President congratulates Lankan student for wining Intel ISEF award

President Mahinda Rajapaksa congratulated 19-year-old Dinesh Kapuge from Mihinthale Central College, at a special ceremony held at the President’s House.

Kapuge won the first award in engineering, electrical and mechanical category and second award from the Ashtavadhani Vidwan Ambati Subbaraya Chetty (AVASC) Foundation at this year’s Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), a program of society for science and the public.

“You have made Sri Lanka proud. Winning this award at the prestigious Intel ISEF is a great achievement for you, a proud recognition for your school and an honour to your country. Besides, this is exactly what I want this nation to be in the next couple of years, an internationally renowned knowledge hub and with the next generation of IT specialists,” the President said in his congratulatory message.

Kapuge was awarded US$ 3,000 for the first award and an additional of US$ 500 US savings bond; for his unique project titled ‘ridge cutting machine’. The AVASC recognises projects that display outstanding creativity, ingenuity, and have the potential to alleviate the human condition or mark a substantive advancement in the scientific field. Minister of Education Bandula Gunawardena said: “I am proud to say that our students, no matter what part of the country they come from, are capable of competing and winning at any world stage. What Kapuge has done is a testimony of the leadership and capability of the Sri Lankan education system.”

Additional Secretary to the President’s Office Anura Dissanayake said: “Kapuge represents the next generation that will turn Sri Lanka into a knowledge hub. Intel ISEF is a launch pad for such ingenuity.”

Intel Sri Lanka Country Manager Indika de Zoysa commenting on the occasion said: “I would like to congratulate Kapuge on his achievement he has brought great pride to the country. Moments like these makes Intel programs all the more worthwhile. This competition encourages millions of students worldwide every year, to explore their passion for math and science while developing solutions for global challenges.” Kapuge, who was the runner up at the Sri Lanka Science and Engineering Fair (SLSEF), was part of the Sri Lankan contingent at the Intel ISEF which included Pasindu Wijesena from Ananda College Colombo, and Subhash Gamage and Rakhitha Malewana from Nalanda College Colombo.

Every year, winners of the SLSEF, a partnership between Intel, Ministry of Education, National Science Foundation, and IESL are sent by Intel to the Intel ISEF which honours some of the world’s most promising, rising student entrepreneurs, innovators and scientists.

Finalists are selected annually from hundreds of affiliated fairs. Their projects are then evaluated onsite by more than 1,200 judges from nearly every scientific discipline, each with a Ph.D. or the equivalent of six years of related professional experience in one of the scientific disciplines. Intel is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world’s computing devices.