Successful completion of the short course on GIS for Agriculture Instructors

The Department of Bio-Science, Faculty of Applied Science, University of Vavuniya, successfully conducted a 5-day short course titled “GIS for Agriculture Instructors” from 20-24 January 2025. The program, targeting middle-level officers and agriculture instructors, was designed to enhance their knowledge and skills in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), focusing on its application in the agricultural sector. The course sessions took place in the Environmental Information Systems Laboratory (EISL/DBS), University of Vavuniya.

Inauguration event (20/Jan/2025 9-10 am)

The course commenced with a formal inauguration ceremony attended by distinguished guests and resource persons. The welcome note was delivered by Dr. S. Wijeyamohan (Head, Department of Bio-Science). This was followed by a brief course overview by Mr. G. Naveendrakumar (Senior Lecturer, Department of Bio-Science). The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Dr. K. Arjunan (Senior Lecturer, Department of Bio-Science).

Inaugural event also featured by:

Dean’s address: Dr. (Ms.) J. Nimalan (Dean, Faculty of Applied Science)

Chief Guest’s speech: Prof. A. Atputharajah (Vice-Chancellor, University of Vavuniya)

Special Guest’s address: Ms. J.M. Muraleetharan (Deputy Director, Department of Agriculture, Vavuniya)

Resource persons

The sessions were conducted daily from 8 am to 6 pm by a team of resource persons from the Department of Bio-Science.

Mr. G. Naveendrakumar (Senior Lecturer, Department of Bio-science)

Dr. K. Arjunan (Senior Lecturer, Department of Bio-science)

Mr. T. Keerthanaram (Lecturer, Department of Bio-science)

Ms. K. Pirinthana (Demonstrator, Department of Bio-science)

Ms. R. Rafaya (Demonstrator, Department of Bio-science)

Supportive staff

Mr. K. Jeyakhoban (Staff Technical Officer, Department of Physical Science); Served as a Computer Assistant

Mr. S. Suthaharan (Laboratory Attendant, Department of Bio-science); Served as a Field Assistant

Conclusion (24/Jan/2025 Evening)

The short course was well-received by participants and demonstrated the University of Vavuniya’s commitment to promoting practical knowledge and skill development in GIS applications.

The closing session featured an interactive session with participants, led by Prof. (Ms.) A. Nanthakumaran (Professor in Environmental Science, Department of Bio-science). During this interaction, participants shared their feedback, discussed their learning experiences, and explored potential applications of GIS in agriculture.

The concluding remarks were delivered by Dr. (Ms.) J. Nimalan (Dean, Faculty of Applied Science). Dr. (Ms.) J. Nimalan expressed her gratitude to the resource persons, participants, and supportive staff for their contributions to the success of the short course. She highlighted the university’s commitment to fostering practical skill development and capacity-building initiatives in the field of Applied Science.

Photography

Arranged by Mr. T. Jeyamugan (Senior Treasurer, Vanni Vogue, University of Vavuniya).