Advanced Nanomaterials for Clean Energy and Health Applications
Two Sri Lankan students have been undergoing research training at HVL. Sivagowri Shanmugaratnam and Kajana Thirunavukarasu from the Department of Physics, University of Jaffna, arrived on 22nd of November 2020. They are conducting research at HVL under Professor Dhayalan Velauthapillai.
The vice-chancellor and Ambassador Her Excellency Trine Jøranli Eskedal, the Ambassador of Norwegian Embassy in Colombo inaugurated ‘Master of Clean Energy Technologies’ Programme in collaboration with Western Norway University of Applied Sciences on 19.09.2020. This Master of clean energy technologies programme is the first of its kind in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is foreseeing a clean energy future. The planned Master programme will help to produce the required technical workforce to accelerate clean energy technologies in Sri Lanka. The University of Jaffna and theWestern Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) jointly developed the curriculum under HRNCET and CBERC projects (http://project.jfn.ac.lk/hrncet/). The courses will be taught by qualified academics from the universities in Sri Lanka, India, USA, Sweden, and Norway. The Master programme comprises of two levels.
First is a one-year Master of Clean Energy Technologies with only taught courses and the other is a two-year Master of Science in Clean Energy Technologies. Students who excel in their masters will have an opportunity to continue their studies towards split-side PhD programme in Norway. Dr.M.K.Ahilan and Dr.T.Pathmathas will serve as joint coordinators of the programmes.
Clean Energy Research Laboratory, Department of Physics received an atomic force microscope (AFM) and an x-ray diffractometer (XRD), worth of 12 million rupees each, from the State Ministry of Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research & Innovations, and Royal Norwegian Embassy in Sri Lanka, respectively. On the request made by our collaborators from National Institute of Fundamental Studies and Universities of Peradeniya, Ruhuna and Kelaniya, a Training workshop on “Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD) as effective research tools” is scheduled to be held at the Clean Energy Research Laboratory, Department of Physics for training the research students on September 12 & 13, 2020 (weekend). Dr. U. Sutharsini and Dr. M. Thanihaichelvan will serve as resource persons of this training workshop.
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) are part of the delegation, and have longstanding partnerships with partner institutions Coimbatore Institute of Technology, India and PSG College of Technology, India from before. New MoU was signed a with Alagappa University i Karaikkudi, Tamilnadu in the field of nanomaterials for clean energy applications in front of Hon. Excellencies Ambassador Hans Jakob Frydenlund and Director General Anne Line Wold in Chennai, India. From the HVL side Dean, Prof. Geir Anton Johanson signed the MoU with the registrar Prof. Prabhu from Algappa University. HVL delegation is lead by Prorector Gro Anita F. Flaten, Elin Kvaale and Prof. Dhayalan Velauthapillai, coordinator of the projects with Indian and Sri Lankan institutions on Nanomaterials for Clean Energy Technologies. Advisor Maren Stallemo is also in Chennai assisting the project group. The Research Consorium on Advanced Nanomaterials that is lead by HVL that includes Universities and research institutions from India and Sri Lanka (Univ. of Jaffna, Univ. of Peradeniya, NIFS) now expands with new members from Alagappa University through this new MoU.
More than fifteen times international mobilities of research students and the staff were operated between the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences and the University of Jaffna. Prof. Dhayalan’s PhD research fellow, Håkon Eidsvåg had been in CERL for more than two months for guiding an MPhil student and staff on stimulation studies on Nanomaterial for clean energy technologies. Unfortunately, he is compelled to return Norway due to the current situation prior to one month before his scheduled return date. Anyhow our research students were greatly benefited from all these mobility programmes
Staff and students of the University of Jaffna visited India on 27th January 2020. On 5 and 6 th of February, research workshop was held at IIT. Also research discussion was arranged within University of Jaffna, Western norway university of applied science and Coimbatore institute of technology from 7 to 9 February. Student from UoJ continue their research work there and they did the oral presentation with their research findings.
Sri Lanka’s first floating solar PV plant was opened by the Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, HE Trine Jøranli Eskedal on January 24, 2020 at the Faculty of Engineering, Kilinochchi Campus, University of Jaffna. This was part of the research collaboration between the University of Jaffna and the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Sri Lanka.
The 46.5 kW plant’s panels worth 35 million Sri Lankan rupees were donated and set afloat by Current Solar AS – a Norwegian company.
Iinternational academic workshop on “energy transitions in the global South” took place on 23 and 24 January 2020 at Eindhoven University of Technology. Gz. MeeNilankco Theiventhran, PhD Research Fellow took part in the workshop as part of the book project titled “Balancing urgency and justice: pathways for navigating the dilemmas of energy transitions in the global South”. Gz. MeeNilankco Theiventhran is contributing with a Chapter titled “Energy transitions in a post-war setting: Question of equity, justice and democracy in Sri Lanka”. The edited volume is to be published by Routledge. The two-day workshop discussed the issues around energy justice, urgency and democracy. MeeNilankco presented his paper draft in the workshop and got constructive feedback to finalise the paper.
