Meet Sri Lankan Researcher — Samudaya Nanayakkara

What are you currently working on or worked on before?

I am currently working as a full-time Ph.D. candidate at the Centre for Smart Modern Construction (c4SMC), Western Sydney University. My research areas are blockchain, smart contracts, issues, and challenges in e-procurement and supply chain management. I also work as a part-time lecturer for both undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

I have previously worked as a Management Information System consultant for the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. Moreover, served in a number of large-scale national-level projects as an ERP Expert, Information Systems & IT Consultant for many reputed organizations in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, I voluntarily contribute to a well-known global open-source project named webERP.

I completed a Master of Science in Computer Science degree from the University of Moratuwa. I have pursued my BSc Engineering (Honors) degree from the University of Moratuwa and a Bachelor of Information Technology degree from the University of Colombo. I gained Chartered Engineer status in the IT Sector in 2012 from the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka and a corporate member in several international professional institutions. I held the ICT Chairman position of the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka in the 2015/2016 session and actively contributed to many standing committees voluntarily.

I am a Sri Lankan National Engineering Excellence awards winner, and a university sports colors gold medallist and was recognized in the Dean’s list for excellent academic performance in my undergraduate degree. I have published over 20 research papers in reputed journals and conferences and conducted over 30 public presentations. I was bestowed with over ten national and international awards to recognize my academic, research, and voluntary contributions to the ICT and Engineering sectors.

What encouraged you to pursue your research topic?

I have enjoyed working on ICT-related subjects from my school time, including hardware, animations, programming, and others. Computer science became a hobby for me by performing programming and small-scale software development at that time. With that passion, I started the BIT external degree program in addition to my full-time Engineering studies.

At the time I was completing my undergraduate studies, I was more attracted to research and academic culture than a corporate career. Therefore, I joined a newly established MIS project at the University of Moratuwa and led the MIS team. Same as in the school and undergraduate times, I had/have a big passion for learning cutting-edge Information and Communication Technologies.

I also had a huge interest to pursue a full-time Ph.D. research in an advanced ICT area. In 2018, I found about a fully-funded Ph.D. research in distributed ledger technology at the Centre for Smart Modern Construction, Western Sydney University. Even when I read about it for the first time, I knew it will be my next destination of research.

You can find my publications here: link1,link2.

Where do you find your best inspiration for your work?

My principal supervisor and other supervisors are my key inspirations. Each discussion with them changes my research abilities and thinking significantly. My fellow researchers working at the research center inspire and always share knowledge and support each other. I would like to watch documentaries, especially tech documentary, that inspires me too. The best inspiration is that I have an opportunity to be an early generation blockchain researcher.

What’s one of your biggest personal achievements so far?

I would like to share the achievements which changed and finally brought me where I am today.

First, I got an opportunity to pass the Advanced level examination and enter the University of Moratuwa. Second, I was awarded the best Young Chartered Engineer Award in National Engineering Excellence Awards 2013. Third, got an opportunity to receive the Centre for Smart Modern Construction Postgraduate Research Scholarship for Doctor of Philosophy (in Engineering) from Western Sydney University, Australia in 2018.

What lessons would you share with a budding researcher?

These are lessons for me, and I think you also can learn something from them.

• Be knowledge-hungry — Try to learn new things whenever you can.
• Be creative — Even there may be a single answer; you can find dozens of paths to achieve it.
• Be unique — Do not try to copy. Be you.
• Be aware — update on what other researchers and industries are working on.
• Be a networker — Your ‘real’ reliable professional network is one of your best strengths.
• Be determined — Never give up. Continuously try it. Maintain your dreams till you achieve them.

What motivated you to be a researcher?

I think two stages made me a researcher. The first era was my childhood and school time. I have traveled to many large-scale engineering projects of water reservoirs, dams, etc. with my father during my school vacations and spent time with him. I believe it influenced me to become an Engineer, and I think in some ways influenced me to think more innovatively. As an example, we built a comparatively large power-generating advanced windmill for our school exhibition.

My school also had a positive influencing culture for innovative things. I can still remember our adjacent class’s physics teacher’s advice regarding postgraduate research after completing the first degree even as an engineer.

The second era was, after completing my undergraduate studies. I had an opportunity to work with many senior academic members, and their positive research influence made me further motivated. I had a good opportunity to work on many national-level projects, and significant components of these projects needed an innovative and research-oriented approach. During that time, I thought about how crucial the research is. Therefore, I decided to be a research-oriented ICT professional.

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?

This topic is for a separate lengthy discussion. I would like to mention only a few suggestions here;

• Our school education system should be more focused on how to make creative and innovative next-generation than exam-oriented kids.
• Our university system should come out of the traditional theoretical mindset. A more industry-oriented modernized education system can make more innovators and problem solvers than job seekers. Provide more grants to attract good research candidates. Creating a better research culture for newcomers mainly focusing on high impact research, proper gap analysis, research methods, and finally, how and where to publish.