Eng. (Dr.) Kamal Laksiri
Age : 60 years
BSc Eng. (Hons), MSc, PhD, CEng, FIE(SL), IntPE(Sri Lanka), FICE, FASCE, FIET, MASME
Consultant to the board – Ceylon Electricity Board
Bio-Data as submitted & certified by the candidate
Dr. Kamal Laksiri’s Linkedin profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-kamal-laksiri-1b8a6820/
Eng. Dr. Kamal Laksiri, graduated with a B.Sc. (Eng) Honours Degree from University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. He followed a Master’s Degree (MSc.) at Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway specializing in Hydropower Development. Later he obtained his PhD attached to Saga, University, Japan.
At the end of his graduate studies, he started his career as an Engineer attached to a private sector consultancy firm engaging in major infrastructure development projects in Sri Lanka and abroad for a period of three (03) years.
Subsequently, he joined the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) in 1991. Since then, he has continued in CEB, specializing in Hydropower and Dam Engineering for more than three decades. During this period, he was engaged in the major Hydropower Projects such as Samanalawewa, Kukule Ganga, Broadlands, and Moragolla Hydropower Projects implemented in the country, in various capacities, and currently serving as a Consultant to the Board of Ceylon Electricity Board.
Concerning his involvement with professional bodies, he has served as the Vice President, President-Elect, President, and Immediate Past President of the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL) He has also served as the Chairman of the Water Forum, of the IESL, which he spearheaded in establishing by restructuring the then Water Resources Development Committee. The IESL History & Heritage Forum is also his brainchild.
He is a past Chairman of the Sri Lanka Association of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), United Kingdom, and he is the current Country Representative, Sri Lanka of ICE. He is a Past President of the Association of Consulting Engineers Sri Lanka, (ACESL), the National Chapter of FIDIC in Sri Lanka. During his tenure, he was instrumental in securing the opportunity to hold the FIDIC Asia-Pacific Conference in Colombo and in the successful implementation of the event in 2018. He is a FIDIC-trained Adjudicator.
During his tenure in ACESL, he pioneered in establishing the Young Professionals Forum (YPF) and there he could open the path for many young engineers to develop their skills in the consulting engineering sector.
He has also served as a Board Member of the FIDIC Asia Pacific Group (ASPAC) representing Sri Lanka.
In 2024, he was re-elected as a Governor of Region 10 of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) for the next three years, from 2024 to 2027. ASCE is one of the oldest and prestigious engineering institutions in the world, where he is a Fellow Member.
He is also the Vice President of the Sri Lanka National Committee on Large Dams (SLNCOLD) of the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) and has attended number of international events representing the Country.
He is a member of the International Steering Committee of the HYDRO conference organized by the Hydropower and Dam Journal published in the United Kingdom and a Trustee of the AMI Foundation of the United Kingdom.
Election Statement as submitted & certified by the candidate
It is my strong belief that, IESL, as the apex engineering body in the country, needs to be the umbrella body for all the engineering practitioners in the country.
Currently, the whole engineering sector, including the Engineering education stream faces new challenges, and the IESL has to act wisely in interacting with these challenges and taking the most appropriate stance.
However, due to the complexity of the issues faced today, it is not an easy task and we as IESL need to closely and promptly work with all stakeholders.
Then, equally, the need for the Engineer’s involvement in the national level is felt more than ever. Today, I observe that our role as Engineers in all these fronts is in a passive state and our contributions and our presence is not felt by society at large. Thus, IESL needs to revisit its stance and take the lead role in many fronts.
With my professional background with other international bodies and my career as a senior Engineer, I made several initiatives as the President of the Institution to address the above issues. If I get elected as the Past President I intend to continue with those initiatives to help the Profession and the Institution.