The Plastics and Rubber Institute of Sri Lanka has signed an MOU with the Plastics and Rubber Institute of Singapore. This was announced by the President of the PRISL, Kaushal Rajapaksa at the Institute’s Annual Awards Night held recently at the Taj Samudra Hotel.

Hon. Deshamanya Karu Jayasuriya, Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka and a past President of the PRISL graced the occasion as Chief Guest. His Excellency Hu Wei the Deputy Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China and Mr. W.T. Ellawala, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, C.W. Mackie PLC and President of the Sri Lanka Society of Rubber were the Guests of Honor at the ceremony held to award certificates to students who successfully completed the Certificate and Diploma Courses conducted by the Institute.

The services of two members of the PRISL were recognised with Merit Awards for their outstanding contributions to the institute and the industry. Koenraad Pringiers, CEO of Camso Loadstar was President of the PRISL for three years. In 1992 he joined Camso Loadstar, the leading global manufacturer of industrial solid and pneumatic tires, tracks & wheels. He is also the Honorary Consul for Belgium in Sri Lanka. G. Anura De Silva has been associated with the Rubber Industry having begun as a Technical Assistant at the Rubber Research Institute of Sri Lanka. He has two patents to his credit and now functions as a lecturer.

A new book on elastomer science was also launched at the event. The book outlines some of the newest technologies used in the rubber industry.

Speaking on the occasion, Kaushal Rajapaksa outlined the services of the Institute. “The PRISL’s main areas of focus have been on Education, Seminars and publications for the industry, and social events to promote interaction and networking.  We also serve as an advisory body to the government and other relevant organizations on policy and development matters on the plastic and rubber sectors.”

“In the education sector, we conduct Certificate, Diploma, Higher Diploma and Graduateship courses for different levels of employees in the industry.”

A highly qualified and experienced panel of lecturers including those with post-graduate qualifications and long years of teaching experience at the graduate and post-graduate levels conduct the PRISL courses on weekends, making it very attractive to those already in employment.

The curriculum has been designed to conform to international standards and the institute offers modern facilities for the benefit of students including a well organised library where the students could access more than 1000 text books on Plastics and Rubber Technology, Information Technology, Engineering, Accountancy, Management and several other relevant subjects recommended by international education authorities.

The membership of the institute comprises of a wide range of professionals including CEOs, Directors, Senior Managers and Executives in the rubber and plastics industries in Sri Lanka. In addition to its specialised educational programs, the PRISL acts as the forum and centre for networking in the industry, and assists in promoting their professional interests through regular technical meetings, seminars, conferences and visits to manufacturing plants and industrial sites.

The core business of the Institute is continuous professional development of industry personnel through education and training. The Institute has been formally recognized by the government since 1995 under the ‘Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission’ as a training body that has the capability and competence to carry out structured study courses to enhance the knowledge and skills of personnel at technological and managerial levels.

Congratulating the recipients of awards, Rajapaksa said, “As we all know the objective of the awards ceremony is to felicitate the achievements of the students who are successful at the examinations and to recognize the persons who have made outstanding contributions to the development of the polymer industry. I wish to congratulate on behalf of the Plastics and Rubber Institute, all students who received their certificates and Diplomas today. I also extend my best wishes to the two Merit Award recipients for their outstanding contribution towards the development of the polymer industry.”

Photo Caption - Koenraad Pringiers receives a Merit Award from Hon. Karu Jayasuriya. Others in the picture are Ananda Caldera, Chairman Admin & Finance Sub-committee, (2^nd from left) and Kaushal Rajapaksa, President, PRISL (4^th from left).