Sri Lankan student wins International Cybernetics prize
View(s):University of Bolton PhD student, Chathurika Kannangara, has won the prestigious Heinz von Foerster Award at the recent American Society for Cybernetics (ASC) conference.
A panel of experts awards the prize to a young academic who they decide has made the most significant contribution to any and all aspects of the conference.
Chathurika earned the honour after extensively contributing to group discussions on the conference’s theme: the link between understanding and acting.
She said: ‘I raised the point that where I come from we do have understanding but acting upon it is completely disconnected. There is study and research but often it is affected by bribery and corruption when trying to get that understanding to the next level. I tried to offer ideas on what can be done to connect this disconnection.’
Chathurika is originally from Sri Lanka and has only been studying at Bolton for a month and a half. She said she was not expecting to win the prize: ‘It was a big shock. I couldn’t stand up in my chair when they called my name. I am very much enjoying being here in Bolton. Everyone I have met has been very helpful and supportive.’
Winning the award came as an extra surprise for Chathurika after nearly missing out twice. Firstly she was not going to attend the conference as her area of study is psychology not cybernetics. It was only after the recommendation of her PhD Supervisor, Professor Jerome Carson, that she decided to attend.
‘Jerome said we should attend this conference even though we are not involved in cybernetics. We can go with no expectation and we might come out with something brilliant.’
Secondly, Cathurika did not put herself forward for the prize until the end of the second day of the event, only then feeling that she was making a significant enough contribution.
Prof Dai Griffiths is Professor of Educational Cybernetics at Bolton and was co-chair of the conference with ASC President, Professor Ranulph Glanville.
Prof Griffiths said: ‘I’m delighted that Chathurika has achieved this success. I know that the committee which made the award was impressed by her determination to use her research to make a difference to the educational system in Sri Lanka, and by the clarity with which she was able to express this. The prize will support her in maintaining contacts with an international community of scholars, which will be very valuable for her own work, and for the University as a whole.’
The ASC conference was held at the University of Bolton this year which was the first time it has been held outside out of America.
http://www.bolton.ac.uk/MediaCentre/Articles/2013/Aug2013-03.aspx
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