Career Readiness Workshop Supports DIAGNOSE-DR Capacity Building at the University of Kelaniya

DIAGNOSE-DR is an ongoing international research collaboration involving the University of Kelaniya, University College London and other Sri Lankan partner institutions, with funding from VELUX STIFTUNG. The project aims to improve diabetic retinopathy screening in Sri Lanka while strengthening local research capability and capacity. 

Work Package 6 of DIAGNOSE-DR focuses on developing Sri Lankan students and researchers across four key domains: knowledge and intellectual abilities, personal effectiveness, research governance and organisation, and engagement, influence and impact. 

As part of these capacity-building activities, the Analytics Consultancy Centre, Department of Statistics & Computer Science, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya conducted a Career Readiness Workshop on 17 June 2026 at the Faculty Boardroom. The workshop was delivered with voluntary support from external professional-development partners and Industry professionals, Mr Denuwan Jayarathna, Mr Janith Premanayake and Mr Dhanushan Balakrishnan and was attended by 52 undergraduate students. 

The programme focused particularly on career readiness with sessions on personal effectiveness and engagement, influence and impact. It was designed to help students recognise their strengths, communicate their academic and professional experience effectively, build confidence and engage appropriately with academic, research and professional audiences.

 Through practical guidance and interactive discussions, participants explored professional communication, presentation of transferable skills, interview preparation, workplace expectations and effective engagement with prospective employers and collaborators. Together, these activities contribute to the development of well-rounded students and early-career researchers. 

The workshop also represents a further step in the development of the Analytics Consultancy Centre as a sustainable platform for research capacity building, applied learning and knowledge exchange at the University of Kelaniya.