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Vision

Be amongst the leading professional institutions in engineering and technology in the world.

Mission

To be the apex national body of engineers in Sri Lanka which ensures internationally recognized and locally relevant standards in the professional practice and education in engineering, while actively supporting national development and diligently serving its members and the society at large.

History

The Engineering Association of Ceylon was formed in 1906 with the objective of facilitating the acquisition of technical knowledge. Its inauguration on January 6, 1906, was held in the Legislative Council Chamber of the country presided by the then Governor of Ceylon, Sir Henry Blake. At this inauguration, Mr F A Cooper was appointed as the first President and the Governor was made the patron, a practice followed to date in that the Head of State functions as the patron of the Institution.

In 1956, the Association was reconstituted to become ‘The Institute of Engineers, Ceylon’ and from then on only engineers opted to be its members. The Institution obtained the membership of the Commonwealth Engineering Conference in 1958 and in 1968 it was admitted to be a member of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations. It was in the same year that the Institution was incorporated by an Act of Parliament. Some of the new objectives of the reconstituted body were the setting up of standards of practice and conduct, the encouragement of research and study and publication, and the promotion of professional and social welfare of its members.

In 1996, the name of the Institution was changed as The Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka by an amendment to Act 17 of 1968.

The IESL became a signatory to the Washington Accord on June 13, 2014. Being a signatory to the Washington Accord, the four year full time engineering degree programmes accredited by the IESL will be considered as substantially equivalent to four year engineering degree programmes that have been accredited by the other signatories to the Washington Accord. A signatory to the Washington Accord is empowered by the Accord to accredit only those degree programmes conducted within the jurisdiction (country) of the signatory.

At the closed session of the signatories of the Sydney Accord held on June 21, 2017 in Alaska , USA as a part of the meetings of the International Engineering Alliance , the IESL was admitted as a provisional signatory to the Accord marking another milestone in the IESL. 

Engineering Council, Sri Lanka has been established by Engineering Council, Sri Lanka Act, No 4 of 2017 passed in the Parliament of The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. According to clause 14 of said act,  no engineering practitioner shall engage in the practice of engineering profession unless such engineering practitioner is registered under ECSL. In order to register in the ECSL under one of the following Member categories, one has to be an active Member of the IESL. 

 a) Chartered Engineer - Corporate Members of the IESL (Fellow and Member Categories of the IESL)

 b) Associate Engineer - Associate Members of the IESL

c) Affiliate Engineer - Affiliate Members of the IESL

Membership Composition

Total Membership - 20,248 (Corporate Members - 5,230, Fellow - 526, Honorary Fellow 3, Associate Members - 11,594, Affiliate Members - 145, Companions - 9, Associates - 32, Student Members - 2,709 (IESL Annual Transactions 2020)

In Sri Lanka, the award of Chartered Engineer (C.Eng.) status is exclusive to The Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL). It is awarded to the Corporate Members of IESL. Chartered Engineers with corporate membership at IESL enjoy recognition by government, business and the general public. Chartered Engineer represents the highest standards of professionalism, Leadership, Up-to-date expertise, Quality and safety and the ability to undertake independent practice.

Operating Framework

The affairs of the Institution are managed by ‘The Council’, the governing body of the Institution in accordance with the By-laws. The Council is assisted in its work by Standing Committees and the Secretariat.

Functional Arms

Engineering Sectional Committees

Chapters (Overseas)

Chapters (Provincial)

Chapters (Universities)

Forums

Main Activities

IESL’s main activities are the following :

  • Enrollment of members ensuring that professional titles are granted to them only based on their competencies
  • Promoting the study of engineering
  • Establishing and maintaining standards for engineering education by acting as an accreditation body
  • Establishing and maintaining standards for the professional practice of engineering
  • Providing opportunities for members for their Continuing Professional Development (CPD)