"Importance of Research in Nanotechnology for Sustainable Energy Development" which was the next step of the Explorer series, Explorer 3.1, the flagship event of the Research for Undergraduates (R4U) club of the Department of Chemical and Process Engineering (DCPE), University of Moratuwa, was successfully held on 17th of August 2022 via Zoom online platform.
Prof. Ravi Silva, who is the director of the Advanced Technology Institute and head of the Nano-Electronics Center at the University of Surrey, England, was the special guest speaker at this event.
The program was planned as a platform for undergraduates passionate about this area of research to develop their fundamental understanding of nanotechnology and learn how it is linked with sustainable energy. Prof. Ajith de Alwis, Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Moratuwa, Dr. Thilini Ariyadasa, Senior Treasurer of the R4U Club, current and former students of the University of Moratuwa and many other interested participants from universities and institutes across Sri Lanka were in attendance at the event.
Prof. Silva started off his lecture by providing a brief overview of nanotechnology and how it relates to sustainable energy. Thereafter, he proceeded to impart his insightful knowledge on the applications of nanotechnology and how the field had evolved over the past few decades. After that, Prof. Silva shared some information about nanotechnology and sustainable energy development in a Sri Lankan context and enlightened the audience on the advancements in nanotechnology. He concluded the session by outlining the challenges faced in the implementation of nanotechnological applications. The keynote speech was followed by a fruitful Q&A session.
The Explorer 3.1 event was, thereby, successfully concluded and proved to be an incredibly interesting and enlightening experience for the participants.