CodeBridge - The Pathway to Software Engineering
CodeBridge – The Pathway to Software Engineering, powered by IFS, is a premier technical workshop organized by IEEE LETs Talk together with IEEE Young Professionals Sri Lanka to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world software engineering practices. The workshop is designed to provide participants with practical exposure to modern software engineering workflows, industry tools, and professional development practices while helping them understand the technical competencies, engineering mindset, and career readiness required to succeed in today's rapidly evolving technology industry.
The workshop brings together experienced software engineering professionals from leading technology organizations to share their knowledge through expert-led technical sessions, an interactive industry panel discussion, and a hands-on engineering challenge. Participants will explore the transition from university-level programming to production-grade software development, gain valuable insights into internship and recruitment expectations, and learn what differentiates successful candidates in the software engineering job market. The workshop will conclude with a guided project-building session where participants will apply industry-standard development practices and tools to develop a portfolio-ready software engineering project, enabling them to strengthen both their technical capabilities and professional portfolios while building meaningful connections with industry experts.
Date and Time
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- Starts 19 June 2026 01:30 PM UTC
- Ends 09 July 2026 01:30 PM UTC
- No Admission Charge
Speakers
Ms. Shashiprabha Dangalla
Evolving World of Software Engineering
Biography:
Shashiprabha Dangalla is a Senior Software Engineer at IFS with extensive experience in software design, development, testing, performance optimization, and technical leadership. She is actively involved in end-to-end product development, stakeholder engagement, mentoring, and knowledge sharing within engineering teams. Shashiprabha holds a BSc and an MBA in Information Technology and is passionate about helping students bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world software development.
Mr. Nalaka Samarasinghe
Breaking Into Tech: What Actually Gets You Hired (Panel Discussion)
Biography:
Nalaka Samarasinghe is a Senior Manager in Unified Support at IFS with over a decade of experience in software engineering, enterprise support, global delivery operations, process innovation, and HR management. He holds an MBA from the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) and a BSc (Hons) in Information Technology, specializing in Software Engineering, from SLIIT. Beyond his role, he actively contributes to the tech community through university collaborations and industry knowledge-sharing, helping bridge the gap between academia and industry.
Ms. Jayani Amandakoon
Breaking Into Tech: What Actually Gets You Hired (Panel Discussion)
Biography:
Jayani Amandakoon is a Senior Manager in R&D Technology at IFS with over 15 years of experience in the software industry. She has worked across quality assurance, product development, and people leadership, leading cross-functional teams to deliver enterprise software solutions. She is passionate about leadership, mentoring, and sharing insights on career development and building high-performing teams. Jayani holds an MBA from the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) and a BSc (Hons) in Information Systems from Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.
Mr. Arshardh Ifthikar
Breaking Into Tech: What Actually Gets You Hired (Panel Discussion)
Biography:
Arshardh Ifthikar is an expert in API management, generative AI application development, and enterprise integration, specializing in building scalable API architectures and optimizing egress control for AI and SaaS applications. As the Technical Lead of the API Manager team, he has played a key role in helping numerous customers successfully deploy and integrate advanced API management solutions. He brings strong industry experience and shares practical insights into enterprise software engineering, scalable systems, and modern AI development.
Mr. Suresh Peiris
The Engineer Challenge: Design, Build and Deliver
Biography:
Suresh Peiris is an AI Solutions Architect and product developer with over five years of experience in cloud infrastructure, AI voice systems, and full-stack development. He is the Co-Founder of Articom Inc. and leads AI voice and call centre solutions at Inforwaves. A national award-winning developer, he also serves as a dissertation supervisor and examiner at a University of Westminster-affiliated institution and is an organizer of GDG Sri Lanka and GDG Cloud Sri Lanka. He is currently building an AI voice agent marketplace platform.
Agenda
9:00 AM - 9:05 AM: Welcome and Opening Remarks
9:05 AM - 9:50 AM: Session 01: Evolving World of Software Engineering (Keynote session)
9:50 AM - 10:10 AM: Kahoot Quiz
10:10 AM - 11:25 AM: Session 02- Breaking Into Tech: What Actually Gets You Hired (Panel Discussion with Q&A)
11:25 AM - 11:45 AM: Networking Session and Refreshments
11:45 AM - 1:15 PM: Session 03- The Engineer Challenge: Design, Build and Deliver (Hands on practical session)
1:15 PM - 1:30 PM: Closing Remarks and Group Photograph