“IEEE අඬහැරය”/“IEEE Adaharaya” (IEEE an̆dạheəraya)
Sunali Rambukwella, Public Visibility Sub-Committee Chair for IEEE Sri Lanka Section SAC
“IEEE අඬහ◌ැරය” (IEEE an̆dạheəraya); a Student Branch level awareness program which was intended to widen the reach towards student members and potential volunteers was held parallelly in 20 Student Branches on the same date at the same time on 7th August 2021 from 6PM onwards under the supervision of the IEEE Sri Lanka Section and IEEE Sri Lanka Section Student Activities Committee. The event was mainly focused on membership development and retention while promoting Student Branches to organize events in collaboration with the ‘Student Activities Committee’.
The aim of this event was to raise awareness of member benefits and encourage student members in the continuous renewal of membership by opening up avenues for undergraduates to be industry-ready. The event was conducted as a series of events under 30 speakers, and 3 different languages; Sinhalese, Tamil, and English.
Building upon the aforementioned aim, two priorities have been set including providing a platform for student members to become more aware of how they can make the most from IEEE, as well as to better shape their lives in terms of leadership to be better suitors to the industry. It is intended to provide them with a good run-through of the importance and benefits of IEEE membership and the opportunities that they are eligible for. Moreover, this event has been an instance where they would be encouraged to get the maximum advantages of their memberships and to grow as individuals despite their field of study.
As mentioned above, the event centered on developing participants’ organizational skills, which will undoubtedly benefit their future careers as well as the Student Branches. The major focus on their career development will be a good motivation for the members and thus spread the word among non-IEEE members. As this event provided undergraduates with a good overview of the industry and how IEEE would assist them to meet industry expectations, it has been an ideal portal that paved the path for the student members to heighten their expertise related to their career goals.