Welcome to the Career Guidance Unit
Welcome to the Career Guidance Unit of Faculty of Science, University of Colombo.
Career Guidance Unit of Faculty of Science in its simplest sense is a platform that builds the founding stones for our undergraduates to achieve soft skills and qualities of leadership skills by taking an optimum advantage out of the experience gained through academic and enhancement courses offered by us. Thus, considering the successful journey we have trodden so far, even amidst a pandemic, we, the Career Guidance Unit of Faculty of Science make it a moment to reconfirm our efforts to strive for excellence and give our maximum service.
Career Guidance Unit of Faculty of Science has always been a place of opportunity for our students. Facilitating with dynamic courses, which the students can excel and master various soft skills, we take it upon ourselves to be the best in guiding you to be better leaders and young entrepreneurs of tomorrow by providing you the best experiences we have to offer. By and by, we are looking forward to making Career Guidance Unit of Faculty of Science the best place for the undergraduates of the Faculty of Science to improve their leadership, social, and communication skills, as you may find sanctuary with us at Career Guidance Unit of Faculty of Science.
Career Guidance Unit
Faculty of Science
University of Colombo
PO Box 1490
Colombo 00300
Sri Lanka
+94 11 258 0848
cgu@sci.cmb.ac.lk
Reach Us
Find Us On:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cgufos
Co-Directors
Prof. Dilushan R. Jayasundara
Email: dilushanj@phys.cmb.ac.lk.
EXPLORE OUR PROGRAMMES
Career Guidance Committee
We are a dedicated group of volunteer academic staff members who work closely with students showing interest in exploring opportunities and developing themselves. Due to the unstinted support from the Association of Human Resources Professionals, corporate and state sector partners, enthusiastic alumni and well-wishers, opportunities to gain experience have become plentiful and grow continuously.
CO-DIRECTORS
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
BSc Honours in Science and Management (MS 4014, MS 4015, MS 3011, MS 4009)
2020
Triple E award for the best University - Community project of the Asia Pacific region 2020
Career Guidance Unit of Faculty of Science was placed 2nd for the program “Service Learning as a community engagement initiative to assist underprivileged schools” under the category of Community Engagement Initiative of the Year at the 2020 Asia-Pacific Triple E Awards.
The project was shortlisted as one of the top 5 entries along with the applications of top universities around the world namely Charles Sturt University and Southern Cross University (Australia), Oxygen University (Turkey), and University of Nicosia (Cyprus).
Service Learning was introduced into the curriculum by the Career Guidance Unit (CGU) in 2012. The course allowed for a novel working experience by providing third year science undergraduates with an opportunity to exercise their scientific knowledge and skills to contribute to community projects. The financial support for the project is provided by corporate sector partners.
The awarding ceremony was held at Kochi, Kerala India on 10th January 2020.
2019
UNESCO Wenhui Award for Educational Innovation, 2019
“Education is neither eastern nor western. Education is education, it is the right of everyone.” – Malala Yousef.
A quality school education is central to building a scientifically literate population, but millions of children are already missing out education due to poverty, discrimination, lack of quality of the education and facilities.
Recognizing the importance of quality education as the main infrastructure to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) a project was initiated by the Career Guidance Unit, Faculty of Science (CGU/FOS) to help remote and underprivileged schools to improve and uplift academic activities as means of promoting University and School partnerships in advancing the education.
It was titled as “Service Learning as an innovative educational initiative to help underprivileged schools” under the academic program – Service Learning offered as an enhancement course (EC) for level 3 undergraduates. This Service Learning program won the prestigious UNESCO Wenhui Award for Educational Innovation, 2019.
Wenhui award, established by the National Commission of the People’s Republic of China for UNESCO, aims to recognize the contributions of educators and institutions which have optimized the potential of education and the human innovative spirit to address and resolve pressing issues and problems facing our world today.
The theme of the Wenhui Award 2019, was promoting University and School Partnerships in Advancing the Education 2030 Agenda, aimed at recognizing successful university-school partnerships that have contributed to quality education and lifelong learning in preparing children and youth for life, work, and citizenship. This clearly reflected the need for education to flow seamlessly from early childhood education to tertiary education and beyond which indeed reflected from the Service Learning project by CGU/FOS.
The submission for this award was planned, written and presented by Prof Deepthi Wickramasinghe who was the coordinator of Service Learning projects since its inception in 2012 to current time.
Out of the seven applications that were shortlisted for the Wenhui Award, CGU/FOS become one of the two winners of the award. A cash prize of USD 20,000 was awarded and it was received by Prof. K.R.R. Mahanama (Dean, Faculty of Science in 2019) at the final awarding ceremony held in Jinan, China in December 2019.
The Service Learning program was initiated by Cadre Chair & Senior Professor Preethi Udagama, Professor Manjula Withanapathirana and Mr. Chandana Wijenama in 2012. The program is managed solely by the volunteer academic staff members of Faculty of Science.
The component of Service learning program aimed strengthening school educational programs on Information Technology (IT), Science and Mathematics. Alongside, it offers vocational training and other life skills for students to enhance their employability. Since 2012, the Service Learning program has helped more than 16,000 school children island wide and each year number of students follow the Service Learning course.
The "Dream Big! Gateway to Scholarships & New Horizons Abroad" workshop series
The Career Guidance Unit of the Faculty of Science, University of Colombo, in collaboration with DAAD Sri Lanka (German Academic Exchange Service), successfully hosted the “Dream Big! – Gateway to Scholarships & New Horizons Abroad” workshop on 22nd January 2025 at the ILC Building auditorium.
The workshop, attended by around 100 students, offered informative sessions on DAAD scholarships, application processes, qualifications needed, educational opportunities in Germany, career paths, and more. Ms. Nimaya Manudewa, the Regional Officer at the DAAD Information Centre in Colombo shared valuable insights, providing students with the essential information to navigate the competitive scholarship landscape.
To ensure ongoing engagement and support for students seeking international education, the Dream Big! series is planned to be held bi-monthly, connecting students with experts and scholarship providers.
By fostering awareness and offering structured guidance, the Career Guidance Unit is dedicated to empowering students to pursue global academic opportunities and achieve their aspirations.
Career Fair 2024 – Unlock Your Potential to Get Hired!
On August 2nd, 2024, the Career Guidance Unit of the Faculty of Science, University of Colombo, successfully hosted the inaugural Career Fair 2024 – “Unlock Your Potential to Get Hired!” from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM at the Statistics Department building. This event was a collaborative effort with the University of Colombo’s Leo Club, Rotaract Club, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Club, Student’s Union of the Science Faculty, and AIESEC.
The purpose of the career fair was to provide students with a platform to connect with potential employers, gain insights into the job market, and provide companies with the opportunity to recruit new talent. Ten leading companies in the industrial sector participated in the fair, including MAS Holdings, Parallax Technologies (Pvt) Ltd, Dialog Network Services (Pvt) Ltd, Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC, Prima Management Services (Pvt) Ltd, Brandix Lanka Ltd, Hemas Consumer Brands, Softlogic Life Insurance PLC, Concord Footwear (Pvt) Ltd and SmithKline Beecham (Pvt) Ltd.
With over 160 students in attendance, the career fair was a remarkable success. Over 40% of the students who participated were either recruited for company positions or shortlisted for second interviews, marking a significant success in achieving the fair’s objectives. This accomplishment sets the stage for future career fairs and mentoring workshops, further empowering our students to excel in their careers and become strong candidates in the industrial world.
Considering the feedback from both students and companies, we will work to host even more refined and impactful career fairs along with our series of mentoring workshops to better equip University of Colombo students, ensuring they are well-prepared and fully equipped to make a strong impact in the industry.
Career Fair 2024 – Phase 01 Mentoring Workshop
On June 29, 2024, the Career Guidance Unit of the University of Colombo, Faculty of Science, successfully hosted the Mentoring Workshop, marking the inaugural step of the Career Fair 2024 – “Unlock Your Potential to Get Hired!” The three-hour event was a collaborative effort with the University of Colombo’s Leo Club, Rotaract Club, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Club, and AIESEC.
Aimed at enhancing students’ potential and assisting them in securing their dream jobs, the workshop began with an introductory session to illuminate students on the do’s and don’ts in an interview. This was followed by a series of mock interviews for over 100 undergraduates from the University of Colombo, held at the Statistics Department building. These interviews were conducted by 28 distinguished resource persons, including leading industry experts such as senior executives and managers from pioneering companies, as well as esteemed lecturers from the Faculty of Science.
Students were provided with invaluable feedback on their interview skills and CVs, empowering them to reach their full potential. Additionally offering a unique opportunity for students to gain practical experience, build confidence, and receive personalized advice from industry professionals. Students left the premises better armed to navigate the competitive job market, improve their employability, and increase their chances of securing their dream jobs. The event was a resounding success, highlighting the importance of such initiatives in fostering professional growth and development.
Unilever Purpose Workshop
The Unilever purpose workshop, powered by Unilever Sri Lanka, FEEL LANKA, and the Career Guidance Unit of Faculty of Science, University of Colombo, was successfully held on 18th June 2022, from 8.00 am to 12.00 pm. Four eminent speakers served as resource person in the workshop and shared their insights with enthusiastic young undergraduates who explore the ultimate graduate learning outcomes and career paths.
Meta+
META+ is a joint project organized by the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Club under Career Guidance Unit of Faculty of Science and the Leo of Club of Faculty of Science, University of Colombo, which comprises series of webinars and a competition on Digital media marketing in order to give a broad knowledge about the subject to undergraduates of Sri Lankan Universities, and to develop skills required for implementing marketing strategies all the while dealing with the challenges. This event saw over 200+ registered participants.
The project was kick started with the airing of the first workshop on “Introduction to digital media marketing” held on the 4th December at 7.30pm and onwards via Zoom. The resource person for this workshop was Mr. Shawn Moses (Lead digital strategist at Creative-hub and former Lead digital strategist IKON). This workshop enrolled over 100 participants.
Non-academic program
Organizations having much better skilled and creative employees can easily avoid wasteful investment to improve efficiency and performance of the organizations. However, specific organizations such as tertiary education institutes i.e. universities require a set of employees that are dynamic and able to meet the timely demands. Academic staff of the most universities are provided with training and workshops periodically in order to reach their highest potential in their respective areas of work. Therefore, this is a series of workshops organized by the Career Guidance Unit and the Staff Training Subcommittee of the Faculty to develop skills of the non-academic members (Management Assistants, Laboratory Assistants and technicians, Clerical staff) of the faculty.
The objective of this program is to enhance the English language and computer literacy among non-academic staff and to enhance the soft skills of non-academic staff members.
Evaluation of the program will be done by using questionnaires to evaluate each session conducted and to gain ideas for further improvement. We believe conducting intermittent training programs for the different groups of university non-academic employees can enhance the employee’s performance as well as the institutional performance.
Workshop on “To be an Academic”
A webinar “To be an Academic” organized by the Academic Mentoring Program of Faculty of Science (under the Career Guidance Unit of the Faculty) was held on 12th August 2021 from 4.00 to 5.30 pm. It was conducted by Professor Emeritus Sarath W. Kotagama to inspire the young academics who are in their early career stage. Professor Kotagama shared about his journey as an academic and a researcher including many experiences throughout his career.
Road to Graduate Programs
It is well said that “Education is the most powerful weapon to change the world.” Simply because education helps people become better citizens, get a better-paid job, and shows the difference between good and bad. At the same time, helps to grow and develop.
After spending nearly 3-4 years at university the next step of many graduates is to pursue their higher studies, either by enrolling in a Masters or a PhD program. But getting to know the correct pathway to approach such programs have been an issue to many of them. Thus, catering the need of many graduates, Career Guidance Unit of Faculty of Science organized “Road to Graduate Programs” webinar on 27th September 2021 via Zoom platform. The session witnessed more than 100 participants of all the years, who follow different streams.
The webinar was conducted by Dr. Joshua Coco, the Assistant Dean and Executive Director of Advancement, Outreach, Recruitment, Enrollment, Advancement, and Marketing at Rosenstiel school of Marine and Atmospheric science, University of Miami, USA.
Many insights were shared regarding the different graduate programs such as MS and PhD programs conducted in Rosenstiel school of Marine and Atmospheric science, the eligibility criteria for students, the deadlines and many more. During the Q & A session various questions were bought in by the participants regarding applying for higher studies, thus it was very interactive. The session ended on a positive note with lot being discussed in the given timeframe.
Keep up the spirit and stay tuned for more interesting educational sessions and webinars by CGU, FOS. We’ll be more than happy to support you all, in any way possible.
Next Generation Women Leaders Asia Pacific virtual program
The virtual program to explore the importance of women in leadership, develop a sense of connection and create a long-lasting community was held from 17 – 18th June 2021. The program was continued with workshops and informative virtual sessions throughout July.
For more information please visit – https://www.mckinsey.com/next-generation-women-leaders/asia-pacific
Inaugural meeting of the Academic Mentoring Program of Faculty of Science
The Inaugural meeting of the Academic Mentoring Programme of the Faculty of Science was held successfully on April 19, 2021, with the participation of the Vice-Chancellor, University of Colombo, Dean, Faculty of Science and the members of the Faculty Mentoring Committee, and all the registered mentees and mentors under the programme.
The speakers of the meeting included Prof Chamari Hettiarachchi, Co-Director, Career Guidance Unit, Prof. Erandathie Lokupitiya, Coordinator, Academic Mentoring Programme, Snr. Prof Chandrika Wijeyaratne, Vice Chancellor of University of Colombo, Snr. Prof Upul Sonnadra, Dean, Faculty of Science, and Snr. Prof Preethi Udagama, Advisor to the Academic Mentoring Programme.
Workshop on higher educational opportunities in University of Miami, USA
A virtual workshop was held for the students of the Faculty of Science who are planning to pursue their higher education, on Ph.D., MS, and Master of Professional Science degrees from the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences on 15th April 2021 from 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm. This workshop was conducted by Dr. Josh Coco from the University of Miami, USA.
CGU Orientation Programme – 2021
Personality Development Programme of Career Guidance Unit
The orientation programme for the freshers was held on 9th April 2021 from 9.00 am to 12.00 pm via zoom (Live screen from the Dean’s office Boardroom) with the participation of Co – Directors, Alumnae and Corporate partners.
Academic Mentoring Program of Faculty of Science
In line with the academic Mentoring Program of the University of Colombo, the Faculty of Science has initiated an academic mentoring program targeting the professional development of the new recruits to the academic staff of the Faculty. Under this program, each newly recruited probationary academic staff member (mentee) will have the opportunity to professionally develop through continued communication and guidance of an experienced person (mentor), to reach academic excellence through teaching, learning activities, research, and service to the university and the outside community.
The objective of the program is to promote academic excellence within the young academics of the faculty targeting a quality output at individual, institutional, and societal/ national level. The mentoring committee consists of a Chair, an Advisor, and members from each department for proper and continued implementation of the program within the faculty. Professor Preethi Udagama from Department of Zoology and Environment Science is serving as the advisor and Professor Erandathie Lokupitiya from Department of Zoology and Environment Science is serving as the coordinator of the Academic Mentoring Program. The following members will represent each department within this committee for year 2021.
AMP Committee
Program Advisor
Program Coordinator
Prof. Erandathie Lokupitiya
Chair Senior Prof. K M Nalin de Silva
Department of Chemistry
Dr. Romaine Jayewardene
Department of Mathematics
Dr. Manuja Lamabadusuriya
Department of Nuclear Science
Dr. W. M. K. P. Wijayaratna
Department of Physics
Senior prof. Tara D. Silva
Department of Plant Sciences
Prof. C. D. Tilakaratne
Department of Statistics
Prof. Gayani Harendra Galhena
Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences
Workshops
The introductory workshop for the mentors
Our introductory workshop for mentors was conducted via zoom on March 25, 2021 with the participation of the members of the Academic Mentoring Committee and other senior faculty members. Prof. Erandathie Lokupitiya introduced the program with an overall description including the key objectives and the expected outcomes. Prof. Shervanthi Homer-Vanniasinkam, Consultant Vascular Surgeon, Leeds General Infirmary and Prof. Pavithra Kailasapathy from Department of Human Resources Management, Faculty of Management and Finance graced the occasion as guest speakers, and gave valuable insights for the program. They explained fundamental principles of the mentoring process and went on to explain the differences between coaching and mentoring. It was explained that mentoring should be a development-focused relationship rather than a performance-focused relationship. The session ended with a panel discussion with Prof. Shervanthi Homer-Vanniasinkam, Prof. Pavithra Kailasapathy, Snr. Prof. Preethi Udagama, and Prof. Erandathie Lokupitiya as the panelists.
How to be an academic
The webinar “To be an Academic” organized by the AMP was held on 12th August 2021 from 4.00 to 5.30 pm. It was conducted by Prof. Emeritus Sarath W. Kotagama to inspire the young academics who are in their early career stage. He enumerated the qualities a budding academic needs to possess. Further, Prof. Kotagama shared the details about his journey as an academic and a researcher including many experiences throughout his career.
Navigating the academic path; advice to my younger self
The virtual workshop “Navigating the academic path; advice to my younger self” organized by the AMP was held on 6th January 2022. Prof. Shervanthi Homer-Vanniasinkam, a well-established academic herself was the resource person of the program. Pathways to academic excellence were a key focus of her presentation. Intellectual curiosity and motivation were delineated as essential characteristics of a young academic seeking academic excellence. The importance of acquiring funds to pursue one’s intellectual curiosity was highlighted in the latter part of the workshop. It was explained with her own experience how challenging it could be for a young academic to secure his or her first grant. Finally, prof. Shervanthi stressed on the vital need for conducting ethically sound research for emerging scientists to have a long lasting carrier. Session ended in a fruitful discussion between the membership of the AMP and the guest speaker.
How to set exam questions
The AMP educational session on ‘How to set Exam Questions’ was conducted on July 14th, 2022, by retired prof. Dilrukshi de Silva. During the first half of the session, she explained about different types of assessments and aspects needed to be considered when setting up questions for assessments. Similarities and differences between summative and formative assessments, were discussed in detail. She also explained that different tools and methods should be used in evaluating different key skills such as professional skills, factual knowledge, application skills, and reasoning skills. Finally, she underlined the importance of adjusting the difficulty level of a question to match the expected competency level of students answering the question. The session was followed by a lengthy question and answer session which was moderated by Prof. Tara D. Silva. AMP members used this opportunity effectively to get several issues they had regarding setting up exam papers clarified.
Academic and professional ethics
The educational session on ‘Academic and professional ethics’ was conducted on November 24, 2022 by retired prof. R.D. Gunaratna. Common sense and basic decency were explained as two essential qualities an academic needs to have when working with colleagues and students. Prof. Gunaratna dealt in detail with aspects related to research ethics covering topics such as giving credit to others, dealing with human subjects, deciding authorship, conflicts of interest and data management. He also explained that striving to provide an excellent service to students is a professional obligation of all the academics. Prof. Gunaratna provided insightful suggestions when asked by mentees on how they should react and respond in certain situations.
Program Initiation
The AMP was the first service rendered by the Career Guidance unit (CGU) for the academic staff of the Science faculty. The program in the Science faculty was implemented in line with the AMP of the University. This programme is specifically meant for promoting academic excellence among lecturers (Probationary) of the faculty, targeting a quality output from our academics at individual, institutional, and societal/national level. To start with, there were 23 mentees and 16 mentors registered. There were 7 committee members representing all the departments nominated by the head of each department. Prof. Erandathie Lokupitiya was appointed as the program coordinator and Senior prof. Preethi Udagama was appointed as the program adviser.
Inauguration ceremony of the AMP
The Inauguration ceremony of the AMP of the Faculty of Science was held virtually on April 19, 2021, with the participation of the Vice-Chancellor, University of Colombo (UoC), Dean, Faculty of Science, the members of the Faculty Mentoring Committee, and all the registered mentees and mentors under the programme. The speakers of the meeting included Prof. Chamari Hettiarachchi, Co-Director, Career Guidance Unit, Prof. Erandathie Lokupitiya, Coordinator, AMP, Snr. Prof. Chandrika Wijeyaratne, Vice Chancellor of UoC, Snr. Prof. Upul Sonnadara, Dean, Faculty of Science, and Snr. Prof. Preethi Udagama, Advisor to the AMP.
Gallery
Success Stories
The AMP, for almost two years, has helped me lay a strong foundation to my career as an academic. The advice and guidance received through the mentor were of great value to me during the rough patches of my career. Furthermore, the contribution of the program was immense in having a balanced and a stable academic life. Workshops and other programs conducted were well oriented to address the issues faced by young academics. I believe that the service of the AMP will be of great help for many generations of young academics to come.
Dr. Ayomi Witharana
This is to kindly let you know that the AMP conducted by the CGU, is a very vital program and it is appreciated that attention was paid in this regard because academics, especially during their early career, need mentoring and guidance from a more senior and experienced colleague. Although I did not have a specific person assigned to me as a mentor at the time I joined as an academic, as this program initiated sometime after I joined, I feel this program gave a good opportunity for me to be mentored by a very straightforward, non – judgmental mentor which made me comfortable to discuss any matter openly. I hope the program will continue and it will serve to allocate a mentor to an academic at the time of joining, which is the best time to have a mentor.
Dr. Vindhya Kulasena
I’m honored to be a mentee in the Faculty of Science’s first academic mentoring program. Because of the mentor’s incisive and prompt suggestions, I was able to handle the workload, manage my time well, and improve my research publications, all of which was extremely helpful to me. I think this program is very beneficial to new recruits since it provides them with all the information and guidance they need to succeed in the academic world.
Mrs. Imali T. Jayamanne
AMP Downloads
The Career Guidance Unit of the Faculty of Science (CGU/FOS) is one of the leading units in the University that caters the undergraduates with the essential aspects of career and personal development. With the active participation of a dedicated group of volunteers consisting of academic staff members, CGU/FOS assist students with plentiful opportunities for their personal and professional development.
Amidst the new normal, the 2021 Academic year successfully facilitated more than 1000 students partnering with nearly 50 private and corporate sector establishments, alumni, and Human Resource Professionals.
Why Career Guidance?
Today academic knowledge single-handedly does not suffice to grow and excel in professional and personal life. Therefore, career and personal development are essential aspects of undergraduate training.
It is important that our graduates not only be academically and technically sound, but also have the knowledge in other personality fronts. Thus, it is essential to develop transferable/life skills, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of undergraduates that would eventually lead to both their professional and personal success.
VISION
- Guiding and providing required resources to support career & life aspirations of undergraduates of the Faculty of Science.
MISSION
- To become a center of excellence to empower students with the required knowledge and experience to mould and fortify their professional, higher educational, career and life aspirations though a well-crafted series of events and programs.
Objectives
- Helping students to profile oneself and realize ones true potential within the realm of their personality.
- Creating an environment where students identify personality developments in themselves in relations to professional expectations.
- Introducing the students to the world of work and its dynamics.
- Help the students transform ones academically strengthened knowledge to suit industry and academia.
- Help develop a robust career/life plan for oneself and make the right decisions in life.
