Meet Sri Lankan Researcher — Ashane Madusha Fernando
What are you currently working on or worked on before?
Resources, Hydrometallurgy, Fluid Mechanics, Minerals Processing, Image Processing, Remote Sensing, Chemical Engineering
What encouraged you to pursue your research topic?
During my bachelor’s at the University of Moratuwa, I always wanted to optimize metal extraction processes. When I explored further facets alongside, I bumped into these amazing research domains.
What is the name of your current institute?
Monash University
Where do you find your best inspiration for your work?
Conversation and reading lots of research articles.
Can you share with us some of your publications?
Yes, you can find them here.
What’s one of your biggest personal achievements so far?
I am still a PhD student. Being a PhD student, I believe I have a very good google scholar profile in terms of citations. Also, one of my papers has been cited more than 50 times according to google scholar. I feel that is one of the biggest personal achievements pertinent to my research career.
What lessons would you share with a budding researcher?
I would teach them everything I wish I had, prior to entering my PhD.
What motivated you to be a researcher?
Love for Science and Mathematics
If there is a chance, will you help build research in Sri Lanka?
Definitely. Without a doubt.
According to your opinion, what are the changes that the Sri Lankan education system needs to do, in order to meet the requirement of the international industry and academia?
A more practical approach and how to appreciate international research. This means we need to be updated all the time with the research happening around us. Sri Lankan education system should allow access to high impact research articles. I don’t think many of the journals are subscribed to by our university libraries.
Currently, I am engaged with Earth Resources Engineering, University Moratuwa to deliver presentations on Research and Motivation. I think if this is practiced by everyone (especially PhD students outside Sri Lanka) I think the Sri Lankan young generation will be updated with all the research happening outside Sri Lanka and will be further motivated to follow a research path.
