Shaping JCoS 2026: Insights from the Co-Chair, Review Panel, and Organizing Committee

Academic conferences play a vital role in advancing research by bringing together researchers, educators, and industry professionals to exchange ideas and showcase innovative work. In 2026, I had the privilege of contributing to the 1st Jayewardenepura Computing Symposium (JCoS 2026) organized by the Faculty of Computing, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. This experience allowed me to participate in the conference from multiple perspectives as an Organizing Committee Member, Reviewer, and Session Co-Chair.

Contributing Behind the Scenes

Being part of the Organizing Committee gave me a deeper appreciation of the effort required to successfully conduct an academic conference. From coordinating with committee members and ensuring that different activities progressed according to schedule to supporting various operational tasks, I witnessed how collaboration and careful planning are essential for delivering a professional research event.

Working alongside experienced academics and fellow organizers strengthened my organizational and communication skills while giving me valuable insight into conference management.

My First Experience as a Research Reviewer

One of the most rewarding aspects of JCoS 2026 was serving as a reviewer. This was my first opportunity to formally evaluate research submissions.

Reviewing manuscripts required much more than identifying strengths and weaknesses. It involved carefully assessing the novelty of the work, evaluating the technical methodology, determining whether the conclusions were supported by the results, and providing constructive feedback that could help authors improve their research.

This experience also helped me become a more critical researcher. Reading work from different authors exposed me to diverse research methodologies, writing styles, and problem-solving approaches. It reinforced the importance of clarity, reproducibility, and scientific rigor when preparing research for publication.

Serving as Session Co-Chair

Another memorable responsibility was serving as the Session Co-Chair for the Machine Learning and Generative AI Technologies technical session.

Together with the Session Chair, I helped facilitate paper presentations, ensured that the session remained on schedule, coordinated question-and-answer discussions, and contributed to creating a professional environment for presenters and attendees.

Listening to research in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and generative AI provided valuable exposure to emerging technologies and current research trends. It was inspiring to observe the innovative work being carried out by researchers from different institutions.

Reflecting on the Experience

JCoS 2026 was far more than a conference for me—it was a valuable learning journey that allowed me to experience the research publication process from multiple perspectives.

As an early-career academic and researcher, participating as an organizer, reviewer, and session co-chair enhanced my understanding of academic conferences beyond simply presenting research. It strengthened my confidence in evaluating scholarly work, improved my professional skills, and deepened my appreciation for the collaborative effort required to build a successful research community.

I am grateful to the Faculty of Computing, the organizing committee, and all the researchers who contributed to making the inaugural Jayewardenepura Computing Symposium a memorable success.

I look forward to contributing to many more academic conferences and continuing my journey in research, teaching, and innovation.