IEEE WIE Affinity Group of Sri Lanka - Executive Committee Meeting 3

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Commencement of the meeting

The third Executive Committee Meeting of the IEEE Women in Engineering Affinity Group of Sri Lanka for 2025 commenced at 9.10 PM.

Preliminaries and Announcements by Chair

Dr. Prabhani Liyanage requested everyone present to inform the Chair or Secretary in advance if they are unable to attend an Executive Committee meeting.

Meeting with Orel IT

Dr. Prabhani provided a brief update on the recent meeting held with Orel IT, mentioning the participants from both organisations and summarising the key points of discussion. The team had requested Orel IT to initiate the drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding. Ms. Hiruni had prepared a partnership document, and members were encouraged to share any suggestions or feedback during the meeting. Ms. Shashika proposed that the previously prepared sponsorship document also be shared with Orel IT, while including a subtle reference to the team's ongoing search for sponsorships within the partnership document.

WiNavigate and Steminist Entrepreneur Session 1

Dr. Prabhani mentioned that the first session of the WiNavigate and Steminist Entrepreneur initiatives took place for the Prefects’ Guild of Pushpadana Girls’ School on 5th March at SLIIT Kandy Uni. Ms. Shashika provided the team with an overall update on the session. She also suggested that printed feedback forms be used for similar school-based events in the future, as most students may not have access to mobile phones to fill out online forms.

Women Scientists’ Forum by NSF and International Women’s Day Celebration by SLAAS

Dr. Prabhani provided an overview of the Women Scientists’ Forum organised by NSF and the International Women’s Day Celebration organised by SLAAS.

She further informed the committee that an invitation had been received from the Open University to conduct an IEEE WIE awareness session.

Additionally, Prof. Nawagamuwa, President of SLAAS, had proposed a collaboration with SLAAS for an ICT teacher training session to be held in Vavuniya and Mullaitivu. Dr. Charithri recommended obtaining support from the IEEE WIE Student Branch Affinity Group of the University of Jaffna for translation and related tasks during the session. Dr. Nirthika also suggested involving the IEEE WIE Student Branch Affinity Group of the University of Vavuniya for additional support.

Confirmation of Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The minutes of the second Executive Committee Meeting for 2025 held on 15th February was circulated by the Secretary, Ms. Hiruni, prior to the meeting. Ms. Shashika proposed that the minutes were in order, which was seconded by Dr. Charithri.

Presentation of Project Plans for the year 2025 by Project Chairs

The following project chairs presented the initiatives, budgets and timelines planned for their respective projects:

• Dr. Prabhani - WIESymp 2025

• Ms. Hiruni - Power Hour Season 3

• Dr. Charithri - Global Glow 2.0

• Ms. Chathurya - International WIE Day Celebrations 2025

• Ms. Pipuni - WiNavigate 2025

• Ms. Isuri - Steminist Entrepreneur 2025

• Ms. Menaka - Tech Pulse 2025

Suggestions, blockers, and plans for execution and fundraising for the projects were also discussed. 

There was also a discussion about organising an year-end event encompassing sessions from each project to officially conclude the year. 

Ms. Pipuni inquired about the criteria that determine whether a project qualifies as a national-level initiative, which led to a discussion on the subject. She suggested that all Affinity Group projects should be elevated to meet the standards of national-level recognition. Ms. Hiruni proposed clarifying with the IEEE Sri Lanka Section about the requirements for including the Affinity Group’s projects at the IEEE Sri Lanka Section National Project Forum. Dr. Prabhani recommended clarifying this prior to the next Executive Committee meeting.

Financial Updates

A payment of LKR 8,000 has been made to LK Domain as the yearly subscription for hosting the Affinity Group website.

The loan that was credited to the Affinity Group’s bank account by the IEEE Sri Lanka Section for a workshop organised by the WePower Sri Lanka National Chapter is to be handed over to WePower.

Ms. Shashika recommended creating a standard payment voucher template for the Affinity Group. 

She also suggested consolidating all project budgets into a single Google Sheet for ease of access and tracking.

Any Other Matters

• Dr. Prabhani inquired from Ms. Chathurya regarding the onboarding process for volunteers. Ms. Chathurya provided an update on the expected date and plan for the onboarding session.

• Dr. Nirthika requested that all flyers disseminated by the Affinity Group be properly documented, as they may be required for future award applications. Dr. Prabhani suggested that all flyers be uploaded to the respective Google Drive folders assigned to each project.

• Dr. Prabhani also encouraged all members to contribute to the preparation of award proposals. She mentioned that the relevant proposal documents would be shared, and members may indicate the proposals they are willing to support.

Adjournment of the meeting

The meeting was adjourned at 11.10 PM. 

1. Commencement of the Meeting
2. Preliminaries and Announcements
3. Confirmation of Minutes of the previous meetings and matters arising from previous meetings
4. Presentation of Project Plans for the year 2025 by Project Chairs
5. Project updates
6. Finance updates
7. Any other matters
8. Meeting adjournment