|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 5 October 2003 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Science and civilization in Sri Lanka Panel Discussion to be held at the Organization of Professional Associations, Colombo 7, on October 7, 2003, at 6 pm. Science and Civilization in Sri Lanka is an idea whose time has come. Two earlier attempts to start similar studies were i) the SLAAS 1983/1984, GRC Symposium on Science and Technology in Ancient Sri Lanka, and ii) a Regional conference at IFS Kandy in the 1980s - neither of which achieved this objective. The present endeavour is to identify work done in Sri Lanka and abroad in different disciplines and areas of study by individual scientists, some known, others yet to be found. Eminent scientists in Sri Lanka and abroad, will spearhead this work, initially at least without any formal institutional setup, using mainly the electronic media, in order to prepare an Outline for this proposal to be announced later. Sources of information: Apart from numerous individual publications, there are many sources like the Epigraphica Zeylanica, and the annual administration and other reports of the Archaeology Department, the Department of Museums, and other government departments. In the non-government sector, papers and research communications in the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science, (SLAAS) may perhaps be the single most important, diverse, source. A number of other regular and occasional publications like the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (Ceylon Branch), and the Ceylon Historical Journal, to mention just two, as well as numerous University journals are also available. The University History of Ceylon stands in a very special position. It is intended that Science and Civilization in Sri Lanka will complement it in areas of science and technology. For that reason, the Contents pages from Volume I, Parts I and II, of the University History of Ceylon are given as Annex 1. Recently, Sri Lanka Water Heritage came into existence with a proposal for a Water Museum at Minneriya, that also led to the History of Water Conservation in Sri Lanka series. This is based largely on research and publications of R. L. Brohier and S. Arumugam, scholars from an earlier age, whose work represents essential sources for the present project, in addition to other primary and secondary sources. Inevitably, foreign support will be necessary. Steps are being taken to achieve this using personal contacts, without compromising the sovereignty of the project, not by any means an easy task. Two representative examples are: moral support, already received, from the Needham Research Institute, Cambridge, England, and funds being applied for from the National Science Foundation, Washington DC. Finally, this presentation is being made at the OPA at this time for two reasons. First, the OPA is one organization that represents all professionals in Sri Lanka. Second, the incumbent President of the OPA had initiated an attempt described as a Vision for Sri Lanka in the 21st century, in the Institute of Architects in 1998, that had different but comparable objectives to this project. One last comment: Prof. D.D. Kossambi's dictum "To learn about the present in the light of the past is to learn about the past in the light of the present", sums up the objectives of this project. Panelists for the October 7, 2003 meeting at the OPA are Dr. Siran Deraniyagala, Prof. C.B. Dissanayake, Dr. C.R. Panabokke, Dr. T. Somasekeran, Dr. C.G. Uragoda, Dr. C.G. Weeramantry, and Dr. Ray Wijewardena, each one of whom already has his own distinctive interest in, and perception of this idea whose time has come |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
