15-Oct-2026
India–Sri Lanka Foundation Award: Academic and Research Exposure Visit to India
Prof. Devika De Costa, Principal Investigator (Sri Lanka), and Mr. K.D.R.C. Rienzie of the Department of Agricultural Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, undertook an academic and research exposure visit to India under an award funded by the India–Sri Lanka Foundation. The visit included the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD), the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, the ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa, and the Nanaji Deshmukh Plant Phenomics Centre (NDPPC), New Delhi, as well as several academic and research units at IITD. The visit was coordinated by Prof. Shilpi Sharma, the Indian Principal Investigator of the award, at IITD.
During the visit, Mr. Rienzie, an MPhil student registered with the Board of Study in Plant Protection at the Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture (PGIA)
, and jointly supervised by Prof. Devika De Costa and Prof. Shilpi Sharma, received hands-on training in novel laboratory techniques relevant to his research programme. The training was conducted at the Environmental Genomics Laboratory and other laboratories within the Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at IITD.
In addition, Prof. Devika De Costa was invited to deliver lectures at the ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), the Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology at IITD, and the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB).
The visit provided a valuable opportunity to enhance research skills, exchange scientific knowledge, and gain exposure to advanced research facilities and methodologies. It also facilitated the establishment of new academic and research collaborations, broadened scientific perspectives, and strengthened expertise in relevant fields, laying a strong foundation for future collaborative research initiatives between Sri Lanka and India.
