Center C4
Address
802 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60607
Calendar
Download iCal FileFrom Multidisciplinary AI to National Impact: Building Sri Lanka’s Engineering & Digital Future
Presenter: Roshan G. Ragel, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Abstract: Sri Lanka stands at a critical juncture where Artificial Intelligence (AI), advanced engineering, and digital infrastructure can shape its future economic and societal development. This talk will present an overview of the University of Peradeniya’s Faculty of Engineering and the newly established Multidisciplinary AI Research Centre (MARC).
I will discuss how MARC integrates AI, IoT, and computational sciences across domains such as healthcare, agriculture, and digital governance, while also addressing the challenges of translating research into practice in emerging economies. The presentation will highlight specific projects in computer vision, IoT sensing, and AI-driven health applications, along with the broader vision of the Engineering Centenary Plan 2050.
Finally, I will explore how international collaborations, especially with institutions like UIC, can drive innovation, knowledge exchange, and mindset shifts in engineering education and research, including building an entrepreneurial culture where commercialization and academic value creation go hand in hand.
Speaker bio: Roshan G. Ragel is a professor in Computer Engineering at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. He serves as director of the University Staff Development Centre, deputy director (Skills & Training) at MARC, and CEO of the Lanka Education and Research Network (LEARN), Sri Lanka’s national research and education network.
Ragel has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications in AI/ML, IoT, wearable computing, and bioinformatics. He was recognized as the Best Computer Scientist in Sri Lanka in 2023 and 2025 (AD Scientific Index) and is the recipient of the 2025 IEEE Computer Society Mary Kenneth Keller Computer Science & Engineering Undergraduate Teaching Award, the first academic from the Global South to receive this honor.
He has held visiting research positions at UNSW Sydney, QUT Brisbane, UIUC, and ANU Canberra, and contributes nationally as a member of Sri Lanka’s National AI Steering Committee. His vision integrates applied AI, engineering innovation, and international collaboration to position Sri Lanka as a regional hub for digital transformation.
Faculty Host: Daniela Tuninetti, danielat@uic.edu
Date posted
Sep 17, 2025
Date updated
Nov 20, 2025