On July 28, 2026, the Faculty Quality Assurance Cell (FAQC) of the Faculty of Agriculture and Plantation Management (FAPM) hosted Season 3 of the Faculty Talk series at the Prof. H.P.M. Gunasena Auditorium. The event featured a 60-minute interactive session titled “Thinking in Systems: A New Way to Understand Agriculture and Everyday Life”.
The session was delivered by Dr. Christopher Greshan Fernando, Ph.D., P.E., a systems engineer, technical leader, and educator. The guest lecture provided first-year undergraduates, academic staff, and visitors from the Department of Agriculture with a direct introduction to the fundamentals of Systems Thinking.
During the presentation, Dr. Fernando demonstrated that agriculture is the management of interconnected biological, environmental, technological, economic, and social systems. He connected familiar situations, such as managing household finances or navigating traffic, to complex agricultural processes. By applying these concepts to soil health, water management, crop production, and food supply chains, the audience learned how to identify feedback loops, find leverage points, and anticipate unintended consequences for more effective problem-solving.
The event was organized under the administration of Prof. Gajanayake, Dean of FAPM, and Dr. M.J.M.S. Kurera, Chairman of the FAQC. Essential partnership and coordination were provided by Dr. J.V.S. Aluthmuhandiram, Coordinator of the Career Guidance Unit. Dr. D.S. Liyanage, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biotechnology, delivered the formal vote of thanks to conclude the session. Wayoscope acted as the official photographic partner for the event.
FAPM encourages all students to use the holistic perspective discussed during this session to address the complex challenges of sustainable agriculture, food security, and natural resource management.
