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Postgraduate Research Symposium 2026

The Annual Postgraduate Research Symposium 2026, organized by the Centre for Postgraduate Studies, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo, serves as a platform to showcase innovative postgraduate research and promote academic collaboration. This year’s symposium is centered on the theme “Shifting from Disciplinary Silos to Transdisciplinary Scientific Research in the Era of AI,” highlighting the growing importance of interdisciplinary approaches in modern scientific discovery. The symposium brings together postgraduate students, researchers, and academic staff to share original research findings, exchange ideas, and foster meaningful scientific discussions across diverse fields of study.

Keynote Speakers

Information will be available soon.

Seminar Talk

Approaches in Filtering Theory for optimizing Physics-informed Neural Networks

Dr. B.P.W. Fernando Department of Mathematics Faculty of Applied Sciences University of Sri Jayewardenepura Sri Lanka

Dr. B.P.W. Fernando earned a First Class Honours Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Colombo. He then pursued a Master of Science at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), followed by a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Wyoming. His doctoral research, focusing on the “Stochastic Navier-Stokes equation with Ito-Levy noise,” laid the foundation for his expertise. He served as a Postdoctoral Associate and Researcher at the University of Leoben in Austria and as an NRC Research Associate at the Naval Postgraduate School in the United States. His scholarly work encompasses Stochastic Analysis, Filtering Theory, PDE Theory, and Fluid Dynamics. A dedicated educator, Dr. Fernando has held a position as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura since 2018. He is a Guest Professor at the University of Wuppertal in Germany, where he conducted graduate-level courses on Stochastic Differential Equations and Risk Theory.

ABSTRACT:

The application of machine learning (ML) to solve Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) for boundary value problems represents a paradigm shift in data-driven techniques in physics. Techniques like Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) have gained prominence for their ability to seamlessly integrate physical laws and data. However, a fundamental challenge arises from the spectral bias of neural networks, which inherently favor learning low-frequency functions. Input encoding filters, such as Fourier Feature Networks become indispensable for ML optimization, enabling accurate and efficient solutions. Beyond input encoding, filtering concepts are applied in the loss function and optimization dynamics. The speaker will provide a hitch-hikers guide towards considerations for applying filtering theory in PINNs.

Seminar Talk

Computational Data Modelling: Algorithms and Applications

Professor Chee Peng Lim Department of Computing Technologies Swinburne University of Technology Melbourne Australia

Chee Peng Lim completed his Ph.D. degree at the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom n 1997. His research focuses on Computational Intelligence (CI)-based systems for data analytics and applications. In addition to publishing over 600 publications, he has received numerous prestigious fellowships for research collaboration, including Commonwealth Fellowship at the University of Cambridge, Fulbright Fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley, as well as Visiting Scientists Program of the US Office of Naval Research Global at both Harvard University and Stanford University.

ABSTRACT:

Computational intelligence (CI) offers mathematically grounded approaches to addressing data analytics problems through adaptive algorithms that comprise clustering, classification and function approximation principles. This talk presents CI algorithms for data modelling and analytics and their application to real-world medical and industrial problems

Seminar Talk

Computational Data Modelling: Algorithms and Applications

Savini Bandaranayake Postdoctoral Scholar Combustion Research Facility, Sandia National Laboratories, California, USA

CSavini Bandaranayake received her B.Sc. degree in Computational Chemistry from University of Colombo and completed her Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry at The Ohio State University in 2022. Her doctoral research focused on ultrafast photoexcited state dynamics in transition metal oxides and the development of advanced ultrafast spectroscopy techniques. Since 2023, she has been a Postdoctoral Scholar at Sandia National Laboratories, studying non-adiabatic dynamics in molecular systems following photoexcitation, using ultrafast Xray, UV-visible and IR spectroscopy techniques.

ABSTRACT:

Harnessing solar energy to drive chemical reactions play a vital role in sustainable innovation and fundamental understanding of light-matter interactions remain crucial for progress. Heterogeneous photocatalysis is one such example that shows potential to convert solar energy to chemical energy. Upon photoexcitation, charge carriers are generated within the catalyst, which can follow multiple competing pathways that determine the efficiency and selectivity of the reaction. Many of these processes occur in the ultrafast time regime, accessible only through the recent advancement of transient spectroscopy techniques. Extreme Ultraviolet (XUV) transient absorption spectroscopy is one such powerful method capable of probing charge carrier dynamics with element and site specificity, with a time resolution < 100 fs, in a laboratory setting. In this talk, I will present transient XUV studies on hematite, (α-Fe₂O₃), a model photocatalyst for water splitting. These measurements reveal that polaron formation occurs within < 1 ps after photoexcitation, lowering the efficiency by trapping charge carriers. Furthermore, surface functionalization with self-assembled monolayers can be used to modulate charge transfer dynamics in hematite. Observing electron motion in real time provide insights into intrinsic properties of materials, crucial for the design and synthesis of better performing photocatalysts. Thus, continued development of ultrafast techniques is key to advancing our understanding of photochemical processes.

Seminar Talk

Computational Data Modelling: Algorithms and Applications

Professor Mahua Mukherjee Head & Professor, Department of Architecture & Planning Joint Faculty and Ex-Head, Centre of Excellence in Disaster Mitigation and Management, IIT Roorkee, INDIA

Prof. Mahua Mukherjee is a Professor and Head at the Department of Architecture and Planning, IIT Roorkee, and former Head of the Centre of Excellence in Disaster Mitigation and Management. A Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellow from Penn State University, she has over three decades of teaching, research, and professional experience. Her expertise spans sustainable architecture, urban climate, and disaster resilience, with extensive national and international contributions to research, training, and policy.

ABSTRACT:

The presentation introduces Nature-based Solutions (NbS) through the “NbS Umbrella Concept,” which organizes actions into four pillars: Strategic, Spatial Planning, Engineering, and Socio-Economic Performance. It aims to clarify what falls under NbS and inspire future urban applications by showcasing six successful South Asian examples. Each case study is linked to specific NbS pillars, revealing a contextual change in application and highlighting how it fosters climate resilience, disaster risk reduction and ecosystem health.

PG Symposium 2026 Timeline

Tentative Timeline – PG Symposium 2026

Annual Postgraduate Research Symposium 2026
Faculty of Science, University of Colombo

Call for Abstracts

May 2026

Abstract Submission Deadline

22nd May 2026

Postgraduate Research Symposium 2026

18th November 2026

Abstract Submission

Call for Abstarcts

ANNUAL RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM 2026

Faculty of Science
University of Colombo

Abstracts are being called from postgraduate students and academic staff members of the Faculty of Science, University of Colombo to be considered for presentation at the Annual Postgraduate Research Symposium to be held on 18th November 2026.

        Theme: “Shifting from Disciplinary Silos to Transdisciplinary Scientific Research in the Era of AI”
    

The abstracts should be based on original research and, if accepted, should be presented at the Postgraduate Research Symposium. The presenting author should be a postgraduate student or an academic staff member of the Faculty of Science.

All accepted abstracts will be published in the Proceedings Book of the Annual Research Symposium 2026, University of Colombo.

Guidelines for preparation of abstracts are attached. Please follow the instructions carefully. Please note that abstracts that are not prepared according to the guidelines provided, or are submitted after the deadline, will NOT be considered for review.

The Editorial Committee reserves the right to make alterations to the text of the abstracts to improve its quality.

Please send in your abstracts to the Postgraduate Coordinator of your department via email on or before the deadline.

Abstract Submission Deadline: 22nd May 2026