This was a beneficial webinar organized by the IEEE WIE Student Branch of Wayamba University of Sri Lanka for people who are eager to start their academic careers and get the maximum out of their potential. This webinar focused not only on final year students who are about to jump into academics, but also on first-year students who are willing to start the academic journey. This was held successfully on 27th March 2021 as a celebration of Women’s Day, which falls on 8th March, through a zoom platform with the participation of more than 90 participants. The main intention was to empower women with the right choice in selecting their career path in academics. We needed to bring in an experienced speaker to motivate the students in order to address this timely topic.
Dr. Windhya Rankothge was the speaker for the event. She is an Assistant Professor attached to the Faculty of Computing, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology. And she was the secretary of the IEEE Sri Lanka section for the year 2020 and the chair of the IEEE Women in Engineering Sri Lanka section for the year 2019. Currently, she serves as an executive committee member in the IEEE Sri Lanka section, IEEE Women in Engineering Sri Lanka section, Sri Lanka Academy of Young Scientists and SLASSCOM Entrepreneurship and Innovation Forum.
She addressed the audience with all of her professional and academic expertise, and the majority of the attendees were encouraged and inspired. She demonstrated how to develop an academic career and seek opportunities that are most suited for a person with the knowledge and skills she has obtained through her academic career. Her style of speaking could attract the audience throughout the session. The webinar’s final conclusion is that the Women in Engineering SB’s intended message could be conveyed successfully. In addition, the aim is to promote undergraduates’ passion for developing their careers.
Vtools reporting of the event: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/280156
