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Mind IT Balance IT:

by Aravinda Dassanayake

[email protected]
 

The IT industry is a field which is exposed to numerous innovations and choices. This has led the professionals in the IT sector to be bestowed with a range of alternatives in realising goals, which has resulted in wondrous creations coupled with technology.

However, over the years, it has come to notice that along with all the wonders in technology, the IT professionals are also facing the threat of being subjected to a considerable amount of stress, which is unique in nature compared to the generic stress that many people in the community face. This is due to the tight deadlines, learning curve effects and competition at many levels.

Sri Lanka is a country which is currently being a dominant player in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry while showing bright prospects of attracting a large proportion of BPO initiatives from all over the world.

Therefore, it is inevitable that the aspect of stress has also started making its way towards the IT professionals of the country. As we speak of the development of the IT industry of the country, it has become another area of interest to find the deeper reasons and solutions to this one-of-a-kind stress that has been battered upon IT professionals.

However, the Department of Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) of the University of Moratuwa, along with the Computer Science & Engineering Society (CS&ES) has taken the initiative to address this issue in a timely manner, by organising the ‘Mind IT Balance IT’ conference, proving further that it really is a pioneer and trend setter in the IT arena of the country.

‘Mind IT Balance IT’ is solely dedicated at creating awareness and promoting dialogue on the issues concerning the IT industry and the community. This year’s conference is themed ‘Stress Management’ and is aimed at addressing the concerns and health hazards posed by stress among the professionals in the industry.

The big picture being Stress Management, the conference would drill down to a range of associated aspects such as mastering priorities, understanding the fine blend of the health, mind and body, understanding the values that drive life, etc.

Therefore, the organising committee and professionals in the academia expect this conference to be of a unique nature, since it is going to be a more psychological presentation from a technical institution, while retaining the strong grasp at improving the IT sector as a whole as well.

The audience of the event is expected to comprise a wide range of individuals, primarily including Industry Leaders - the movers and shakers of IT businesses, Academic leaders leading University academics and researchers, IT professionals who drive the Sri Lankan IT industry and Officials of secondary and tertiary education in Sri Lanka as the people who define the future in education. In addition, University students who will be successors of the IT sector and other stakeholders of the IT industry of Sri Lanka are also expected to be part of the target audience.

The Department of Computer Science & Engineering and CS&ES organises a conference annually, as the premier IT conference that appears in the calendar of CSE, and it has been focusing on different themes in each of its encounters depending on the current context of the IT arena.

The last year’s conference which focused on entrepreneurship of future graduates became a good platform which spurred up the entrepreneurial instincts of undergraduates as well as the professionals in the field.

A similar impact was made in its venture in 2006 which addressed ‘Shaping the Future of IT Education for the needs of tomorrow’ where it became a key inspiration for the National ICT Capacity Summit (NICS) initiative geared by the IT industry.

Therefore, this year’s venture is also expected to be such an event which would open up many avenues to research on, and device means to handle the IT related stress in the most effective manner.

Furthermore, the conference is scheduled to converge to the CSE Get-together from 6.30 p.m. onwards which becomes the major meeting point of undergraduates, staff and the alumni.

This will be held in conjunction with the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Computer Science & Engineering Society of University of Moratuwa, which consists of the alumni of the department during its two decades of existence.

‘Mind IT Balance IT’ is steadilty progressing towards its execution scheduled on July 8, and many are high spirited with the expectation of a dawn of a new era for the IT community of the country, which would foster a fine balance between IT and the mind, and be more productive in the days to come by.

More information of the event can be found on the official website of the CS&ES under the URL www.mrt.ac.lk/cses.