- Universities aren’t geared in directing us to the practical side of the subject matter
- The Government has no idea about what sort of research we need. The idea should be fed by academics
- I have students in the undergraduate programme who have filed applications for patents
- Teachers and lecturers should teach children about life, moral values and qualities
- As a researcher working on sustainable development, this is the best country one can ever work in
- I believe that the engineering and the management faculties should do a common research
- Another interesting innovation was the Vegetated Roof Slab system where I have introduced grass instead of insulation
Sri Lanka has produced many intellectuals who have conquered the world in various fields. Hence we are equipped with enough resources and in turn can move forward with novel innovations. This is what Professor Rangika Halwatura believes in. Employed as a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Moratuwa (UOM), Prof. Halwatura was recently recognised as the ‘Best Scientist in the Developing World’ by The World Academy of Science. With a PhD in Structural and Building Services Engineering, also from UOM, Prof. Halwatura has so far obtained seven patents for his unique innovations. Thus he is a hardworking academic who has a passion to do things differently. In a candid interview with the Daily Mirror, Prof. Halwatura spoke about the engineering industry, opportunities for the youth and issues he has identified in the local education system.
Excerpts :
QTell us about yourself
My roots are in Kalutara and my school is KalutaraVidyalaya. Back then when someone asked whom I wanted to be my reply was either to be an army officer or an engineer. In engineering I only knew about civil engineering at the time because two of my cousins were involved in it. I always had an interest for construction materials which I may have acquired from my grandfather because he was a good farmer. I remember him constructing a seven or eight kilometre road in my hometown. That was one way how I got inspired. After the ‘88/’89 incidents I gave up on my idea about the military and was left with the engineering option. I joined the University of Moratuwa just after my A/Ls and did my engineering degree there.
We can’t live with this island mentality anymore. But we are equipped with a culture, values and knowledge. I always believe that when we go to other countries we need to secure our knowledge
Unlike today, school and university life was so much fun because we had a lot of friends and it is one memorable chapter in anyone’s life. My parents always had their trust in me and I enjoyed a lot of freedom. Although I was interested in my studies I was also involved in various activities conducted by the Students’ Union and I also did various sports.
QWhat sort of an exposure did you receive in the university in terms of your studies?
Universities aren’t geared in directing us to the practical side of the subject matter. I have discussed this matter with the Vice Chancellor on several occasions because there’s a vast difference between a teacher and a lecturer. This difference could be seen in how they create knowledge and disseminate it. Teaching shouldn’t only be confined to the subject matter. Teachers and lecturers should teach children about life, moral values and qualities. But we don’t see this happening. If anybody comes to earn money from the education system they should stay away from the university gate. If I go to the university to earn money I’m destroying the education system. I am a chartered engineer and I earn money when I work in the industry. We spend on more external courses than internal courses. Postgraduate teaching is for those who are in the industry. Back then we didn’t get opportunities to try out new innovations, but today students have ample opportunities to research and innovate. I have students in the undergraduate programme who have filed applications for patents.
I’m happy to see many students showing a keen interest on research and it is our responsibility to offer them the proper guidance. Our education system should be structured to teach children in a more interesting manner. If we take five students and teach them all the technical details they will pick it up, but the problem is they don’t have the soft skills. They don’t know how to communicate, speak or understand the laymen’s language.
QYou have already obtained seven patents. Tell us about these innovations.
The minimum recognition is given for patents. If you want to develop the country we have to own the intellectual property. When we were schooling there was a poem titled ‘Mage Rata’. According to this poem we have all the resources we need, but we can’t beat other countries. We can’t live with this island mentality anymore. But we are equipped with a culture, values and knowledge. I always believe that when we go to other countries we need to secure our knowledge. The Mud Concrete Block was the first patent I got and from there onwards I developed the concepts. The others include a heat insulation system, Mud paving block, Self-compacting in-situ cast mud-concrete load bearing wall system, Vegetated Roof Slab system, Modular Formwork system for in-situ cast walls made out of self-compacting soil-based materials and a Bamboo Heat Insulation Panel for Roof Slabs.
Although we find the solutions, those products are not marketable and this is why the industry doesn’t approach us. If we can market ourselves they will come to us and fund the research
In a nutshell I have always wanted to include local materials in to the construction system instead of foreign materials. We use cement in almost all construction work and I have found that cement is the material which increases the embodied energy and Carbon footprint. To produce cement you need more energy, but bricks are a more sustainable material. For example in the Bamboo Heat Insulation Panel I have replaced the polyethylene layer with bamboo because I found out that it is more efficient. Another interesting innovation was the Vegetated Roof Slab system where I have introduced grass instead of insulation. When constructing a building you cannot load it too much, so the idea here was to have a two inch soil layer and make the turf.
QDo you think that there are opportunities for the youth in the engineering industry?
These patents I achieved wouldn’t have been a reality if not for my research students and I appreciate them for having placed their trust in me. I interview them and include them in my research and my group always has a good blend since they are not only engineering students.
Through this they will know what their colleague is studying and will get an exposure about different fields. They have been my second family and we are always together. We haven’t exposed them to the actual industry, so we need to work with them with clear boundaries. I’m always encouraging my students to work with the industry and therefore all graduates should be employable. But to get them employed we have to understand what the industry needs.
These patents I achieved wouldn’t have been a reality if not for my research students and I appreciate them for having placed their trust in me
QWe see that students are exposed to more theory than practical knowledge. How could the education system be transformed from a content-based system to a problem-based one?
Education evolves. Although our system has changed many times it never fits the industry. There’s no vision in our country. This is not only in terms of education, but in various other aspects as well. We also never thought of international benchmarking. Since we have this island mentality we don’t want to tie up with other countries. The world education system has changed from a content-based system to problem-based. Students should understand a question, find possible solutions for the question and then find an answer. But we spoon-feed the students and expect them to replicate the same thing. So where and how can we encourage critical thinking?
QWhat issues have you come across in the industry?
We have everything in this country. As a researcher working on sustainable development, this is the best country one can ever work in. When driving from Colombo to Nuwara Eliya one can experience all the climatic conditions. From Nuwara Eliya to Jaffna this changes again. If you go to another country with tropical climates you can’t experience this. There’s no issue with funding as well because the universities and even the National Science Foundation and the National Research Council could assist us.
Although we find the solutions, those products are not marketable and this is why the industry doesn’t approach us. If we can market ourselves they will come to us and fund the research. The only issue I can see in this system is jealousy. This is because our people haven’t been taught to value ourselves. If we can take this component out, our universities will be the world’s best.
QResearch and development is an important area of focus. Is the Government doing enough to fund and promote research-based projects?
The Government has no idea about what sort of research we need. The idea should be fed by academics. Politicians don’t know how to link research with development. I believe that the engineering and the management faculties should do a common research. But we hardly see any two faculties working together. People should be creative in their thinking, but we haven’t given them an opportunity to think freely.
QWhat’s your message to the youth and society.
We don’t live forever, so we have to be happy with what we do. But in the process don’t hurt another person while seeking your happiness. I can’t change the lives of everyone I meet but if I could change the life of at least one person, that is my satisfaction.
(Pics by KushanPathiraja )
