ABOUT
PERSONAL DETAILSME
EDUCATOR, RESEARCHER, AND BUILDER OF SUSTAINABLE SMART SYSTEMS
I am Dr Janaka L. Wijekoon, a Lecturer in ICT (Online Education) at Flinders University in Australia. Over the past fourteen years I have taught, researched, and led across Australia, Japan, Oman, and Sri Lanka, growing from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer, Assistant Professor, and Head of Department along the way, including my PhD and postdoctoral study at Keio University in Japan as a MEXT Scholar. What keeps me going is a simple goal, to excel across all five areas of a successful academic, teaching, research, and institutional, national, and international contributions.
My background is in computer engineering, spanning IoT, network communication, security, and data science, all pointed towards one idea, a Sustainable Smart Society. Lately my focus has been growing towards AI and pedagogy. I am studying how AI can support Authentic Learning, and how Explainable AI (XAI) can strengthen Universal Design for Learning (UDL) so that education works for everyone. I am also drawn to human and wildlife coexistence, and I am building a way to detect and identify elephants at long range, without disturbing them, using seismic signals.
Along the way, student centred teaching has kept my SET scores as high as 4.83 out of 5, which I am proud of. I have helped publish two IEEE Standards, IEEE 1451.1.6 and IEEE 2992, and my applied projects have earned national and international recognition, including a World Champion title at the World Summit Awards 2021, a Silver Award at the Asia Pacific ICT Awards 2020, and the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2024. More recently I secured research grants for Enhancing Authentic Learning Using Generative AI, the Use of Explainable AI in Universal Design for Learning, and Jumbo Net, a non-invasive way to detect elephants at long range.
Leadership has been a big part of my work. I coordinated the Master of IT and Systems program for more than 1,500 students at VIT across four Australian campuses, and I led the Computer Systems Engineering department at SLIIT. As an active IEEE standards contributor, I serve as a Voting Member of P1451.7 and P1451.1.6 and as Vice Chair of P2992. I currently collaborate with Keio University in Japan and SLIIT in Sri Lanka, and closer to home I volunteer on the Governing Council at Rose Park Primary School.
HOBBIES
INTERESTS
Photography – Passionate about capturing landscapes, portraits, and creative moments, blending technical skills with artistic vision.
Hiking – Enthusiastic about exploring nature trails, mountains, and outdoor adventures, fostering both physical endurance and mental clarity.

































