FAuRS 2020: A unique platform for undergraduate research
FAuRS 2020 is the symposium organised by the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Peradeniya, and 1800 people participated this year since the symposium was held online.
Usually, graduate students, faculty staff, external supervisors, invited academics, and industry personal attend FAuRS each year.
However, since it was an online event about 900 participants attended the closing session while nearly 1,800 participants joined the programme throughout the day.
Prospective employers, ministries, research institutions, foreign collaborators, current students, alumni and academia were invited to take part in this one day symposium.
Professor M. D. Lamawansa, who was inducted recently as the Vice Chancellor, attended.
Prof. Lamawansa highlighted the importance to blend the wisdom of young undergraduates in the fields of agricultural sciences and allied sectors, as they are capable and enriched with knowledge and skills in addressing current local and global issues.
Prof. Lamawansa also pointed out that as the pioneer in agriculture higher education and research in Sri Lanka, the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Peradeniya has taken the leadership and driven its human resources in striking ways in finding viable and effective solutions to many of the challenges in the agriculture and allied sectors in collaboration with stakeholders at all levels, both locally and internationally.
The Vice Chancellor also introduced FAuRS 2020 as a unique platform for young undergraduates, the torchbearers of the future to present their research findings, share their knowledge and advances in research and development to build networks of professionals, researchers, academia, and policymakers.
Prof. Lamawansa also highlighted how this unique event promotes forward-thinking, insightful and valuable perspectives on the strategic challenges of agriculture and allied sectors. He drew on fascinating examples from Nobel prize-winning research and linked it to the current local and global context.
The Faculty of Agriculture was the first Faculty to be established at the University of Peradeniya and during the last 72 years, the Faculty of Agriculture, as the pioneer and leading agriculture higher education institute in Sri Lanka, shoulders the responsibility of producing agriculture and related professionals needed for the country, and also to give leadership to the sector.
To produce leaders in the agriculture sector, the undergraduate programmes at the faculty encourages holistic, independent and critical thinking, and the use of innovative and problem-solving approaches through the integration of modern and traditional blends and technological advancement. As the trendsetters in the higher education system of Sri Lanka, conducting final year research projects is a requirement of the B.Sc. degree programmes of the faculty since 1975.
The concept of undergraduate research symposia was first introduced to the university system of Sri Lanka in 1993, by the Department of Animal Science of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Peradeniya, and students present the findings of their final year research project in a wide forum. Since then, annual student research sessions have been a tradition of the faculty. In 2014, the faculty took another step forward by conducting a common student’s research symposium for the entire Faculty.
The FAuRS is providing a platform for graduating students to present their valuable final semester research findings and interact with experts in the sector, peers, and prospective employers. This will no doubt enhance the research culture within the faculty and the university system.
The Gold Medal for the Overall Best Presenter was sponsored by A. Baur & Co. Ltd for the sixth time. H.A.I.T Hettiarachchi from the Department of Crop Science won the overall best presenter award at FAuRS 2020 for her presentation titled “Assessing Growing Conditions and Ultrasound-Assisted Technique in Optimising the Extraction of Antioxidants and Polyphenols from Green Tea.”
Prof. S.P. Nissanka from the Department of Crop Science was her major supervisor, H. Gajadeera from Bestie Beverages Pvt. Ltd. in Galathara at Ittapana, and M. Gunawardana from Sri Lanka Institute of Nano Technology in Homagama also co-authored the paper. Their work focused on assessing the extractable total polyphenol contents of green tea produced from different tea types and shade levels in the upcountry tea fields. The study also compared the ultrasound-assisted extraction of tea polyphenols and antioxidants with hot water extraction.
Over the last seven years, Professor C. G.Bandranaike, the coordinator of FAuRS 2020, said the Faculty of Agriculture has made a tremendous contribution by staging FAuRS as the main event to reflect and reward the most significant achievements and innovations of graduands. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, FAuRS was a hybrid event this year.
Two invited speakers, Dr. Mariano J. Beillard from the United States Department of Agriculture, and Dr. Prativa Pandey, the Founder & Chief Formulator of Catalyst Technology Pvt. Ltd of Nepal, and a majority of participants joined online.