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Prasanna Indunil
Prasanna Indunil

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The Unexpected Open-Source Hub in Sri Lanka’s Hill Country

Most people don’t think "open-source hotspot" when they imagine a university nestled between tea plantations and rainforests. But Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka (SUSL) is full of surprises.

Code in the Clouds (Literally)

While SUSL’s campus looks like a nature retreat, its Computer Science department runs:

  • A student-led Open-Source Society that contributes to Sri Lankan government tech projects.
  • An annual "Hack in the Hills" hackathon (yes, the WiFi reaches outdoor coding spots).
  • Research labs focused on tropical tech think flood prediction models and agri-tech for monsoon climates.

Why Open-Source Devs Should Take Notice

Real-World Impact

  • Student projects often tackle hyper local problems (e.g., landslide alert systems).
  • Many end up as public GitHub repos check their department site for links.

Zero Pretension, Maximum Hustle

  • No flashy Silicon Valley jargon here just frugal innovation (old PCs + big ideas).
  • Strong mentorship from profs who’ve built systems for Sri Lanka’s unique infra challenges.

A Different Kind of Tech Community

  • Where else do devs debug by lantern light during power cuts? (Bonus: no distractions!)
  • Campus "Code & Chai" meetups generic tech talks.

Peek at Their CS Programs: sab.ac.lk

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